TULSA – Not even a month into his FC Tulsa tenure, Owen Damm has made waves on loan.
Taking on San Antonio FC this past Saturday, Damm shined with his first assist of the season, a pair of chances created, three clearances and eight wins across 10 ground duels. With the performance, Damm, alongside midfielder Diogo Pacheco, notched USL Team of the Week honors on Tuesday.
But don’t be fooled, Damm’s performance was not an opening introduction. Instead, it marked a milestone in a career molded by Tulsa ties.
Born in Versailles, Kentucky, Damm had risen up the state ranks at Woodford County High School. After earning an all-state nod and helping his team to a district title as a sophomore – the then 16-year-old began to collect some buzz.
A buzz that was stemming from Mario Sanchez.
Sanchez, who previously served as the director of Louisville City FC Academy, brought Damm into the club’s development program while he attended Woodford County, and the results began to speak for itself.
“In youth development, we knew he had quickness and strength,” Sanchez said. “He’s always been a phenomenal athlete.”
After inking a USL academy contract with LouCity in February 2021, Damm signed a professional contract with the club 10 months later at age 18. The defender played sparingly with LouCity as a rookie, spending most of 2022 with USL League One’s Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, and appeared in four USL Championship matches in 2023.
With LouCity high on Damm’s development, the 20-year-old joined FC Tulsa on loan this season – rekindling ties made in Versailles.
“LouCity likes him a lot, he just couldn’t get the minutes there,” Sanchez said. “So, when he became available, he was somebody that we definitely wanted. He has a huge upside. He’s a really good soccer player and good athlete.”
Through four USL Championship matches with FC Tulsa, his upside has been on full display. He hasn’t taken the opportunity Sanchez offered for granted.
“I’m really grateful,” Damm said. “There are very few people that I can safely say I wouldn’t be here without. “Aside from my parents, Mario is definitely one of them. He brought me in at age 16, and he turned me into an outside back. He gave me this opportunity.”
After coming off the bench in his debut, Damm has started the past three matches for FC Tulsa, including 90 minutes of run in his past two games. In the U.S. Open Cup, he started in the Round of 16 against Sporting KC. While the opportunities have come fast, the club has welcomed him with open arms.
“They’re really easy to get along with,” Damm said. “They made me feel welcome from day one, and I’m glad, because not every locker room is like that. It’s definitely nice to have those guys as teammates.”
This teammate chemistry was in full force last week with FC Tulsa’s 2-1 performance over San Antonio FC. After a tightly-contested first half, Damm made paydirt at the 48th minute with a soaring pass to Pacheco to the left wing, netting Pacheco his first USL Championship goal and Damm his first assist with the club.
Damm’s assist sparked electricity in ONEOK Field, and the energy remained the rest of the match. Following the fastbreak, Pacheco and his teammates stormed in for a corner-arc celebration with his teammates, 13 minutes later, Pacheco rained in a header to notch a 2-0 lead and at the final buzzer – fireworks were on the forecast.
The club’s team effort encapsulated the weekend victory, but for FC Tulsa veteran and team captain Bradley Bourgeois and the entire roster, Damm’s efforts did not go unnoticed.
“Owen’s a great kid who works really hard,” Bourgeois said. “That match is something that he can definitely build off of. I’m really happy he managed to get that assist. To come over, have that result, and play well, it creates a good feeling going into the next game.”
As the club prepares for home matches on Wednesday, June 19, vs. Miami FC and Saturday, June 22, against Sacramento Republic FC, they’ll look to continue bringing the energy.
“It’s just about improving day by day,” Damm said. “It’s about keeping that mentality and rallying the guys.”
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