“Trust each other, trust each other,” Dothan United Dragons head coach Carl Reynolds expressed to his team during the first practice of the new minor league soccer team at Rip Hewes Stadium on Wednesday night.
Though the team got a little later start than expected due to the Dothan High soccer teams practicing on the turf earlier in the day for their upcoming playoffs, once the Dragons took to the field the intensity was high.
After practicing for an hour and a half, Reynolds even had to persuade several players to pack it up for the night.
“It’s the pros, so they want the ball at their feet,” Reynolds said of those getting in some extra work. “We would stay out here all day if we could, but we’ve got to manage them … we’ve got a long season.”
Reynolds liked what he saw from the opening work as the team prepares for the season ahead in the United Soccer League Two.
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“We’ve got some special talent, but also guys that clearly, really want to learn, which for us is the best thing possible,” Reynolds said. “I think so far, so good.”
With players coming in from various countries, communication will be key. Reynolds thought it went well for the first night.
“Obviously we’re pretty smart about who we partner people with and we make sure that they can communicate clearly,” Reynolds said. “Most people here are bilingual, so if we need to communicate, we can communicate in different languages. We’re really fortunate with that. Obviously, I try to pick my staff that way so we can make that happen.”
Reece Harrison, a left back from England, agreed communication and effort was good for a new group working together for the first time.
“I think it was really good … a lot of quality players coming in from all over the world,” Harrison said. “Everyone wants to play, so the standard was really high, and you could see everyone was giving 100 percent. I feel like it was a perfect start and it’s only going to get better from here.
“Different languages, but you could tell everybody was on the same page and same wavelength, so the communication comes easy when everyone understands the expectations and the standards here.”
Harrison said the club has set high goals.
“I feel like Dothan is a new club and we’re not here to just take part, we’re here to compete,” Harrison said. “Everyone wants to win championships, so the standards are really high and everyone here has only one thing on their mind, and that’s to win a championship.”
Local product Alec Palanjian, a 2019 graduate of Northview who is now playing college soccer at the University of Central Arkansas, couldn’t be happier about having a chance to play on the pro level in his hometown.
“I never thought I would be playing professional here in Dothan,” Palanjian said. “My main focus at the time was just going to college, but to have Dothan United here and to have this opportunity to play at such a high level locally is such an honor.”
Palanjian said he first heard about Dothan United back in November when a friend showed him an article about the upstart team.
“I couldn’t believe it at first,” Palanjian said. “It took a while to sink in.”
He then thought about trying out for the club.
“I’m definitely confident in my ability, but I knew I was going to have to earn it, for sure,” Palanjian said. “But I knew I had a good chance.”
Alexander Blanche, a striker from New Orleans who played collegiately at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, was impressed with the pace of the practice.
“Intensity is the key word I can say,” Blanche said. “I didn’t really know what I was walking into, but I’m so happy to be here. The coaches are clear on what they want. It’s the most professional environment I have ever seen.”
Rojay Smith, a left wing from Jamaica, had blood on his jersey from a couple of scratches on his arm.
“It was high intensity training,” Smith said. “We bonded with the guys, so it was a very good first day.”
He’s been impressed with how the team and city has taken care of the players since their arrival this week.
“The housing has been excellent, actually,” Smith said. “It’s better than I expected. The hospitality is good. I haven’t had the chance to go out much since I’ve been here, but hopefully soon I’ll get to meet some people here in Dothan. I’m really excited and looking forward to it.”
Dothan will play an exhibition game in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on Saturday against Southern States Soccer Club of the Gulf Coast Premier League. The Dragons will play another exhibition at Rip Hewes on May 11 against Brave SC before opening the regular season on the road for two games against Southern Soccer Academy in Austell, Ga. on May 15 and at East Atlanta FC on May 22.
The Dragons’ first home regular season game is Saturday, May 25, against Tennessee FC at Rip Hewes Stadium starting at 7 p.m.
“You can see from the intensity tonight we don’t have time to play around,” Reynolds said.