Last kicks

The name doesn't always jump to the tongue, except within the bubble of his beautiful game. Between beers at your local hang, bring up the best athletes ever to come out of this middle-sized Midwestern city, and his name is never first.

But eventually someone will mention DaMarcus Beasley.

That he should surface more readily than he does is a measure not of him but of the provincial tastes of American sports fans, and that's a shame. We love our football, our basketball, our baseball, despite the latter's slow eclipse. Soccer is the world's sport, not ours, though more and more of us are warming to it.

So here's to it this morning, and to DaMarcus Beasley, too.

A Fort Wayne kid, a South Side Archer, he plays his last professional match Sunday for the Houston Dynamo of the MLS, after a career virtually unmatched in American soccer. At 37, this is his 20th professional season. He has played 11 seasons in the MLS, and played nearly a decade overseas in England, Scotland, Germany, the Netherlands and Mexico.  And he is the only male player in American history to play in four World Cups.

He is, in other words, a legend in American soccer. Maybe moreso within his sport than any other athlete to come out of this city.

He is also one of the reasons the game thrives in the Fort, providing both a stellar example and a physical presence through his camps and schools. That he carries himself with dignity and class doesn't hurt that process, either.

And so in the days before his final game, Beasley sat down and wrote a farewell letter to his game, and posted it on his social media platforms. The Blob could summarize it, but it would be a poor effort. Instead, here's the text in its entirety:

Just another kid with dreams. Dreams like everyone else of one day becoming who they see on TV (or for me on VHS tapes). I have been so blessed to have had some of those dreams come true. Playing in a World Cup. Playing professionally on the same team as my big brother. Playing in Europe, scoring in the Champions League. Playing against my soccer idol Ryan Giggs in the Manchester derby (although I dreamt of playing alongside him one day, lol) I have so many fond memories of my 20 year career, a lot of ups and a lot of downs. All the challenges I have faced, sacrifices I have made, I wouldn't change for anything. I know one thing for certain I wouldn't have done any of this without the help of my FAMILY, my FRIENDS, my TEAMMATES and COACHES. The continued support I got from each of you was a blessing. You all pushed me to be a better player and a better human being. I wish I could thank everyone personally. You have no idea how much you all have meant to me throughout my journey. I have loved every minute of playing this beautiful game. I have given it my all and more! It has brought me and my family to places we would only dream of going!
Lastly I would like to say thank you to football (soccer). You have given a boy, now a man, a joy that can never be taken away. It's a true love I have for this game and I wouldn't be me without it!
Thank you all!!
DaMarcus Beasley

Right back at ya.