8 // COASTWEEKEND.COM PHOTO BY JON BRODERICK Gustavo Velazquez with two futsal players follow- ing recent games. HISPANIC COMMUNITY NOURISHES LOCAL SOCCER CULTURE BY JON BRODERICK FOR COAST WEEKEND Some time back — Fergus Loughton and Jerry Boisvert, the institutional memory of the Lower Columbia Youth Soccer League, reckon it was roughly 15 years ago — the growing Hispanic community brought with it a festive ambiance to its men’s soccer games at the Warrenton fi elds. For many of us, La Liga games there with were our fi rst trip to Mexico: Latin music played on car stereos, Latin fragrances rose from picnics, children scampered about their families, chattering in Spanish, while their uncles and fathers played teams that sometimes came from Longview, Washington, to compete on the immaculate youth soccer fi elds in Warrenton. Gradually, some of the more confi dent non-Hispanic players learned they were wel- come and found their way onto teams. Wednesday nights in spring and summer were a soccer fi esta. Ultimately, though, the league become more competitive, more expensive and fi nally, a PHOTO BY GARY HENLEY PHOTO BY GARY HENLEY Continued on page 9 A La Liga player swoops in for the shot in 2010.