Ben Girard Bio

Ben Girard
Born: May 16, 1984 in St. Louis, MO
Caps: 12

plus 1 MLS All-Star Game and 1 U.S. Women’s National Team match

Played little league soccer from ages 10-13
High school graduate and current college student
Currently playing indoor soccer at Vetta Sports in St. Louis County


I was first turned on to soccer, like many American kids at the time, by the 1994 World Cup. I can remember my father telling me, “Don’t get involved in that game. It’s boring. And the U.S. isn’t even any good.” A year later I was playing on a little league team with my friends from school and regularly attending St. Louis Ambush indoor soccer games.

By the age of 12, however, puberty was turning me into an attitude-laden, mindlessly rebellious little snot; I found no room for soccer in the middle of writing angst-inspired poetry and listening to punk rock music. I was aware of a disappointing World Cup in 1998, but not emotionally invested.

In the summer of 2002 I was 18 and starting to see life as less of a battle. One night, having lost a minor struggle with insomnia, I turned on the television and saw the following score: USA 3, POR 0. Two weeks later I was jumping up and down in the middle of summer school because the idiots calling the USA-Germany match over my radio thought that Tony Sanneh’s header had hit the back of the net, rather than the side of it.

I kept up with U.S. Soccer over the internet, and found myself taking an interest in World Cup Qualifying in 2004 and 2005. The England friendly in May, 2005 was my first match; my second was the USA-Mexico qualifier in Columbus that sealed our place in the 2006 World Cup. That game also endeared me to Sam’s Army, who I joined in 2006 for the friendly against Morocco in Nashville. I have been a member ever since.

I met the American Outlaws at their first game, vs. Brazil in Chicago. I was immediately struck by their dedication, energy and organization; I officially joined them shortly thereafter. I believe they are doing a great service for U.S. Soccer, and I will continue to support them whenever and however I can. The future is bright, my friends.