Switchbacks Showcasing

GREAT WEEKEND.NOW HERE'S A LOOK AT WHAT'SCOMING UP NEXT ON NEWS 5 AT 5.I THINK EVERYONE DOWN TO MYSELF,AND MY OTHER TEAMMATES, TO THEOWNERS, TO FANS I KNOW THAT AREACROSS THE CITY...WE ARE JUSTSUPER EXCITED AND THIS IS AREALLY GREAT MOMENT.WE'RE JUST TWO HOURS AWAY FROMTHE HOME OPENER FOR THE COLORADOSPRINGS SWITCHBACKS F- C...AT ABRAND NEW STADIUM..HEAR FROM FANS WHO GOT OUT EARLYTO CELEBRATE.AND I'M OUT HERE LIVE AT WEIDNERFIELD...I'LL HAVE HOW TONIGHT'SFORECAST IS LOOKING COMING UP.AND AS THE STADIUM OPENS FOR THEFIRST TIME...ANOTHER STAPLE IS REOPENING FORTHE 20-21 SEASON..A LOOK AT FLYING W RANCH'SRECENT HIRING PROCESS AS THEYREBOUND FROM THE PANDEMIC.GOOD EVENING...AND THANKS FOR JOINING US ONNEWS FIVE AT FIVE...WE'RE ALSO LIVE ON YOUR FAVORITESTREAMING DEVICE..IM ELIZABETH WATTS...IM ROB QUIRK,..THE LONG AWAITEDOPENING OF THE BRAND NEW WEIDNERFIELD...IS FINALLY HERE.THE COLORADO SPRINGS SWITCHBACKSF-C HAVE NEARLY SOLD OUT THEIRHOME OPENER AGAINST NEW MEXICOUNITED.DUE TO COVID-19..THE STADIUM WILL BE AT70-PERCENT CAPACITY..THE SWITCHBACKS ARE 1-1 ON THEROAD AND ARE COMING OFF OF A 4-0WIN OVER KANSAS CITY LASTFRIDAY.NEW MEXICO UNITED IS COMING OFFA 3- 1-WIN LAST SATURDAY AGAINSTAUSTIN BOLD.STILL, THE SWITCHBACKS ARELOOKING FORWARD TO THIS MUCH-ANTICIPATED MATCHUP...DESPITESOME INJURIES ENTERING TONIGHT'SGAME.WE'RE STILL MISSING A COUPLEGUYS THAT I WOULD CERTAINLTYTHINK ARE GOING TO PUSH TO STARTIN THIS TEAM AS THE SEASON WEARSON.PROBABLY FOUR OR FIVE OFTHEM...BUT THE REALITY IS THEREHAS TO BE NEXT MAN UP MENTALITYAND GUYS HAVE TO EMBRACE THOSEOPPORTUNITES WHEN THEY COME ANDMEET THE CHALLENGE.KICKOFF ON TONIGHT'S NEW TURF ISSET FOR 7 P.M.NOW INJURIES AREN'T THE ONLYBUMP IN THE ROAD THE SWITCHBACKSARE FACING...TODAY IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THEU-S AIR FORCE HAS REASSIGNEDSWITCHBACKS F-C FORWARD AUSTINDEWING, EFFECTIVE AFTER TONIGHTSHOME OPENER.DEWING IS A COLORADO SPRINGSNATIVE AND AN AIR ACADEMY ANDAIR FORCE ACADEMY ALUM.HE WILL NOW COMPLETE HISTRAINING AS A PILOT IN THE U.S.AIR FORCE.DEWING SAID TODAY..."IT HAS BEENAN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO PLAYIN MY HOMETOWN, THIS IS ANEXPERIENCE THAT I CHERISHEDDEEPLY AND WILL NEVER FORGET."AND WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE FORYOU TONIGHT OF THE HOMEOPENER...ANDY KOEN AND METEOROLOGIST ALEXO'BRIEN ARE BOTH AT WEIDNERFIELD.LET'S BEGIN WITH ANDY WHO'SHAVING SOME FUN AT A TAILGATEPARTY.I'M HERE WITH THE COLORADOSPRINGS TRAILHEADS ..THEY'RE THE OFFICIAL SUPPORTGROUP FOR THE COLORADO SPRINGSSWITCHBACKS.WE'RE SET UP JUST OUTSIDE OF THESTADIUM IN THE PARKING LOT EASTOF THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPICMUSEUM.AND THESE FANS CAME READY TOCELEBRATE TODAY'S GRAND HOMEOPENER ....WE'VE GOT THE OMALLEY'S FOODTRUCK HERE FROM PALMER LAKE ...SOME CORN HOLE GAMES AND LOTS OFBLACK AND BLUE.YOU DON'T HAVE FAN CLUBS INSOCCER ...YOU HAVE SUPPORT GROUPS AND THETRAILHEADS STARTED IN 2015 --THE SAME YEAR THESWITCHBACKS ARRIVED IN COLORADOSPRINGS.THEY'VE BEEN HOLDING THESERALLYS AT EVERY HOMEGAME SINCE.SOME OF THE GROUP MEMBERS GOT TOTOUR WEIDNER FIELD ...AND THEY WERE HERE FOR THEFRIENDLY LAST MONTH ...THE FIRST TIME THE SWITCHBACKSPLAYED IN THEIR NEW HOME.YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN OFFICIALMEMBER TO JOIN THE PARTY.EVERYBODY'S WELCOME."EVERYBODY'S WELCOME.WE INVITE THE ENTIRE COLORADOSPRINGS COMMUNITY OUT HERE TOJOIN US AND THERE'S NO COSTOTHER THAN YOU'RE PARKING FEE.IT'S 15 DOLLARS IN THIS LOT."SHE SAID THEY PLAN TO HAVE FOODTRUCKS AT EVERY HOME GAME.THEY'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THESTADIUM MOVE DOWNTOWN ...THE GROUP REGULARLY HOSTS WATCHPARTIES FOR THE AWAY GAMES OVERAT JACK QUINNS PUB ON TEJONSTREET.THE PARTY HERE WILL WRAP UP ATSIX ..SO THAT THESE SUPER FANS CAN GETTO THEIR SEATS BEFORE KICKOFF.ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR YOU,COLORADO SPRINGS, ANDY KOEN NEWS5.AND IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAD OUTFOR THE GAME OR ENJOY YOURSELFDOWNTOWN TONIGHT WE'VE GOT YOUCOVERED.METEOROLOGIST ALEX O'BRIEN ISLIVE AS WELL AT WEIDNER FIELDWITH A LOOK AT THE FORECAST.FEELING WARM AND GREAT OUTSIDEFOR THE SWITCHBACKS GAME.SO I HAVE THE FORECAST FOR YOUIF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING THISEVENING.FOR THE SWITCHBACKS GAME THISEVENING AS YOU ARE ARRIVING ANDRIGHT WHEN THE GAME STARTS WEWILL BE IN THE 70S WITH CLOUDS.BY THIS EVENING WHEN THE GAMEENDS TEMPERATURES WILL ONLY HAVEFALLEN TO THE 60S.SO ONLY A LIGHT JACKETNECESSARY.THE SWITCHBACKS AREN'T THE ONLYCOLORADO SPRINGS TEAM HAVINGTHEIR HOME OPENER.TOMORROW AT UCHEALTH PARK THEVIBES IS THE HOME OPENER WITHKICK OFF AT 6:30.UNFORTUNATELY I DO SEE THEPOTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMSTOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EVENING.SO BRING AN UMBRELLA AND RAINJACKET AND YOU MAY NEED TO GETOUT OF THE RAIN AT SOME POINTDURING THE GAME.TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER ONCETHUNDERSTORMS FORM AROUND THECITY, DROPPING TO THE 60S IN THEEVENINAND MIKE HAS MORE DETAILS ON THETHUNDERSTORM THREAT AND TIMINGFOR TOMORROW COMING UP IN THEFORECAST.ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR YOUSOUTHERN COLORADO METEOROLOGISTALEX O'BRIEN NEWS 5.AND IF YOU PLAN ON GOING TOTODAY'S GAME..IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE APARKING PLAN.THERE'S NO NEW PARKING AVAILABLEAT WEIDNER FIELD....BUT OFFICIALS SAY THERE AREPLENTY OF PARKING OPTIONSNEARBY...STREET METERED PARKING ANDPARKING LOTS..AS WELL AS CITY AND COUNTYPARKING GARAGES ARE AVAILABLE.YOU CAN SEE HERE...ALL THE LIGHTBLUE AREAS ARE DESIGNATED FORSURFACE PARKING.AND ALL THE PURPLE AREAS AREPARKING GARAGES.OFFICIALS SAY THE AVERAGE WALKIS ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES TO THESTADIUM.IF YOU AREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TOTONIGHTS GAME..DON'T WORRY, THIS IS JUST THESEASON OPENER..THERE ARE 15 MORE HOME GAMESBETWEEN JUNE FIFTH AND OCTOBER16TH.THERE ARE THREE HOME GAMES INJUNE...FOUR IN JULY...TWO IN AUGUST...FOUR IN SEPTEMBER...AND TWO IN OCTOBER..TO SEE THE FULL SCHEDULE...JUST HEAD ON OVER TO OUR WEB