CFC Players Pull Double Duty to Make Franchise Successful

Chattanooga-(WDEF) When you watch the skill level of the CFC, sometimes you have to be reminded they’re not a professional team.
Yes, Chattanooga has beaten a few pro clubs, but the CFC players all work regular jobs before showcasing their soccer talents in the NPSL.
Forward Snoopy Davidson says some people are surprised to learn that soccer is not the real profession for CFC team members.
Said Davidson-“Yeah, I think a lot of people think that we are mostly just here to play, and that we don’t have much going on during the days. We rest and just recover for the next session. But a lot of us including myself, are trying to make a living paying the rent.”
Take Zeca Ferraz, who is a civil engineer intern.
Said Ferraz-“My day really starts at 6am. I go to the Sportsbarn downtown. From there I go straight to the office. Work for 8 hours. Then come to practice for two hours. It’s a long day.”
Davidson spends a lot of time outside during the day doing maintenance for the Chanticleer Inn.
Said Davidson-“I have a gallon jug that I feel up every morning. I drink at least two of those a day. It’s a lot of water. This morning I was up on a roof putting trim up around windows all day. It was pretty warm.”
That leaves a few CFC players dreaming of the pro life.
Said Jake Young-“Lot of pro teams will come and train in the morning when it’s a bit cooler. Then in the afternoons when they don’t have a game for two or three days away, they’ll have a gym session. They’ll done and be in and out before three o’clock definitely. It’s not that hard of a life a pro footballer.”
Added head coach Bill Elliott-“So when you have people in and out with jobs and with all these kind of things, having a good, deep roster is really important.”
A deep roster and a deep love for the game have made these semi-pros successful. Some players even have to use vacation days to play in some away games.
Said Ferraz-“It’s doable. It’s hard, but we love the sports. We love playing here for Chattanooga. So it’s definitely worth doing all that.”