Scott Teribury, left, and Andy Sylvia on the field. (Photo courtesy Federal Triangles)

This week in the continuing Blade series on the rookies and veterans that make up the LGBT sports teams in the Washington area, we check in with two gay athletes from the Federal Triangles Soccer Club.

The Triangles host the Summer of Freedom League every summer and three tournaments throughout the year. In addition, their players travel to out-of-town tournaments and play in a variety of straight leagues in the area.

Scott Teribury grew up on military bases mostly in northern Virginia and competed in wrestling and soccer. He also ran cross country and track for his high school. During his collegiate years at Christopher Newport University, he played intramural soccer.

After moving to the D.C. area in 2012 to work in consulting, he Googled “gay sports” and found two clubs that interested him, D.C. Front Runners and the Federal Triangles Soccer Club. He ended up going with a friend to a Triangles pick-up game in 2013 and was recruited and put into a league mid-season.

“When I moved to the area I only knew a couple of people,” Teribury says. “The Triangles participate in so many things and the athletes are all so different. I have made many new friends including a best friend.”

Teribury has been competing in the area competitive leagues along with the Summer of Freedom League. He says the veterans are very supportive and are always looking to put new players on their teams. Several of the Triangles players have called Teribury the best rookie player to come along in years.

He has also been traveling with his teammates to tournaments and has played in Cleveland, Provincetown, Rehoboth Beach, Philadelphia and New York.

An ankle injury in October has him sidelined for the time being and he will have surgery in January. The recovery period will be four to six months, but he is already planning his return.

“The International Gay & Lesbian Football Association Worldcup is in Portland in August of 2016,” Teribury says. “I am hoping to be there.”

Andy Sylvia was born and raised on the eastern shore of Maryland and played club soccer up until his high school years. After finishing his degree at Salisbury University he moved to the D.C area for his work in human resources.

In 1998 he was looking for a new social activity and began playing pick-up games with the Triangles and is still playing with some of those same players.

“My first tournament with the Triangles was in Fort Lauderdale and it was great opportunity to bond with my teammates. Soccer has given me a fun group of people to travel with,” Sylvia says. “I have also met people from all over the world and it is a comfortable feeling to compete with those same athletes at the international events.”

Over the past 18 years, Sylvia has played in tournaments in Cologne, Dublin, London, Copenhagen, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Barcelona and Montreal among others. Along with Teribury, he is also planning on being at the Worldcup in Portland next year.

Sylvia says people come and go all the time and depending on the skill level of the rookie player coming in, you sometimes have to remind them that they are playing in a recreational league.

“Putting a team together is more than just throwing 11 people on the field,” Sylvia says. “A rookie player needs to learn how to play with his team and the team needs to learn how to play with him.”

Coming up for Sylvia this next year is the Liberty Bell tournament in Philadelphia, the Summer of Freedom League, the aforementioned Worldcup in Portland and the Rehoboth Beach Classic of which he is one of the founding players.

“Most of the teams I play on now have athletes that are over 30 years old,” Sylvia says. “The skill levels of the rookie players coming in today are much higher than they were before soccer became popular.”