In a new series on SportingKC.com, we'll be catching up the men who laid the foundation for the club we are today. Where Are They Now? will catch up with former Kansas City Wiz/Wizards players to give you a glimpse into their current life as well as look back at their top moments as a member of the club. Is there a particular player you want to hear from? Let us know in the comments section below or tweet us @SportingKC.
In our first edition, we spoke with Sean Bowers defender for the Kansas City Wizards from 1996-1999.
SportingKC.com: What do you remember most about your time in Kansas City?
Sean Bowers: I think the fact that those were the inaugural years and it was just after one World Cup and just before another was starting. We had really good players coming in to the League and we knew we were a part of something bigger than ourselves. We were laying to groundwork and the basis for the League that was going to be around for years to come. Playing in the Kansas City Chiefs stadium at Arrowhead, it was definitely overwhelming but at the same time it was such an experience to be a part of. Those four years in Kansas City were really special for me and my family.
SportingKC.com: Are there certain moments during your time here that stand out?
Sean Bowers: I think the first year will always be the most memorable for me. We were just starting from scratch and didn't really know what was going to happen. But seeing it on TV for the first time with games being played on ESPN was awesome. I loved playing against players who I went up against in indoor soccer. The overall experience was great and it was awesome to see the crowds that were there, not only in Kansas City but in the Rose Bowl and in New York. Our first year, we made it all the way to the semifinals and lose in a shootout. If there was one particular play that stood out it was probably in 1996 when we played the Dallas Burn in the first round of the playoffs. I saved a ball off the goal line (watch the video below) and we ended up winning the series and moved on to the Conference Finals.
SportingKC.com: Do you still keep up with Major League Soccer and Sporting KC?
Sean Bowers: Well now I have three kids - my son is 20 and my daughters are 18 and 16 - and when it comes on we will watch it. We watched the All-Star Game together. Many of the guys I played with are coaches now and I think it's good to have them connected to the game. Obviously, MLS has come a long way and I think what you see now is a product of the foundation we set 20 years ago.
Regarding Sporting KC, to be honest, I haven’t experienced the new stadium yet, but having played at Arrowhead Stadium in front of 13,000 fans, it doesn’t look remotely like what you guys have now, selling out every game. Everybody from Ron Newman to Bob Gansler to Peter Vermes - what everybody has done to this point has been brilliant.
SportingKC.com: Tell us a little bit about your post-playing career.
Sean Bowers: When I got out of MLS in the start of 2000, I went back and played indoor for a couple years. I got traded back to San Diego, which was my hometown and played there till 2005 when the team folded. Then the team resurrected in 2009 and I played for them from 2009-10 and won a championship before retiring from soccer. In the meantime, while all this was going on I ended up getting my master’s degree in kinesiology and in 2007 became a professor at Miramar College. I was there for 10 years and coached the women's team full-time. About a year ago, I left Miramar and am now the general manager of the San Diego Sockers professional indoor soccer team. I am also heavily into futsal with United States Youth Futsal with Peter Vermes and Jon Parry.
SportingKC.com: What does your role with the Sockers entail?
Sean Bowers: It’s pretty much everything. It’s a conglomerate of the business side, the ticket side, the sponsorship side and then signing contracts, getting players and making trades. I grew up with the San Diego Sockers back in the day when they won all those championships so it’s pretty humbling to be able to work for such a historic franchise for indoor soccer.
SportingKC.com: How did you get involved with futsal?
Sean Bowers: In 1996, after my first year in MLS I got called up to the U.S. futsal national team. I had never played futsal in my entire life so I’m not sure why they called me up. In 1996, I got my first call-up and played all the way to 2004. I played in two FIFA World Cups for the U.S. National Team. I played in 1996 in Spain and in 2004 in Taiwan. I was the captain for all of those years and I think I’m the most capped player in U.S. futsal history. Futsal was a huge deal for me, especially when I was playing in MLS at the same time. It really helped me on the technical side. I can honestly say I was not the most skilled player, but it’s something that helped me a lot and being on the national team for 10 years was brilliant.
SportingKC.com: Did you pass your love for soccer on to your kids?
Sean Bowers: My 20-year-old son is a junior on the San Francisco State University soccer team. I have an 18-year-old daughter that is going to be a freshman at San Jose State and a 16-year-old daughter that plays on the club team that I coach.
SportingKC.com: In addition to everything you do with the Sockers and futsal, how do you have time to coach your daughter's team?
Sean Bowers: I’m really crazy busy but it’s just being part of the sport. I think whatever level that we are at, we have the ability to pass on the knowledge that we've acquired. I learned a lot playing in MLS and playing in KC not only from the player side but from the business side and that’s helping me every day in what I do.
SportingKC.com OK, last question. When you signed your autographs, you signed as Towers. What was the reason behind that?
Sean Bowers: That was a nickname that was given to me after my first professional game when I played indoor because I was the tallest guy on the field and my last name was Bowers. So they just called me the Tower of Power. I don't know why, but that always stuck. So when I signed my name, I didn't like signing my whole name and it was just easier to write Towers when I was signing quick.
