For some athletes, winning is everything. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that winning a conference title would encourage a player to stay put with his successful team, but for midfielder Kris Tyrpak, the chance to be close to his family once again while working with a world-class organization with great ambitions proved to be worth more. His desire for a new challenge led him back to his home state of Texas, where he joined forces with San Antonio FC.
Tyrpak most recently spent time with fellow USL expansion side Swope Park Rangers, who clinched the USL Western Conference Championship and reached the USL Cup final in their inaugural season. Despite a successful run in Kansas City, however, the midfielder looks forward to a new challenge in the Alamo City.
“When I spoke with Coach Powell, everything he said lined up exactly with what I want to do,” Tyrpak said. “I want to win a championship. He has aspirations to get there and win it, and I do as well.”
Tyrpak’s ambition has driven him to several clubs in the past few years. The 24-year-old was originally drafted by Chivas USA in the third round of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft before transitioning to the San Jose Earthquakes. He then ventured to the United Soccer League, where he signed with the Austin Aztex prior to joining the now-defunct San Antonio Scorpions in the NASL.
Though he has played for several quality organizations throughout his career, the opportunity to join Spurs Sports & Entertainment was one Tyrpak couldn’t pass up. After all, the legacy of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA and the organization’s status as a world-leader in the sports industry provides enormous potential for SAFC in its early years.
“[SS&E] is incredible,” Tyrpak said. “Everything is so fluid and it looks like it runs so smoothly because all the parts of it move so well with their system. To have the backing of one of the best organizations in the world is huge.”
From a personal standpoint, Tyrpak liked the opportunity to come to San Antonio so he could be close to his family once again. His hometown of Dripping Springs is less than an hour’s drive away from Toyota Field, and after his previous stints in Austin and San Antonio, Tyrpak looks forward to playing in front of a Texas crowd again.
“It’s close to home, so that’s great,” Tyrpak said. “My family lives 45 minutes away from the stadium, so it’s just a good place to come home and be close to my family and play in front of support who I’ve kind of played in front of before, though I’ve heard they’ve taken a step up.”
Soccer supporters in San Antonio tend to make incredibly positive impressions on players who come to the Alamo City. Most (if not all) players who have been part of the SAFC roster have mentioned the great support from fans at some point. The fans here prove their love for their team day in and day out, supporting the club through highs and lows no matter what.
The same can be said of fans’ support for individual players, and such has been the case for Tyrpak. When the Scorpions ceased operations and Tyrpak made the move to Swope Park Rangers, fans in San Antonio continued to support him through thick and thin. Despite being in the opposite team’s lineup during the SAFC inaugural home opener, Tyrpak heard cheers and encouragement coming from SAFC fans. Now, he wants to repay that support with results on the pitch.
“The fans here were very receptive to me before,” Tyrpak said. “I enjoyed playing in front of them and I think they liked having me as a player, so I’m hoping to continue that relationship this year. I’m hoping to bag a couple of goals and win a championship, that way they’ll be really happy.
“[Having their support] is huge, it’s a lot of the reason why we play the game. If I have fans cheering for me from an opposing team in the same conference and they’re rooting for me, it goes to show that hopefully I’m doing something right on the field.”
Tyrpak’s return to his home state is a great story in the making. His skills and experience will surely add a spark to the San Antonio FC attack, and his ambition paired with that of the club will make for a competitive squad that will fight to earn results and accomplish big things in 2017.
“I want to help the team get into the playoffs this year,” Tyrpak said. “With the injuries they had last year, things just didn’t go their way. Hopefully this year we can change that. Once you get into the playoffs anything can happen, we saw that [at Swope] this past year, so hopefully we can make something similar happen in San Antonio.”
For some athletes, winning is everything. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that winning a conference title would encourage a player to stay put with his successful team, but for midfielder Kris Tyrpak, the chance to be close to his family once again while working with a world-class organization with great ambitions proved to be worth more. His desire for a new challenge led him back to his home state of Texas, where he joined forces with San Antonio FC.
Tyrpak most recently spent time with fellow USL expansion side Swope Park Rangers, who clinched the USL Western Conference Championship and reached the USL Cup final in their inaugural season. Despite a successful run in Kansas City, however, the midfielder looks forward to a new challenge in the Alamo City.
“When I spoke with Coach Powell, everything he said lined up exactly with what I want to do,” Tyrpak said. “I want to win a championship. He has aspirations to get there and win it, and I do as well.”
Tyrpak’s ambition has driven him to several clubs in the past few years. The 24-year-old was originally drafted by Chivas USA in the third round of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft before transitioning to the San Jose Earthquakes. He then ventured to the United Soccer League, where he signed with the Austin Aztex prior to joining the now-defunct San Antonio Scorpions in the NASL.
Though he has played for several quality organizations throughout his career, the opportunity to join Spurs Sports & Entertainment was one Tyrpak couldn’t pass up. After all, the legacy of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA and the organization’s status as a world-leader in the sports industry provides enormous potential for SAFC in its early years.
“[SS&E] is incredible,” Tyrpak said. “Everything is so fluid and it looks like it runs so smoothly because all the parts of it move so well with their system. To have the backing of one of the best organizations in the world is huge.”
From a personal standpoint, Tyrpak liked the opportunity to come to San Antonio so he could be close to his family once again. His hometown of Dripping Springs is less than an hour’s drive away from Toyota Field, and after his previous stints in Austin and San Antonio, Tyrpak looks forward to playing in front of a Texas crowd again.
“It’s close to home, so that’s great,” Tyrpak said. “My family lives 45 minutes away from the stadium, so it’s just a good place to come home and be close to my family and play in front of support who I’ve kind of played in front of before, though I’ve heard they’ve taken a step up.”
Soccer supporters in San Antonio tend to make incredibly positive impressions on players who come to the Alamo City. Most (if not all) players who have been part of the SAFC roster have mentioned the great support from fans at some point. The fans here prove their love for their team day in and day out, supporting the club through highs and lows no matter what.
The same can be said of fans’ support for individual players, and such has been the case for Tyrpak. When the Scorpions ceased operations and Tyrpak made the move to Swope Park Rangers, fans in San Antonio continued to support him through thick and thin. Despite being in the opposite team’s lineup during the SAFC inaugural home opener, Tyrpak heard cheers and encouragement coming from SAFC fans. Now, he wants to repay that support with results on the pitch.
“The fans here were very receptive to me before,” Tyrpak said. “I enjoyed playing in front of them and I think they liked having me as a player, so I’m hoping to continue that relationship this year. I’m hoping to bag a couple of goals and win a championship, that way they’ll be really happy.
“[Having their support] is huge, it’s a lot of the reason why we play the game. If I have fans cheering for me from an opposing team in the same conference and they’re rooting for me, it goes to show that hopefully I’m doing something right on the field.”
Tyrpak’s return to his home state is a great story in the making. His skills and experience will surely add a spark to the San Antonio FC attack, and his ambition paired with that of the club will make for a competitive squad that will fight to earn results and accomplish big things in 2017.
“I want to help the team get into the playoffs this year,” Tyrpak said. “With the injuries they had last year, things just didn’t go their way. Hopefully this year we can change that. Once you get into the playoffs anything can happen, we saw that [at Swope] this past year, so hopefully we can make something similar happen in San Antonio.”