The cover image is an AI-generated image. We typed in Red Dead Redemption soccer kits and got this. We rarely use AI art and seek to find artists we can work with. When we do use AI-generated material, we want to be clear in delineating it.

Alright kit nerds, another round of the 2024 MWPL kit drops is here. Let’s run back the criteria:

Design: With great power comes great responsibility, how do you want your club to look on the pitch and around your community?
Local Connection: How are you including your community in your kit lineup? Whether local sponsorships, designs that are community specific and/or proceeds returned to the community. Remember, kit sales are not the sole way to soccer philanthropy, so I am applying this purely to the kits. This is in no way a reflection of the clubs. Community involvement is crucial to be accepted as a member of the MWPL so make no assumptions.
Value: Disposable income is tighter than it has ever been. Are the people buying your kits getting their money’s worth?

Green Bay Glory 2024 Away Kit

Design: 4

The players from the badge in the Kappa/Hummel style shoulder pattern is a great unique touch. The weathered brick design elevates the entire shirt instead of distracting from the other features. Black rings around the sleeves do a good job making this not resemble a blank white tee, I think a black ring around the neck would have tied the shoulder design together a little better.

Local Connection: 4.5

“Our White AWAY kit, adorned with bricks, represents stability and building dreams a team. We want to be a foundation for our players and strive to lay them a path towards success on and off the field” – Official Green Bay Glory Facebook page.

Brick kits are fun, whether it’s a brick wall mentality like Lansing Common’s year one “Brick Kit” GK kit or providing a foundation as a force for progress you really can’t go wrong with this. MWPL debutants chose a good maker in Diaza.

Value: 4.75

$45 with a $15 add-on if you want a number, is great value. The kit ships in three weeks after purchase which will leave you with a bit of a wait, but that’s nothing.

13.25/15

Did I buy?: No. Not because it’s not a good kit. You will see why in the next few.

***Diaza Website has this listed as the Home Kit, so be sure to pay attention when ordering***

Green Bay Glory 2024 Home Kit

Design: 4.5

Now THIS is one of the best in the MPWL for 2024 and I will die on that hill. Maybe it’s just the millennial in me, but this gives me flashbacks of those I SPY books I used to looks on the bus rides home school (missed my stop a few times and had to have the driver loop back around town). The shoulder design in white provides a good contrast to the toned-down club colors on the front. Again, the collar kind of bugs me for the same reasons as the home kit but I’m going to nitpick because that’s what this whole thing is about.

Local Connection: 4.5

“Our Black HOME kit, features keys, symbolizes finding homes and our Glory community being a home to all. Together, we’re “locked in” and building success!” – Official Green Bay Glory Facebook page.

The home and road kits tie in with the primary sponsor and whether that was intended or not, but I do enjoy it. Connecting the club with the community is what the MWPL prides itself on with its member clubs and GBG are following it to a T. Local sponsor as stated in previous parts is always something I love to see and is what you get with a majority of lower league clubs.

Value: 4.85

I am breaking my clean fractions for this but its worth it. Take everything from the away kit and apply it to this, but in my opinion with a slightly better design.

13.85/15

Did I buy?: Not yet, but this will be hanging in my closet before long.

***Diaza Website has this listed as the Away Kit, so be sure to pay attention when ordering***

Green Bay Glory 2024 GK Home & Away Kits

Design: 4

Bright colors and a chaotic design make for a proper keeper kit. Choosing purple and green for the background colors allows and the yellow does a good job breaking it up. The player pattern down the sleeves gets lost in the sauce if you aren’t looking for it but I appreciate the consistency. The blank bars across the chest for sponsor visibility is totally understandable, but I think more could have been done.

Local Connection: 3.75

“The Glory goalie jersey, sponsored by Take Action Realty Group, LLC is a vibrant testament to individuality and leadership. Adorned with bold paint strokes in our colors, it reminds us life is a blank canvas and we are the artists. As guardians of the goal, the Keepers embody the essence of self-reliance within the team dynamic, reminding us that while teamwork is paramount, our personal journey is ours to paint as we choose.” – Official Green Bay Glory Facebook page.

I appreciate the sentiment because life is bigger than what happens during the few months of a soccer season. The club puts a lot of faith and effort into what their players will be as people in their community and that must be commended.

Value: 4.75

$45 with a $15 add-on if you want a number, is great value. The kit ships in three weeks after purchase which will leave you with a bit of a wait, but that’s nothing.

Junction FC 2024 Home/Away Kit

Design: 4 Home – 3.75 Away

I really enjoy the color combination and the railroad tracks around the sleeves are a nice little detail. The four vertical stripes are a callback to the Decatur Staleys, precursors to the Chicago Bears. This is a decent kit for the Gateway newbies, would like to see focus shifted more towards the railroad aesthetic in year two and may a little bit of white so the badge is not on an island by itself.

Using the secondary gray with the white was a good call. The cuffs and the faded tracks are the first thing I notice, however. The wine color in the badge is insignificant enough in the whole ensemble that making the cuffs white would’ve made the tracks pop and the white collar choice would make more sense. The tracks on this have a better chance to stand out as opposed to the home kit, but the faded wine color I’m on the fence about.

Local Connection: 4

“The kit has a background featuring railroad tracks on the front and back, which are part of our community’s rich history, and part of the meaning behind our club’s name. On the front, you’ll find stripes reminiscent of train engineers of days long past. The stripes also honor a part of our community’s proud history by paying homage to the Decatur Staley’s (The Original Chicago Bears!). On the back, you will find the same stripes as the front as well as a custom number of your choice. At the collar on the back, our secondary JFC logo lies in the shade of one of our secondary colors on the shoulders. Finally, the cuffs complete the kits with an unending railroad, signifying our unending service to our community!” – Oliveandyork.com

Railroads and post WWI American football teams are part of the fabric of the community and are rightly recognized by the “Little Club the Could”. The four vertical stripes provide good accuracy to the uniforms of the time and possess a mentality that can resonate with people.

Value: 3.75 Home / 3.5 Away

While $65 ($5 add on fee for a number) hovers around the average cost for a kit around the MWPL I don’t believe the is good enough to warrant that price point. Make no mistake, this is not a bad kit at all and if it is on your list, you will be pleased with what they get.

11.75 Home/11.25 Away

Did I buy?: Yes. The color scheme on the home kit is enough for me to pull the trigger.

Edgewater Castle FC 2024 Home Kit

Design: 4.5

This is the perfect example of less is more. The color palette of the club will make any white kit look amazing if done correctly, and this hits all the right notes. The powder blue and maroon cuffs provide the right amount of color across the chest. The diamond pattern provides good texture and really gives this a Great Gatsby vibe.

Local Connection: 4.5

“Experience the vibrant legacy of Edgewater Castle with our home kit, inspired by the timeless beauty of the Aragon Ballroom. The dynamic diamond pattern pays homage to the historic brickwork that has adorned out neighborhood for nearly 100 years, encapsulating the rich culture and spirit of our community”- ECFC Facebook

The diamond design is a great nod to the outer texture on the building. From having Nirvana & Metallica on stage to being used in the film Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, a building with history of that magnitude is very fitting for this kit.

Value: 4

60$ is the average within the MWPL for kits. I do love the adding a number option @ no charge and if you want long sleeves, it’s just 4$ more. If you want one get one quick because the first 40 kits purchased will get a premium silicone crest, after that you will be getting a sublimated badge.

13.5/15

Did I buy?: The spirit is willing, 7-9 week lead time is a hot minute, but good things come to those who wait.

Edgewater Castle FC 2024 Away Kit

Design: 4

The Aragon brickwork pattern is back for the road kit and keeping it within the navy stripes looks great and gives a little surprise for those who don’t notice right away. This one is getting the Crystal Palace treatment, but that’s not a bad thing as vertical stripes done well look great and this is clean as a whistle.

Local Connection: 4.5

Carrying over the callback was a smart choice, local sponsors including one who has supported the community for over seven decades is another feather in the cap.

Value: 4

12.5/15

Did I buy?: No, if I must choose, I will be getting the home kit. The two-tone cuffs and the brickwork pattern on the white is too good to pass up.

Edgewater Castle FC 2024 Home GK Kit

Design: 4.25

The design and inspiration for said design are done incredibly well. The geometric design from the outside of the Berwyn underpass made a great transition to fabric. Placement of the shapes almost gives it vertical stripe effect. Colors, spacing and the navy rings make this a fantastic piece.

Local Connection: 4.5

“From the mosaic tilework of our underpasses to the marble patterns of our century old floors, the creativity and strength of our community is well represented in our 2024 goalkeeper kits”- ECFC Facebook

Honoring the Berwyn Mural, a community-driven art project that saw the structure enhanced by volunteers and local artists. The “Welcome to Edgewater” spanning the entire walkway seems to be used twofold with the Rooks picking this at their home GK kit. This should be one of the standards for MWPL teams in 2025.

Value: 4

12.75/15

Did I buy?: *adds to list*

Edgewater Castle FC 2024 Away GK Kit

Design: 4.25

Not a single bad entry this year for the Rooks. The green mosaic tile design fills the space without overwhelming any other features. White rings give a nice little pop against the green. I think I can confidently say that ECFC are the masters of “Less is more” for 2024.

Local Connection: 4.5

Edgewater was regarded as one of ChiTowns most prestigious communities in the early 1900’s. This turn of the century opulence can more than likely be pointed to as one of the reasons as to the amount of stunning marble floors through the community. I can’t help but think that this is also a nod to the mosaic work that is a part of the Berwyn underpass. I might be way off, but this is a great opportunity to learn about another MWPL. Fact check me Rooks!

Value: 4

12.75/15

Did I buy?: This will more than likely be hanging in my closet by the end of the year.

Liquid Football 2024 Home Kit

Design: 4.75

This is an absolute home run by the GLE outfit. Sometimes less is more and the gradients around the waist and cuffs are done perfectly. The rings around the sleeves and collar give just enough to elevate the entire look. Even though Puma made their center crest third kits a mess, Champion Grind managed to pull it off, the multicolored shirt sponsor delivers some bonus vibrance. The Her Game Too logo on the sleeves is top notch as well.

Local Connection: 3.5

Only place these kits will take a hit is for the local connection but local sponsor all over the kit give this the standard rating.

Value: 4.75

$49 sneaks in under the average going price and for this kit the price point makes this a home run.

Did I buy?: Preordered the day it was opened. GET THIS ONE PEOPLE!

Liquid Football 2024 Away Kit

Design: 4

Clean and simple. If bright colors are not your thing, the texture prevents this from being a snoozefest/plain white tee affair. Would have liked to see the blue from the home kit around the neck & collar for some consistency but with an iridescent badge a good pop of the blue is visible.

Local Connection: 3.5

The only place these kits will take a hit is for the local connection but local sponsors all over the kit give this the standard rating.

Value: 4.5

A slight tick down because I feel you get more for your money aesthetically with the home. You really can’t go wrong with either. The center crest is a nice switch up from the common left side of the chest placement.

Did I buy?: No. Home kit is my choice between the two.

- Rich Schenck