Warren could soon have its own adult amateur soccer team, if a local field can be secured as its home base.

Main Street resident Mauricio Ossa, 34, is a member of Inter Rhode Island, an amateur team that will soon start competing in the FA1, part of a larger branch of amateur leagues under the Football Alliance of New England.

The team has members from across Rhode Island, and up until now has been playing in Cranston and Providence. But Mr. Ossa wants to establish the team's home base in Warren, possibly renaming it the Warren Soccer Club and spreading the sport through the East Bay and southeastern Massachusetts. He has been speaking with town officials about securing a local field to serve as the team's home base for the season, which runs from May through August every year, and is also recruiting sponsors for the team's jerseys — Space Salon on Main Street has already signed on.

He hopes to be able to use the Kickemuit Middle School field, as it is centrally located and has good bleachers.

"That would be perfect," he said. "It's a fantastic field."

Mr. Ossa was born in Chile but grew up in Miami, Fla. He moved to Rhode Island to attend college 16 years ago and has never looked back. He is currently a chef who teaches culinary arts at Bristol Community College in Fall River and Bunker Hill Community College in Boston.
While soccer is huge throughout the world, Mr. Ossa believes it has yet to receive the attention it should in the United States. Establishing well-coached, talented amateur teams is a must to grow the sport, he said, because in the states, it's difficult for talented players to play high level soccer apart from college level.

"In part, this is what these small leagues do: Create a soccer culture. We're giving young players a chance to compete" at a high level and possibly be noticed by professional scouts, he said.

For more information about Inter Rhode Island, contact Mr. Ossa at interrhodeisland@gmail.com, or see the team's Instagram page at inter-