An Open Letter to United Fans

June 6, 2018. It was 92 degrees when the event started, and there was no air conditioning. It felt more like 192.

A few hundred people received a mysterious invitation for the unveiling of “the worst kept secret in New Mexico”, and took time out of their busy lives to join us at 4 pm on a Wednesday. At approximately 4:05 pm, I announced that professional soccer was coming to the Land of Enchantment.

Looking back, at that point in time, we didn’t have a lot of the ingredients you need for a soccer team. We hadn’t decided on a name or colors, didn’t have a shield, or a coach or any facilities. We had so much work to do.

But in that theater, I saw the main ingredients of what we needed to be an agent of positive change. I saw the first generation of New Mexico United front office staff pouring their hearts, souls and literal sweat into everything we were doing. I saw the pride of this state roar when we announced New Mexico legend Devon Sandoval as our first player. I saw hundreds of people who said YES! Yes, to this ridiculous event at 4 pm on a blistering Wednesday, yes to the beautiful game, and yes to the mission of uniting and elevating our state.

As hopeful and optimistic as I was after that event, I could have never imagined what was coming. The atmosphere of the United family getting together at a tailgate, the power and energy of a packed Lab, the smiles at the school visits and community clinics, the supply drives, the tattoos, the hugs and high fives from the thousands of people, and the thousands of stories they tell about what this team means to them.

I’ve always believed in the spirit of New Mexico – in our toughness, in our resolve, and in our commitment to having each other’s back. To see that spirit in action time and time again, over the past four years has been humbling. This team has never been about me, or any single individual. It belongs to the state and it belongs to New Mexicans.

And look at what you’ve done with your team! You took an idea, the seed that was USL New Mexico, and you turned it into a movement and a way of life. You continue to say yes, you continue to show up, and you continue to make New Mexico United so much more than soccer. When our state is in need, whether that need is school supplies, toiletries, firewood, or actual blood, you, the New Mexico United faithful, can always be counted on.

I’m beyond proud of what we’ve done in the last four years, and I can’t wait to see what we do moving forward. Somos Unidos!