Danny Waltman grew up supporting the Tacoma Stars indoor soccer team in the 1980s and ’90s, before the organization folded, so the Gig Harbor native was excited when the team made its return to the area this year and even more thrilled for the opportunity to play for the Stars.
“This is pretty much the greatest thing that has happened to me as far as my career goes,” the 34-year-old goalkeeper said.
Waltman and the Stars will take on the Sacramento Surge in their season opener at 7:35 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at Kent’s ShoWare Center.
The Stars replaced the Seattle Impact FC in the Major Arena Soccer League partway through last season when Lane Smith purchased the rights to the Impact. Smith opted to keep the ShoWare Center as the team’s home arena.
Waltman’s first experience with the Stars was attending a soccer camp put on by the team when he was a child. He received a ticket for a Stars game in Tacoma and attended with his parents. He said his parents weren’t soccer fans but fell in love with the sport and became Stars season ticket holders.
“He (Waltman’s dad) was just a diehard fan ever since,” Waltman said. “He worked his way into a front office to become general manager. I was the kid hanging around the locker room.”
Waltman said he thought of the Stars players as older brothers, and they inspired him to pursue his interest in soccer.
“Having the Stars around gave us something to shoot for when we were older,” he said.
It disappointed Waltman when the Stars folded in the 1990s but he was hopeful they would make a comeback.
Waltman played soccer at Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma and the University of Washington before beginning his indoor soccer career in 2004 with the Chicago Storm. He has also played for the Detroit Ignition, Rockford Rampage and Missouri Comets.
“I was playing in the Midwest, waiting and hoping the Stars would rejoin the Major Arena Soccer League and compete, just because of the soccer hype in this area,” he said. “Indoor soccer just feels incomplete if it doesn’t have the Tacoma Stars in it.”
Waltman played a season with the Seattle Sounders of the United Soccer Leagues First Division in 2004. Stars head coach and general manager, Darren Sawatzky, was his teammate. Sawatzky also helped coach the University of Washington team while Waltman played there.
Waltman is excited to play for Sawatzky again.
“I just love the way he operates on and off the field,” he said.
Waltman said he is confident the community will embrace the Stars.
“I think we are going to have a huge fan base,” he said. “I think there are a ton of old Stars fans out there. I anticipate this being very successful. So far we have just been welcomed by everyone. We are excited to kick the season off.”
He said even though the team carries the Tacoma name and plays in Kent, he hopes the organization will have support of fans from throughout the region.
“We are trying to represent the entire area – Seattle, Tacoma, Kent,” he said. “We want to be the area’s indoor soccer team.”
The Stars plan to be out in the community as much as possible, working with youth soccer and participating in community events. Last month, Waltman attended Kicks for the Cure, a benefit soccer game hosted by the Kentwood High girls soccer team to support breast cancer awareness and prevention.
“We know that as a pretty reputable professional sports team we have the ability to bring awareness to certain things,” he said.
After the games, fans will have the opportunity to go on the field to get autographs. Players also plan to host post-game parties.
“There is going to be plenty of player-fan involvement,” Waltman said. “We want to be accessible to everyone and really create a big Stars family.”
Waltman looks forward to starting the season.
“Being a new team it takes a long time to really put it together on the field,” he said. “It is the greatest challenge. The talent in the area has always been good. The players we have are just incredible – technically sound, skillful.”
Waltman thinks the team has what is takes to be successful.
“I am extremely confident in the group we have,” he said. “There is no doubt in my mind that we will be a powerhouse team, one of the top teams in the league. It is just a matter of how long it takes to get there. Hopefully, within a season or two we can be a championship contender.”
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