On Jan. 24, 2014, it was announced that the new professional soccer team in Colorado Springs would be called Switchbacks FC. A little over a year later, the team began play at Sand Creek Stadium, later known as Weidner Field, off Powers Blvd. and Tutt Blvd.
Defender Jordan Burt and midfielder Rony Argueta were two of the original members of that first Switchbacks team. They are still valuable contributors to the organization.
“It’s changed a lot,” Burt said earlier this week after a grueling practice. “Every year, the ownership team has tried to make improvements with the set up and quality of players. But this year we’ve made monumental steps forward with the level of professionalism all the way around.”
Burt, 30, is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (174) and minutes played (13,245). The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder has appeared in five of the team’s 11 matches this season for an average of 32 minutes per match.
He has scored 23 goals in his Switchbacks career.
“We’ve always been super competitive, but the league keeps getting better and better,” Burt said. “Now, we have some players who can change the game on their own, and that’s what you need.”
Burt is originally from Indiana. Born in Elkhart, he played soccer for Butler before signing his first professional contract with North Carolina FC in 2014.
Burt signed with the Switchbacks in the winter of 2015 and joined his new club – along with Argueta – for the first official workout at Colorado Springs Sports Center.
“It was cold out or it was snowing so that’s where we went for our first training sessions,” Argueta recalled. “We had guys who had been in the league, but didn’t necessarily know each other. Sort of similar to today where it seems like 85 percent of this team is together for the first time.”
Burt and Argueta became staples of the franchise that qualified for the postseason in each of its first two seasons.
As Burt’s tenure with the Switchbacks continued, he became entrenched in the area. He married a few years ago and the couple – his wife’s name is Laura – resides year-round in Colorado Springs. Laura is a vice principal with Atlas Prep High School in Colorado Springs.
“I love the lifestyle and the city,” Burt said. “They say don’t mess with happiness, and I’m happy here.”
Argueta, 30, is a native of southern California and lives there during the off-season. He took a different route to a professional soccer career.
He attended UC-Santa Barbara, but he never played for the school’s NCAA team. He decided to play for the university’s club team instead and signed his first professional contract with the Switchbacks prior to the 2015 inaugural season
Argueta has played in 150 games for the Switchbacks totaling 10,900 minutes.
“It’s a blessing to me every season,” Argueta said. “I have to prove myself every season. You have to come in with a fresh mentality. A fresh mindset.”
Argueta’s tenure with the Switchbacks was interrupted by playing for Fresno FC in 2018. He rejoined the Switchbacks in 2019, where he was happy to be reunited with Burt.
“Always being part of the originals, Jordan and I have a good bond,” Argueta said.
Burt and Argueta’s value to the team and longevity is greatly appreciated, according to coach Brendan Burke.
“It’s important to have guys around who have seen the shift in culture because they can relay some of the messages from a facilities standpoint to style of play,” Burke said. “They are great in the way they approach every day. They are great in the way they train on and off the field, and when they are called upon they have been effective in games."
Switchbacks general manager Brian Crookham added that Burt and Argueta have demonstrated a great ability to adapt.
“It’s not easy keeping up with a league that has developed so quickly in the last seven or eight years,” Crookham said. “The fact that these guys are still in the mix is a testament to how hard they’ve worked.
“They are now synched into a team that is quite talented and quite entertaining. Both of them are chameleons. They are able to fit in and match the needs of the group and keep themselves relevant.”
Burt and Argueta both believe this might be the best Switchbacks team they’ve ever been a part of since the 2016 squad.
“We will make the playoffs this season,” a confident Argueta said. “We are an attacking team, and the guys respond to that.”
Added Burt: “I’ve been around here so long I get to learn the game through the eyes of different coaches. This is a great group of coaches and great group of guys.”
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Burt and Argueta, two of the original Switchbacks, still making impact - Colorado Springs Gazette
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