New Tampa Baseball/Softball Previews

Elijah Dukes

Wharton High Baseball Primed For Another Big Season

Michael Burgess was content to be an assistant coach on the Carrollwood Day School staff for the 2022 high school baseball season. But, when the Wharton High head coaching job unexpectedly opened up, Burgess figured it was too good to pass up.

“I really just wanted to be a hitting coach,” Burgess said. “But then, this job just fell into my lap so I thought, why not? It’s a great opportunity to get some coaching experience and help prepare guys for the next level.’’

Burgess, 33, takes over for Scott Hoffman, who spent 18 years as the Wildcats’ coach, winning 267 games, including last year’s District championship. Burgess inherits a team that went 21-5 and returns several key players. Not that he’s had much time to get to know his players — Burgess was hired only about a month ago and has had to hit the ground running, as the Wildcats are off to a 4-1 start.

Burgess is no stranger to Hillsborough County baseball, however. He was a star outfielder at Hillsborough High and helped the Terriers reach the State championship in 2006. In 2007, after a stellar senior season, he was selected in the supplemental first round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft by the Washington Nationals as the 49th overall player selected. 

While Burgess never played in a major league game, he did manage to have a 12-year professional career. He played a total of 1,256 minor league games for four different Major League Baseball organizations (Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Baltimore Orioles), in the Mexican League as well as the Independent League, hitting a total of 185 home runs before retiring in 2018.

He returned to Tampa, but hadn’t gotten baseball out of his system.

“It’s going to be a fun and great experience,’’ Burgess says of coaching the ‘Cats. “I’ve been down this road once before in high school. I’m familiar with all the competition. I can’t hit for the guys though. They’re always asking me, ‘Hey coach, you think you can beat such and such in a home run derby?’ I just tell them, ‘Y’all have no idea what I can do.’’’ 

Burgess will have several top-notch players returning from last year’s playoff team as his nucleus.

Senior pitchers Evan Chrest (left) and Ryan Fry.

It starts with the one-two combination of senior pitchers Ryan Fry and Evan Chrest. Both are right-handers who combined to win 14 games last season. Fry, who is committed to University of Miami, was 6-1 with a 1.88 ERA last season, and struck out 12 in six innings to get a 2-1 win in the 2022 season opener. Chrest, a Jacksonville University commit, was 8-2 with a 1.93 ERA last season. 

So far this season, the Wildcat duo has combined for. awhopping 42 strikeous in 22 innings, and only allowed five earned runs.

Burgess expects left-handed seniors Vijay Wadhwani and 6-foot-7 Jaythan Wilson to provide relief for his two starters. 

“We’ve got two horses coming back,’’ Burgess says. “They have a dog mentality on the mound and throw a lot of strikes. We’re going to ride those guys all season. We have some guys who are going to come in on the back end and close out some games.’’

Offensively, senior Elijah Dukes is primed for a breakout season, and opened the 2022 season with a homer after leading the team last year with four (to go along with 24 RBI). Through five games, Dukes is hitting .429 with two homers.

The son and namesake of the former Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Hillsborough High standout, Dukes is a 5-foot-11, 240-pound prospect who can play the infield or outfield.

Burgess has known Dukes since he was born and has watched him grow up.

“I keep an eye on him and help him with his swing,’’ Burgess says. “His swing is very similar to mine. I’d say almost identical. I can really help him stay under control.

“He’s got some high expectations. He has pop to all fields. He can run. He’s not as fast as his dad, but he can run. He has good hands. We’re going to try to get some great things out of him this year.’’

Dukes won’t be the only bat to deal with for Wharton. Fellow seniors Billy Eich, a 6-6 first baseman and the Wildcats’ leading returning hitter after batting .360 last year, Quentin Meadows (14 RBI last year. andalready batting .538 this year) and David Limbach (who is on pace to better last year’s .315 BA and 20 RBI) are all expected to provide offense. With 11 seniors on the roster, expect the Wildcats to make a lot of noise in Class 6A for the next three months.

 “We’re just looking for a couple of guys to step up,’’ Burgess said. “Once those couple of guys step up it’s going to be a great season.’’

Evan Mobley

FREEDOM BASEBALL
PREVIEW

COACH: Tripp Merrell (fourth season)

LAST SEASON: 12-13 (5-4, third place in Class 5A, District 6)

KEY RETURNERS: Raul Olivera, Sr., Util; Gio Mendoza, Jr., C; Lucas Richardson, Sr., INF

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: Evan Mobley, Sr., P/INF; Logan Lambert, Jr., 3B.

BREAKOUT STAR: In his first game as a member of the Patriots, Evan Mobley threw a shutout in a 6-0 season-opening win over Alonso, and hasn’t allowed an earned run in two appearances. The Tampa Bay Tech transfer certainly got off to a good start and will be counted on to eat up innings this season. He also will play the infield when not on the mound. Mobley hit a team-best .340 for the Titans in 2021. 

OUTLOOK: This is the fourth season for Merrell, which means this will be the first class he has coached from freshmen to seniors. The Patriots are already off to one of their best starts ever at 4-1.

There are eight seniors on the roster and plenty of depth in the lineup, and his top five returning offensive players are top hitter Raul Olivera (.430, 34 hits, 13 RBI, six doubles — all team bests in 2021). Through the first five games, freshman Bryce Nanns, junior Gio Mendoza, senior Lucas Richardson, Olivera and Mobley all have four RBI each.

In addition to Mobley, senior Michael Morrison, junior Joey Wey and senior Marshall Chastain (who has 12 strikeouts in 10.2 innings this season) should provide pitching depth. 

One of the difficulties for the Patriots almost every season is the competition. District 5A-6 includes perennial Tampa powers Jesuit, Jefferson and Hillsborough. But, with a veteran roster, Freedom has as its best chance in recent memory to compete with those top-tier teams. 

COACH SAYS: “There is a lot of optimism going through this program right now. We’ve got seven of our nine offensive starters returning, we’ve got a deep pitching staff. If we can improve on what we’ve been working on during the offseason then we should be in pretty good shape. Our district is very tough, but that’s Hillsborough County baseball. It’s a challenge every year.”  — Freedom baseball coach Tripp Merrell

WHARTON SOFTBALL PREVIEW

COACH: Amber Lamb

LAST SEASON: 8-11 (2-5 in Class 7A, District 11). 

KEY RETURNERS: Riley Collins, Sr. P; Lexi Cowles, Jr. 1B/C (photo); Isabella Rittle, Sr., INF; Haleigh Self, Sr., 3B.

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: Hannah Lopez, Fr.; Samantha Leyva, Fr.; Brooke Loomis, So., P/INF (Brooks-DeBartolo transfer). 

BREAKOUT STAR: As the only returning pitcher with any experience, senior Riley Collins will be heavily relied upon. She threw 104 innings as a junior and had a 3.62 ERA. She struck out 40, so she will have to increase that total this season. Collins, who also hit .244, will be asked to throw strikes and should have a better defense behind her this season. She was 6-11 as a junior, but she could easily completely flip that record this season. 

OUTLOOK: Lamb, who missed the Covid-shortened 2020 season due to maternity leave, had a hard time fielding a team in 2021. But, at least she fielded one — this year, Freedom High will not have a softball team, due to a lack of players.

Although Lamb’s best player, Tieley Vaughn, is now at USF after rewriting much of the school record book, the roster is fuller and Lamb says she has depth and has improved at just about every position. Junior Lexi Cowles may have been overshadowed, but she was outstanding last year, leading the team in doubles (7) and RBI (28); she also was second in hits (27), runs (20), triples (3) and home runs (3). She is off to a hot start this season, hitting .562 with two doubles and home run in the early going.

Senior infielder Isabella Rittle is hitting .417 and already has two homers, the first of her varsity career.

Lamb says she also is very impressed with freshmen Lopez and Leyva, and Loomis could pick up some innings to give Collins a breather. 

COACH’S QUOTE: “There is definitely optimism this season. We had so many more girls try out this season than last season. We were so scarce on numbers. But now, it’s very encouraging. We are trying to win the District (6A-6). That is definitely a goal.’’ —Wharton softball coach Amber Lamb

Cypress Creek Valedictorian: Ashleigh Lacey

Ashleigh Lacey had a lofty goal when she entered Cypress Creek High as part of its first freshman class — she didn’t want to get anything lower than an “A’’ in any class she took. Ever. 

It wasn’t that far-fetched of an idea. The only “B’’ she had ever received was in third grade at Denham Oaks Elementary. The subject was reading, which is actually something she loves to do. Like any good student, she analyzed why she didn’t get an A and made sure she never made that mistake again.

“Back then, I thought you could only get As if you were a nice person,’’ Ashleigh says. “I just thought I needed to be nicer. But, that isn’t how it works.’’

It helps to be nice, and Ashleigh certainly is. But, the hard work is the most important thing. 

After four years of budgeting her time between classes, extracurricular activities and a part-time job, Ashleigh has accomplished her goal.

She will finish her high school career with a weighted grade point average of 4.6. She earned only As in every class she took, which included her favorite classes (history and psychology) and her not so favorite classes (anything to do with math).

On June 2, Ashleigh will graduate as Cypress Creek’s valedictorian. She will be the first valedictorian to attend all four years at the school, which opened in 2017.

 “I guess I’m in the school history books,’’ Ashleigh (photo) says.

She already has taken enough college-level classes to earn her Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree, which means she will enter college needing only two years to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree. She will attend the University of South Florida in Tampa on an academic scholarship.

“I’m kind of a perfectionist, so when I entered high school I told myself that I want to get all As,’’ Ashleigh says. “I didn’t even know what a valedictorian was.’’

Ashleigh Lacey (in front) competed in track for Cypress Creek, winning a district championship in the long jump this season. She plans to try to walk onto the track team at USF. 

It was certainly not an easy path to graduation for any student over the past year and a half. Covid-19 restrictions reduced half of the 2020 school year to on-line learning only. Students were given a choice of on-line or in-person learning this school year. Ashleigh did both.

What’s also impressive is that Ashleigh didn’t just spend her high school days in classrooms and libraries or behind a computer screen. She has been part of the school’s art club for three years. And, she is an important member of the Coyotes’ track team. She won the District long jump championship last month and advanced to the Regional meet. She also competes in the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles and is part of the school’s 4x100m relay team. 

In short, she is one of those student athletes who excels at whatever she decides to try.

“I would say that’s right,’’ her father Robert says. “You could see signs of it as a child, just in the way she organized and lined up certain toys in a perfect row. She always did very well in school. She’s just always done well in everything she’s done. She’s competed in speech contests and done well. She played the flute for a while and became an All-County flute player. She’s a very talented artist. She excels at anything she picks up.’’

The next step is college. Ashleigh’s goal is to attend medical school at USF and eventually become a psychiatrist. Early on, she thought maybe she might like to be a lawyer, but after taking advanced classes in biology and psychology, she decided to change her goals.

“I would read books on those subjects just for fun,’’ she says. “Sometimes I’m kind of a nerd.’’

Just because she is off to college doesn’t Ashleigh’s goals will change. She still doesn’t want to get a B. And, she says she would like the chance to walk on to USF’s track team.

She won’t be far away from the Wesley Chapel home where she grew up. She’ll be able to visit her younger brother Luke and parents, Robert and mom Michelle, often. As expected, Ashleigh credits her parents as having been a key to her success.

“They’ve been very encouraging,’’ Ashleigh says. “They’ve never pressured me. They put a lot of trust in me.’’

Well-earned trust. 

“We’re lucky that she’s been so driven,’’ Robert says. “We haven’t had to push her. She’s taken care of her academics. She’s really taken control of her life. She’s made our jobs as parents a lot easier.’’

The Cypress Creek High graduation is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2, 7 p.m. at the school’s football stadium.

Covid Changes Plans For the Better at Pediatric Dentistry

Although she specializes in children ages 1-18, Dr. Marta has been known to help out an adult patient here and there, too.

Pediatric Dentistry of New Tampa has been in its Tampa Palms Professional Center location since 2008. Over the years, pediatric dentist Marta Rivera, D.M.D., has seen thousands of patients. But, like all of us, she says she has never seen a time like the one we are currently experiencing.

When the world went into quarantine due to Covid-19 last March, Dr. Marta (as her young patients call her) and her staff needed to adjust. Because they were deemed an essential business, the practice could stay open but only for emergency and urgent services. They were only open a few hours per day to service the patients most in need. 

That’s how it was from March until May, when restrictions on medical offices in Florida were lifted. Prior to May, Dr. Marta says the pandemic allowed the staff to prepare the office for a post-Covid world. The whole place was sanitized. Fans and ionizers were installed to purify the air. 

The layout also was changed, so that there was only one entrance door and one exit door. Arrows on the floor made sure patients weren’t running into each other. Exam rooms are cleaned thoroughly after each procedure. And, of course, all of the staff members and patients have been required to wear masks.

“People feel safer,’’ Dr. Marta says. “There were a lot of changes but we got through it. Everybody has been safe, thank goodness. Now we are waiting for everyone (staff and some patients and their parents) to get the (Covid) vaccines. We are going to continue to wear masks and probably will for a couple of years. We deal with children and children can’t get vaccinated. We have to continue with the mask mandate. We are a medical facility.’’

Dr. Marta has been practicing dentistry since 1988. She is a native of Brooklyn, NY, but moved to Puerto Rico with her family when she was 10 years old. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and then earned her D.M.D. degree from the university’s School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Marta had her own dentistry practice for seven years in Puerto Rico. She moved to Florida in 1997 and, after passing the Florida Dental Board, worked in dental offices in Lakeland and Plant City before opening her own practice in Hunter’s Green in 2003. Five years later, she moved to her current location. 

“It’s a developing area, it’s the suburbs, lots of families and their children are here and I love the area,’’ she says. 

While Dr. Marta almost exclusively works on children ages 1-18, she says that she does have a few patients in their early 20s. However, the practice is very much catered to children. Dr. Marta calls them the “stars of the show.’’ 

Getting Down To Basics

One of the cool amenities at Pediatric Dentistry of New Tampa is that there are televisions in the ceilings of the exam/treatment rooms so kids can watch TV while they are in the dental chairs, which cuts down significantly on their nervous fidgeting.

Dr. Marta recommends a cleaning and first dental exam when children turn age one. She offers digital, low-dose X-rays, offers both sedation dentistry and conscious sedation with nitrous oxide, mercury-free restorations and custom made mouth guards and treats periodontal disease. Her cosmetic services include bleaching of teeth for teenagers.  

Dr. Marta Rivera continues to put happy smiles on the faces of her patients at her Pediatric Dentistry of New Tampa in Tampa Palms. (Photo courtesy of Pediatric Dentistry)

Dr. Marta says she was the first provider in Florida to offer Myobrace, a type of “myofunctional” (meaning it deals with the muscle function of the mouth) orthodontics. Myobrace is often an ideal treatment to eliminate habits such as thumb sucking or tongue thrust that cause teeth to become misaligned. With Myobrace, a child can correct those habits before beginning traditional orthodontics, or sometimes eliminate the need for traditional orthodontics altogether.

Although Dr. Marta is not an orthodontist, because she was trained in her residency to do orthodontics, it is another service available at her office — although she says she only provides it to patients she knows she can help and refers more complicated cases to orthodontic specialists.

Felix Ramirez has four children, ranging in age from four- to 14-years-old. After dissatisfaction with other dentists, it was suggested that he check out Dr. Marta. That was more than seven years ago.

His oldest child already has gone through a braces program. He expects his next two oldest children to get braces as well. Additionally, Ramirez uses Invisalign on his own teeth, also thanks to  Dr. Marta. 

“It’s really been a blessing,’’ Ramirez says. “To be able to trust a dentist fully like we trust Dr. Marta really gives you peace of mind. And, she is an amazing professional. Put it this way, my kids aren’t afraid to go to the dentist. They actually like to go. That’s saying something.’’

As an added bonus, Dr. Marta also is fluent in Spanish. 

Adapting To The Pandemic

Due to the changes brought on by Covid-19, Dr. Marta also has added tele-dentistry to her menu of options. While she obviously isn’t able to physically work on a tele-dentistry patient’s teeth, she can answer parents’ questions and look at abscesses, for example, and suggest options if those patients require further treatment.

“It was helpful in giving peace of mind to the parents,’’ Dr. Marta says. 

Once medical facilities were allowed to see more patients, she says she wasn’t sure if they would return, since Covid-19 is still a threat. She said she was surprised when the office was full again by May.

Part of the reason may be due to what she calls “Quarantine Cavities.’’ 

Dr. Marta focuses a lot of her attention on preventive care, especially when it comes to cavities. Many of those problems can come as a result of bad diets or bad habits. In this case, being stuck inside the house for a year now has contributed to both.

“There has been an uptick in cavities,’’ Dr. Marta says. “(People) are quarantined and there is eating and drinking when you are home. The snacking went up. Unfortunately, part of why we are so busy now is because of that.”

Pediatric Dentistry of New Tampa is located at 5326 Primrose Lake Cir. and is open Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The office accepts many insurance policies, primarily PPOs. For additional information, call (813) 374-0388 or visit TampaHappySmiles.com.

Brooke Reif Laying The Groundwork For More School Records

Brooke Reif has already set one Wharton High record this track season, but two others are within her reach. 

Brooke Reif is in her third year as a member of Wharton’s track & field team. During her first two seasons, she established herself as a formidable runner in the 800-meter (metric half-mile) and 1600m (metric mile) races. 

Then she decided to step out of her comfort zone.

Reif, who also runs cross country in the fall, added the 3200m (two-mile) race in a preseason meet prior to the 2021 season. She ran it in 11 minutes, 19 seconds, which was just tenths of a second better than the school record. It wasn’t official but, just a few weeks later, that changed.

At the Ram Invitational in Sarasota on Feb. 27, Reif ran the 3200m race in 11:09.82. That broke the previous Wharton record, set by Katrina Skinner in 2008, by 10 seconds. It was Reif’s first official 3200m race at Wharton, and it put her in the school’s record book. Then, on Mar. 19, she lowered that mark to 11:01.

“I thought I could maybe do it next year,’’ Reif said. “I knew I was getting closer but I didn’t think I was going to be getting that soon.’’

That’s because Reif doesn’t run the 3200m very often. In fact, she will likely run it only once or twice during the regular season and not at all in the postseason. She will focus on the 800 and 1600m races as well as the school’s 4x800m relay team. 

Adding the two-mile race this season has made Reif a better overall runner, according to Wharton track & field coach Kyle LoJacono.

“She’s not just trying to run as fast as she can and outrun people,’’ LoJacono said. “She’s racing people now. She’s following the race plan. She’s being smart. She’s using her mind as much as she’s using her physical gifts. Take the (3200m) race at the Ram Invitational. She was literally only in first place for about the last 10 meters. She was probably about 50 meters behind. But, she has a kick because she is a middle distance runner.’’

Reif had a sort of epiphany prior to her junior year. She said she found out that running is about 80% mental. She knows she has the physical talent, but that crossing the finish line ahead of everybody else takes brains as well. 

“I mostly liked the 800 when I was a freshman and a sophomore because they were two-lap races,’’ Reif said. “But, we’ve been doing a lot more miles lately and I just figured out that the 3200 is actually an easier race. You can strategize while you’re still running. It’s not something that you have to go all out in. You can plan it out as you are running and fix any mistakes you make.’’

The state record in the 3200m is 10:10.39, set earlier this month by Winter Springs junior Carolina Wells, so Reif will have to improve her personal best by more than 50 seconds to break that mark. 

For Reif, running is in the family. Both of her parents were runners in college. Her mother Dena also was an assistant track coach and cross country head coach at the University of South Florida. 

Reif said her parents never forced her into any sport, including running. But, by the time she got to middle school and tried out for cross country, she knew that’s where her talent was.

“It wasn’t something I was forced into,’’ Reif said. “By sixth grade, I joined the cross country team and went out on a time trial and finished in second behind an eighth grader. So, I knew it was something I was interested in. The reason I came to Wharton was so that I could join this team.’’

She has certainly made an impact in her time with the ‘Cats. Her sophomore track season was cut short due to Covid-19. However, she continued to train during the quarantine and stayed in shape for the cross country season. She finished 31st in the Class 4A State meet in Tallahassee with a time of 20:04.2 in the 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) race. 

With no seniors on the cross country team, it is Reif’s hope that the whole Wharton squad qualifies for the cross country state meet next season. But, for now, her focus is on qualifying in what will likely be her three events — the 800m, 1600m and 4x800m relay — for the State track & field championship meet, which will be held May 14-15. 

She also has her sights set on yet another school record, as she is just three seconds off of Skinner’s mile/1600m record of 5:00.63. 

“I’m hoping I can get that one pretty soon,’’ Reif said. “If not this year then I’ll definitely try for it next year.’’

The 800m record — which is 2:10.51, set by Bryanna Rivers in 2017 — could also be within Reif’s reach. Her best time is seven seconds off that pace, so she is shooting for it next season. 

While Reif will almost certainly qualify for the State track meet as an individual, she said it would be more special if her 4×800 relay team — which also includes sophomores Serenity Brazell and Olivia Hammill and junior Alex Frye — could join her.

While the relay team hasn’t run together this season, based on their individual times, it could be the Wildcats’ best shot at a Class 4A State championship.

That would be especially satisfying for Reif. One of her favorite things about cross country is the team atmosphere. She said that track can be a bit lonely sometimes, focusing mainly on individual races. The relay team allows her to feel like a team player.

“I like it because you get to work with your team, it’s not just you on your own,’’ she said. “You’re able to cheer on everyone else. I like when you’re running for your team.’’

One Former New Tampa Standout Is Chasing Big-Time Soccer Dreams

Former New Tampa youth soccer standout Austin Amer (in purple) started 26 matches last season for Orlando City B of the United Soccer League.

Austin Amer has lofty goals. The 20-year-old native of New Tampa is now in his second season as a professional soccer player with Orlando City B, which is in the second tier United Soccer League. 

Eventually, Amer says he would like to move on to play overseas, where the passion for soccer, as well as the paychecks, are higher. 

For now, like all of us, Amer is in his own little bubble. His world revolves around getting up early, driving to the training facility, filling out a coronavirus questionnaire, training before the midday heat becomes unbearable and heading back to his apartment for the rest of the day. 

His short-term goals during the pandemic are much smaller: “Going to Publix is the big highlight of the day,’’ Amer says. 

If he’s going to be in a bubble, it might as well be a soccer bubble. 

Amer grew up in Hunter’s Green, where there was always a soccer ball at his feet. By the time he was four, he was playing rec league soccer for the New Tampa Comets. One of the league’s directors noticed Amer’s talent and suggested to his father, Fred, that Austin practice with a group of seven-year-old club players. 

By the time Austin was seven, he could juggle a ball with his feet more than 3,000 times. There is a video on his twitter page (@austinamer) showing him juggling a roll of toilet paper. 

“Ever since I could walk I’ve been around a soccer ball,’’ Amer says. “My dad and I would always go up to the fields at Hunter’s Green and we would work on technical stuff. I’ve always been around soccer. It’s the only sport I’ve ever enjoyed playing.’’

Fred Amer, who introduced his son to the game, can vouch for that.

“He always had his ball with him,’’ he says. “It was in his blood.’’

Austin Amer as a six-year-old playing in New Tampa.

By the time Amer was playing U-9 club soccer, he moved from the New Tampa league to the more competitive Hillsborough United, which is now Tampa Bay United. He stood out so much that the family, which also includes his mom, Jan, and his younger sister, Alexi, decided it would be best for Amer to play on an elite U-12 club in Orlando when he was in the sixth grade. 

During that year, Amer attended Benito Middle School. On most days, he and his father would drive to Orlando right after school and not return home until 11 p.m. By the seventh grade, Amer started virtual school. His day consisted of morning workouts by himself in Hunter’s Green, school work, then practice in Orlando. 

By the second year, he was spending a few nights in Orlando with a fellow club player to ease the travel. 

“After that first year, it was just too much,’’ Amer says. 

“We’ve gone through quite a few cars,’’ Fred Amer adds. 

Austin’s travels were just beginning.

Before his senior year, when he was 17, he had a chance to play for the Barca Residency Academy in Casa Grande, AZ. The brand new academy was partially run by FC Barcelona, an elite club in the top-level “La Liga” in Spain. Think IMG Academy in Bradenton, except strictly for soccer.

After a tryout, he was given a full scholarship to play for Barca’s U-18 team. Leaving home was another sacrifice in chasing his soccer dream. 

Amer, a midfielder, thrived on both the U-18 and U-19 teams in his year-plus with the club. During a showcase in the winter in Lakewood Ranch, he was spotted by some Orlando City scouts. Ironically, the scouts didn’t realize that just two years earlier, Amer’s club team was affiliated with Orlando City. They wanted him to join their B team, which was one step down from Orlando City of Major League Soccer. 

He decided to leave his Barca team during the season, when Amer became the first Barca player to sign a professional contract. 

“He’s chasing the dream that he has,’’ his dad says. “If he really wanted to go through with the sport, he had to follow this path.’’

The Amers were able to see Austin play last season. He played in 26 matches as a 19-year-old and was impressive enough for Orlando City to bring him back this season. 

The 2020 season hasn’t gone exactly as planned. The only way the Amers can see him play is via livestream. Earlier in the year, Amer suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of a few games. Also, an inconclusive Covid-19 test forced him to sit out a bit longer until he got two straight negative tests. 

However, he’s back on the field now and doing the thing he loves to do. The season runs until late October. After that, Amer’s contract will be up and he could move on yet again. 

“My goal in the future is to play in Europe at some point,’’ he says.