The Kick commands the plaza in front of Frisco’s National Soccer Hall of Fame. It’s a prestigious job, but one that requires steely resolve to battle the elements and avian incursions. In this video interview, I spoke with The (we’re on a first-name basis now) to better understand the outlook of this steadfast soccer stalwart.
Information you may want to know about topics that arose in the back-and-forth banter:
The Kick sculpture depicts a player in mid-bicycle kick, a difficult and impressive soccer maneuver in which one attempts to direct a ball net-ward in midair with one’s back to the goal.
The Hunt family owns FC Dallas, the Major League Soccer team in whose Toyota Stadium the Hall of Fame resides. They also did a lot to get the shrine placed in North Texas and the interviewee established in front of it.
The legendary U.S. Route 66 was a highway that stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles. In 1946, Bobby Troupe wrote a song about it called “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.”
The Hall of Fame includes a collection of soccer scarves in its front lobby.
New York City FC, or NYCFC for short, competes as a Major League Soccer club. They are affectionately (ok, not always affectionately) known as the Pigeons.
The Texan Golden Boot is a statue constructed in Arlington in conjunction with the 2026 Men’s World Cup proceedings. I interviewed the Texan Golden Boot for an earlier post, one which The Kick apparently somehow viewed.
Jacob Burmood sculpted The Kick, which was unveiled in October of 2018. To our knowledge, The Kick has never before granted a one-on-one interview request.
Thank you to Ana Gonzalez and Brendan Adams for videography work far better than this piece deserved.
