On Monday nights, Jay Zhang gets his soccer on.
“I just love the feeling of running fast and just trying to pass the ball and this strategic moving on the field, Zhang said.
He’s running up and down the pitch and looking for that go-ahead goal.
“The first time I stepped on the field, I didn’t realize how much sprinting I needed to do. And I really like died on the field,” said Zhang, with a laugh.
It was 10 years ago when Zhang decided to lace up his cleats and try soccer for the first time. It was a way to get some cardio in, and connect with other members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Capital Region.
“Soccer is a sport that can unify people,” he said.
Zhang is one of more than 60 active members of the Albany Empire Soccer Club. Founded in 2010 as the area’s first LGBTQ+ soccer club, it offered people an opportunity to learn, play and improve in a friendly and competitive environment.
“Really when we started, we were hoping to survive a year or two,” said Matt McMorris, the club’s chairman.
He is also one of the founders, which predates the arena football team with the same name. When they began constructing this infrastructure for the LGBTQ+ community 13 years ago, only about half a dozen guys signed up, barely fielding one team.
“One of the challenging things about sports is that it’s still the last kind of hurdle for LGBTQ to get into, or be comfortable in,” McMorris said.
This spring outdoor season, the club has five teams: two coed, two men’s and one women’s, competing in various Afrim’s sports leagues. The rosters also feature allies.
Rob Upton is one of the other architects of this club, which also operates as a nonprofit, fundraising for several local organizations.
“It’s always been about the people. It’s great playing with them,” Upton said. “It’s never about the wins. If you look at our records, it’s not that great. But it’s a win every time we’re out on the field.”
It’s what keeps Zhang and other come back week after week, season after season. It’s more than just a game.
“I don’t know if I will ever be able to stop playing soccer because I think once I stop playing soccer, my body will fail. So I just want to keep playing until I can’t,” Zhang said.