The Aztexan

AustinAztex.com — Aztex Win Austin Chamber of Commerce Community Relations Award Two Years Running

For the second consecutive year, the Austin Aztex took home the Austin Chamber of Commerce Community Relations Award on Wednesday night at the Chamber’s Awards Banquet at the Hilton Austin.

Austin’s players and staff have appeared throughout the community more than 100 times throughout the 2010 calendar year to date and still have a plethora of events lined up to through the remainder of the season. The appearances have included partnering with 18 Austin (AISD) middle schools to improve cardiovascular fitness, providing training and fundraising opportunities for youth clubs, numerous volunteer and guest appearances to support local charities, visits to both elementary and middle school career fairs and involvement in Partners in Education classroom coaching.

Read it all.

Austin Pets Alive! — Soccer Fever:

If you can’t get enough of soccer watching, check out Austin’s own soccer team, the Aztex. The Aztex will donate 20% of all ticket sales for the game on Saturday, July 17th that come from this link: http://aztex-soccer.com/apa

The perfect summer activity for the budding soccer pro(s) in your house: Aztex Youth Soccer Camps. For ages 4 to 18, full and half-day camps run by Aztex players and staff are available all summer, in locations all around Austin (and beyond).

“I’m very excited to present another excellent year of Austin Aztex Pro Soccer Camps. All of our camps will offer professional instruction where players are grouped by age and ability with an emphasis on individual technical development. I will personally be attending the camps to ensure that your children are receiving the highest standard of instruction available in Austin.”

— Adrian Heath, Austin Aztex Head Coach

There’s not yet an Austin chapter of the American Outlaws U.S. National Team supporters’ group, but there will be soon. The membership effort is being spearheaded by our own Dan “Free Beer Man” Wiersema. I’ve heard some of the plans and partnerships that are already in the works for Austin AO members; it’s going to be huge.

Soccer has come to town. Support your Aztex, and support your country. Join American Outlaws — it’s only $19 and gets you free stuff & discounts — and put “Austin” as your city.

The Aztex will be hosting World Cup watch parties for select group stage games. What a great way to capture some of this year’s soccer mania and connect it back to Austin’s team. I don’t know if they did it on purpose, but I think it’s great that they’re at a few different locations around town.

We’ll have players, Soccerettes, giveaways, food and drink specials, you name it, waiting just for YOU! We know some of the games are during work hours, but the World Cup only comes once every four years — your boss will understand.

Date	Time (CT)	Match	Location
Fri., June 11	9 a.m.	Mexico vs. South Africa	Third Base at South Park Meadows (9600 South IH-35)
Sat., June 12	1:30 p.m.	USA vs. England	Cuatros (1004 W. 24th St.)
Tue., June 15	1:30 p.m.	Brazil vs. Korea	Champions (300 E. 4th St.)
Thu., June 17	1:30 p.m.	Mexico vs. France	Waterloo Ice House S. Park Meadows (9600 S. IH-35, Suite D)
Fri., June 18	9 a.m.	USA vs. Slovenia	Cuatros (1004 W. 24th St.)
Sat., June 20	1:30 p.m.	Brazil vs. Ivory Coast	Third Base Downtown (1717 W. 6th St)
Tue., June 22	9 a.m.	Mexico vs. Uruguay	Waterloo Ice House Downtown (1106 W. 38th St.)
Wed., June 23	9 a.m.	USA vs. Algeria	Cuatros (1004 W. 24th St.)
Wed., June 23	9 a.m.	England vs. Slovenia	Cuatros (1004 W. 24th St.)

photo: Austin American-Statesman

What a night, what a crowd and what a pile of money raised for Haiti!

Here’s a rundown of other post-match coverage:

• Aztex-Haiti match raises $11,500 — Austin American-Statesman

  The team raised more than $7,000 in its exhibition with Trinity University in San Antonio last week and around $3,400 was tallied after the team scrimmaged FC Dallas over the weekend. The Aztex topped both numbers Wednesday, helping to raise $11,500 in cash donations and several bins full of used soccer gear that will be given to children in Haiti.

  “To be honest, I didn’t really know what we could raise or, on a week’s notice, how big a turnout we’d have,” Aztex owner Phil Rawlins said. “I’m just delighted.”

• Aztex Play Haitian Nationals to Scoreless Draw — AustinAztex.com
  

  After a slow start to the match, the game sprung to life 10 minutes in, when Haiti’s Goalkeeper, Occenat Peterson quickly came off his line to deny Aztex midfielder Stephan Campbell on his first attempt. Immediately after, Haiti countered and Jean Baptiste Fritzson’s shot went just over the crossbar.

  The second half was a similar story with both sides having chances, but most of the play coming in the midfield. The best chance for the Aztex came in the 85th minute after Wes Allen’s shot was blocked and fell right to Max Griffin, whose header bashed against the crossbar.

• Soccer and Help for Haiti — Michael Tuuk Photography
  

  The whistle blew and I prepared to make a beeline to the exit. What stopped me was the fact that as soon as the match ended, the players who had been adversaries for the past 90+ minutes suddenly became friends and began to hug each other. That isn’t unusual after a sporting event but I had a sudden sense of what the Haitian team members must be going through emotionally. I flipped the camera back up and captured a few images of this scene.

• Free Beer Movement in Action — Free Beer Movement
  

  I think one of my newbies fell in love with Austin’s keeper Miguel Gallardo so that will be a good incentive for her to return. In the end I got commitments from all involved to come back for another Aztex match soon.

• Video: Aztex host Haiti — KXAN