Archive for category: Torch Ministry

After playing for Torch FC for three years during his collegiate career, Sachem Wilson has taken his talents to the professional level.

Torch has had other players go on to play professionally, but Sachem was the first to ever play professionally in Slovenia and also the first to play in the UEFA Europa League.

While playing in the Europa League with Slovenian PrvaLiga side ND Gorica, he suffered an injury that kept him out of action for several months. To make matters much worse, due to the language barrier, he unknowingly signed a termination of contract and was released. His backup plan fell into place and he signed with one of his former clubs in the Slovenian Third Division where he went on to be the league’s leading scorer with 22 goals in 22 full appearances, attracting the interest of First and Second Division teams in Slovenia.

When it became obvious to him and his parents that it had become time to leave Slovenia, Sachem went to Northern Ireland where his career again took a different direction then expected.

“Basically in Northern Ireland I was playing for Carrick Rangers FC in the DanskeBank Premiership, but because of a new rule that came about during Brexit I was told by the UK government that it would no longer be legal for me to play there. I continued to serve Ambassadors Football there as a volunteer until my visa expired. Just before my UK visa expired, I received an offer from Icelandic club KF Fjallabyggdar, which I accepted and that’s where I am now as we wait for this virus situation to be resolved,” says Wilson.

 

“Playing for the Torch taught me the benefits of hard work, and the dangers of overworking.  It taught me the importance of intentional communication in any kind of relationship. It taught me how to deal with frustration, with success and with failure, and how to be unashamed of what I believe. These are all lessons that I think are essential to being a true professional, but most importantly to being a man of love and honor.”

 

Wilson also had a close relationship with Rich Sparling, Torch’s head coach and president, “Rich Sparling has been a real mentor and father figure for me over the past three years and he has really helped me grow both as a player and as a man. Also, I was really sharpened by the guys on the team and the encouraging environment they created.”

 

“It was more his consistent leadership and character that made him special. He never reacted when a call would not go his way or when a teammate would make a bad play or when an opponent would try to get into his head. He was as focused as any player I have ever coached,” says Sparling.

 

Sparling also adds that, “His work ethic is far and above any other player I have ever coached. He gets up as early as five in the morning to go and get in extra work and shots on goal. No matter how underhanded the tackle against him, he is the first one up and extends his hand to help up the player who just took him down. His creativity is sick. He is that game changer who makes the team better because he elevates the level of play of his teammates.”

 

“More than anything, what I appreciated about Sachem was his love for Christ. It is what separates him from a lot of other players because of the impact that it has had on his life. He is diligent, humble, teachable and understands what the role of a Christian is, no matter what area of life. I can still hear him tell the group at a combined teams Bible study that ‘the epitome of a selfish act is not telling someone about Jesus who doesn’t know Him.’”