Bumpy Pitch is Back...And Going Retro...

You may think I'm writing this blog post just to get some free schwag from the guys over at Bumpy Pitch, but I'm not...I've still got to pay for my schwag! That isn't going to stop me from ordering one of their Denver Dynamo shirts from the old NASL days.

I'm actually writing about Bumpy Pitch for two reasons. One, because I like to support American soccer enterprises. This blog is an American soccer enterprise (remember you can support me by clicking on ad links in the margins and the highlighted text) and I like to see more and more American soccer enterprises popping up. Two, because the guys behind Bumpy Pitch took the path of playing club soccer, college soccer and then playing in the pros. Their "retired" lives involve hip, fashionable apparel for us American soccer freaks. I'm sure they'd love to outfit some foreign football freaks as well.

Ben Hooper, Brian Dunseth and Ace Harrison are the force behind this up and coming soccer themed fashion brand. Ben and Brian have roots going back to youth soccer, growing up through the US Youth National Team set up all the way to the U-23 team that went to the Sydney Olympics, although Brian was the only one to make it to that tournament. Additionally, they played soccer together at Cal State - Fullerton. Ace fits into the mix as the guy behind the designs. He takes the vision and creates art on fabric.

Ben Hooper played at Cal State - Fullerton and then moved on to Fortuna Sittard in Holland. At the time they were in the Eredivisie. Ben played for the reserves and got to practice with current Dutch star Mark Van Bommel. He didn't make the senior squad and decided to start working in the music business. After some time doing that he realized that American soccer fans didn't have any soccer themed fashion aside from replica jerseys. As I have learned from my wife, we soccer people need more then just a good jersey collection to look good.

Brian Dunseth's story is more well known here in the US. He played with Ben at Cal State - Fullerton, then was one of the first MLS Nike Project 40 players in 1997. Brian played for seven MLS clubs in his career (is that a record???) and also played in Sweden for Bodens BK. He and Ben reunited after their playing days to start outfitting the people starved of cool soccer gear.

Head on over to www.bumpypitch.com and pick up some gear.