PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 14, 2020
SOCCER,
continued from Page A10
and cold plunge therapy
pools and an adjacent hotel
and golf resort for parents’
visitation.
“You get treated like
you’re a professional player
there,” Salazar said.
Salazar will fi nish his high
school education with Ari-
zona State University’s prep
academy and then start tak-
ing college courses in year
two.
Every graduate from the
Barcelona academy has re-
ceived either a college schol-
arship or signed a profession-
al contract. Graduates also
get the opportunity to train
and tryout with FC Barce-
lona.
“Whether it’s playing at a
good college or signing a pro
contract, I don’t care. I will
play anywhere,” Salazar said.
Salazar fi rst tried out for
the academy last summer.
While he didn’t make the
OSAA,
continued from Page A10
OSAA had to re-arrange their
plans — nearly every district in
the state has already committed
to online learning to start the
fall.
“We knew when we made
the initial announcement that
some districts would be doing
distance learning. But at this
point, virtually every school in
the state will be in a distance
learning model, and that pre-
sented too many challenges,”
OSAA executive director Peter
Weber said.
Weber also said that it is un-
likely any sports will take place
without students returning to
some form of in-person school.
The executive board has had
continuous conversations with
representatives from Washing-
ton and California, seeking
guidance on how to best pro-
ceed with the 2020-21 season.
While they took some elements
team, coaches encouraged career, Salazar plans to move
him to make a few tweaks to to defender for the next two
his game, then
years.
come back to
“I suggest-
try out again “ I’m just excited
ed to Alex to
the following
play as right
to go to work
summer.
back defend-
In the 2019 every single
er
because
season, Salazar
of his vision,
led McNary day and ball
technique, en-
in
scoring
and
out. I have such durance
with fi ve goals
speed, which
and six assists a heart and
at this level
in the Celt-
that’s the posi-
ics run to the passion for this
tion that I be-
p o s t s e a s o n . game. I know I
lieve is going
In July, Sala-
to make him
zar attended can do this and
shine,”
Ca-
a
three-day I am ready to
marena said.
tryout in Ari-
Salazar ar-
zona and dis- show everyone.” rived at the
covered that
academy last
— Alex Salazar
he made the
week and is
Barcelona
currently go-
team a couple
ing through
weeks later.
his fi rst week of practice.
“Last year, they told me
“I’m just excited to go to
that I needed to be quicker work every single day and
with the ball, so that’s what I ball out. I have such a heart
worked on all season,” Sala- and passion for this game. I
zar said.
know that I can do this and I
Although he has been a am ready to show everyone,”
forward for the majority of is Salazar said.
from each state’s plan, one of the
priorities that the OSAA had
that differed from Washington
and California was to still hold
three separate athletic seasons.
“We wanted to minimize
overlap and still have three dis-
tinct seasons and keep the sea-
sonal sports together,” Weber
said.
Each sport will have an ab-
breviated, seven week regular
season, which will be followed
by a “culminating week.” We-
ber and the OSAA board are
still working out the logistics of
what a culminating week will
look like in each sport.
For football, one possibility
for a culminating week would
be to have a bowl game system
instead of the state playoffs.
“We just don’t know yet. It’s
going to be something we’re
going to have to work on,” We-
ber said. “If we were to do a
bowl game system, it could be
based on where teams are re-
gionally. There are a lot of dif-
ferent aspects to it.”
Weber says that the OSAA
“Alex is a really good
player, my expectation is
for him to work extra hard
every day to improve in all
areas in the game, technical,
tactical, physical and men-
tal, and to challenge himself
in every practice and game.
Alex is going to learn a lot
more having pro coaches and
high-quality players around
him practicing and play-
ing daily. If you are a player
practicing and playing with
good players naturally your
level will increase. Also, he
is going to see the sacrifi ce
players need to make to try
to achieve a goal to the next
level, he is going to mature
faster and he is ready and ex-
cited for this opportunity,”
Camarena added.
Salazar’s tuition costs
$75,000 over the next two
years. Although he received
a $21,000 scholarship, he is
still looking to raise an ad-
ditional $53,000. Salazar has
set up a GoFundMe page
for anyone interested in do-
nating (http://gf.me/u/yj-
d25w).
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wants to provide teams and in- that play in the Mountain Valley
dividuals a chance to compete Conference with teams that are
for a state championship this outside the region (Bend, Sum-
season, but the current plans for mit and Mountain View).
“We have to go back to the
that are murky.
“Our goal is to hold state drawing board. I’m sure a lot of
championships in every sport. our games will have to be lo-
cal,” Gragg said.
We just don’t
“Luckily, we
know if we
have months to
will be able to “ We wanted
fi gure that out.
do that,” Weber
to minimize
But the priority
said. “Having
is playing lo-
2,500 kids at a overlap and
cal games, that
state track meet
way we’re not
would be diffi - still have three
cult to do.”
distinct seasons working with
other counties
The use of
that my be in a
power rankings and keep the
different situa-
is still up in the seasonal sports
tion with their
air and guid-
restrictions.”
ance on specta- together.”
Even with
tors will come
— Peter Weber, the alteration
from the state
OSAA Executive Director
of the 2020-21
at a later date.
athletic season,
As far as
scheduling is concerned, ath- Weber says that the OSAA plans
letic directors around the state to return to the familiar format
will have to revamp schedules for 2021-22.
“Hopefully, we will be able
that were already set months
in advance — which could be to get back to that,” Weber said.
diffi cult for Salem-Keizer teams
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