The Inland Empire Paper Cup Classic
The lower league soccer landscape is ever changing. For the most part, leagues come and go. There are examples of stability in our country though. You could start with the San Francisco Soccer Football League, whose roots go back to 1902. The Cosmopolitan Soccer League, founded in 1923 and home to many storied clubs.The Maryland Majors Soccer league, while created in 1965 is a direct descendent of local leagues that date back to the ‘20s. And that’s the key word, local.
Covid-19 brought out this need/desire for local soccer. Then the news started to hit. June 24th, MPLS Futures, a local league focused on youth development. July 1st, The Roja League, a local tournament for clubs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. July 1st, NISA Independent Cup, a tournament for independent professional and amateur clubs. July 23rd, Cosmopolitan Soccer League and Maryland Majors partnered together to create the Eastern Premier Soccer League, creating a functional pro/rel system that spans multiple tiers.
There are more than a few regional leagues in the country, but there are many areas that lack regional play. Clubs are split between United Premier Soccer League, National Premier Soccer League and various local leagues. There needs to be an outlet for clubs to be able to create local rivalries, develop local players and mature the soccer culture. Aren’t we supposed to #supportlocalsoccer? We need more Independent Cup regions, more local academy leagues, more league partnerships and more Roja League style competitions.
The Inland Empire Paper Cup Classic
The IE Paper Cup Classic is an open tournament for all lower division clubs in the Inland Empire. The tournament consists of a group stage and the playoff stage. This tournament will allow clubs to compete, develop a local soccer culture and promote the talent of the region.
This is a fictional tournament aimed to help solve a real issue that halts the growth of soccer in the Inland Empire. Even though it isn’t real, there is a consensus that it should be.
“I just think it’s a great idea. It could make the IE, one of the spots to be, when talking about football. I feel like a lot of talent is wasted here in the IE, I have seen many great players who never commit, because they don’t see themselves going anywhere and trust me when I say there is plenty of talent.”
Why the paper cup? The Inland Empire is home to the world’s largest paper cup. It stands just over 68 feet and has had a few owners including the Solo Cup Company. Many residents are aware of this hidden gem and what makes a better cup trophy than an actual cup. The Paper Cup will be awarded to the winner of each year's champion. To preserve the history of the competition, the cup will adorn the name of every club to win the competition.
The Format
There are two stages: the group stage and playoffs. Scheduling, groups and playoff brackets are pre-determined based on the number of entrants in said year’s competition. The group stage will be round robin, with the top X clubs moving onto the playoffs.The semi-finals, third place match, and finals will be played in neutral locations, determined by the committee of clubs.
The Teams
High Desert Elite FC (NPSL)- The newest NPSL side to call the IE home. HD Elite play at Adelanto stadium, originally a baseball stadium that has been transformed into a soccer stadium. The stadium has a seating capacity of over 3,800 and is complete with all of the stadium amenities.
High Desert FC (UPSL Div 2)- The current longest-serving adult amateur side in the High Desert. HDFC also has multiple youth academies on the boys and girls side.
Fontana International SC (UPSL Div 2)- Founded in 2001 and a long-standing member of the UPSL. Fontana Inter always strives to work and help their community with various forms of charity drives and donations.
Inland Empire United FC (UPSL Div 2)- One of the new clubs in the Inland Empire. IE United started to show signs of on the field success, but like all new clubs, have been hindered by Covid.
Inland Empire Republic FC (UPSL Div 2) - Another 2020 club whose on the field success was cut short by Covid, but in its short existence has seen one of its players sign a professional contract with LA Force of NISA.
Fury FC (UPSL Div 1) - The outdoor partner to the professional indoor team Ontario Fury.
AC Miracle Hill (CV Premier League) - ACMH started out in the UPSL, but has now branched out into a local league. The club has created a good brand, but is the most isolated of the IE clubs.
Temecula FC (NPSL) - A pro-development club with a reputation for helping young players. They also have plenty of cup experience as two-time champions of the Riverside County Cup.
City Legends FC (SoCal Premier) - Originated in the UPSL in 2018 and quickly found success. They went undefeated and earned promotion.
Club Xolos USA U-23 (NPSL) - the official satellite club of Liga MX giant. The organization has a history of providing players a pathway towards a pro contract.
Toros Neza USA (UPSL) - Inspired by the Mexican side, Toros Neza USA has been an IE staple, consistently participating in friendlies with all IE clubs and the Riverside County Cup.
Inland Empire FC (UPSL Div 1)- A club in the region that is on the up. Performances on the field have earned them promotion and consistent playoff contenders. The club has also gone under a recent rebrand.
“Really, I see no significant cons to such a tournament, except maybe the heartbroken pride of an upsetting loss to a lower league team. I’d love to see a fusion of pro ‘semi pro’ and qualified adult league teams; perhaps it eventually morphs into what could become a So Cal Open Cup.”
The Logistics
If you are building a proper competition, one that is sustainable, it needs to have: sanctioning and standards for participation. Setting up the competition in a professional manner will allow the event to attract various sponsors.
Sanctioning is what makes the competition official. Anyone participating in a sanctioned event: fan, player or coach, will be playing by FIFA rules and judged by certified referees. Sanctioned events also need to provide secondary insurance for its participants. A competition can seek sanctioning through its local soccer association or with an existing league that can also help in providing insurance.
The IE Paper Cup Classic would be seeking a partnership with the SoCal Premier, a regional league that is open to men, women and youth competitions. The league is sanctioned by US Club Soccer, insured by US Adult Soccer Association and all participating clubs are eligible for USSF cup competitions. The IE Paper Cup Classic can act as a standalone event or be tied into the league's current Raul Briones Cup, a long form competition whose champion wins a spot in the Copa California, where they can battle it out against clubs in Northern California.
Standards for participation will help create a presentable product to sponsors. The tournament organization encourages clubs to help each other in meeting the standards.
Roster
20 registered players- clubs should strive to have full rosters to help develop talent in the area, regardless of age.
15 players min. for game day
Stadium
Seating capacity:500+ - Building soccer takes fans and sponsors want to see the interest in the community.
Locker rooms- all players and referees need proper accommodations when participating.
Streaming- any live platform.
“I think there’s a chance to earn revenue and boost popularity with something like that! I think it’ll grow, because if you look at those team names down there, we’ve played so many of them. There’s so much talent spread out, that if we get a good sponsor and some backing, we could get some eyes on the tournament.”
Sponsors are the key to sustainability and growth. To gain sponsors you need to offer something, which for this competition is the naming rights, “The ____ IE Paper Cup Classic”. It's about finding a sponsor that wants to invest in the community, so much so that they are willing to put their name on it.
The Inland Empire is home to a number of big companies from credit unions to regional malls, all businesses with an interest in serving the IE and gaining more reach with its citizens, in most cases more social reach than their own accounts. These large businesses could be the main provider for the tournament:
Altura Credit Union- headquartered in Riverside, Altura is one of the biggest credit unions in the IE.
Baker's Drive-thru- A fast food chain only in the Inland Empire. A mix between American and Mexican classics. They also serve a habañero ketchup that bests any spicy ketchup out there.
Regional malls- Ontario Mills Mall and Galleria at Tyler are some of the most notable shopping malls in the area.
Stater Bros. - A grocery store chain that has served the IE and all of SoCal for decades. At one point Stater Bros. was the largest private employer in the IE.
Silverlakes Sports Complex- A giant sports complex with an emphasis on soccer. Silverlakes is known globally and hosts some of the most prestigious youth tournaments in the world.
There are also a wide range of opportunities with more local businesses that can sponsor at a lower amount and still gain access to the customer base, digitally and at all thirty-four matches. All sponsorship money would go towards developing the tournament and clubs that participate in it. Sponsorship dollars are to be used for sanctioning, liability and club expenses.
“You know what? I think it is much-needed. I think the timing is right, because you’re going to revamp, kind of putting the defibrillator on the soccer community. You’re waking it up again. So I actually think the timing is great, it could even be a team owner board kind of organization.
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Each club needs to have a say in the development of the tournament. If it's truly about the region, then every club needs an equal say. A committee of clubs would decide how money is spent, neutral play locations, disciplinary issues and anything that affects the big picture.
“When will this tournament run? Is there a cash prize? We definitely are looking to win a regional trophy for our city. Many of our players want to continue playing, but there isn’t much real competition in our area. It’s also an opportunity for other Coaches from other teams to scout players for the regular season.”
Typically competitions like this tend to happen in the back half of the calendar year. While the scheduling and time of the competition is open to discussion, a strong recommendation has been made for January through March. It is a period of the year that is lacking in entertainment and holiday distractions. The first quarter can also provide ease of access towards facilities.
The Inland Empire could be one of the best soccer markets in the nation: it is the birthplace of multiple US national team players, professional players and it hosts over a dozen amatuer soccer clubs, but the region is held back by the lack of local play. You have three NPSL clubs, a couple of clubs belonging to various local leagues and multiple clubs floating in the multiple tiers of the UPSL. Outside of the few matches you get a season, you don’t get to play against a neighboring club. Many clubs are forced to travel multiple hours for a match, which can create issues from cost of travel to the availability of players. Each of these processes of the competition are meant to help develop the competition and its participants and to provide sustainability to soccer in the region. Many competitions come around and offer cash prizes, but once that competition is over you never hear from them again.
Developing a soccer community
Soccer does not function optimally in the Inland Empire. Sure all of the clubs have successful components, but how many IE clubs have beaten pro sides in the US Open Cup or have won their leagues’ respective national title? The current state of IE soccer needs more fan support, more local interest, more competition and all at a lesser cost.
Seeing all of these matches on TV without fans really does emphasize what soccer is actually all about, the fans. I’ve seen packed stadiums in the IE, but those are few and far between. The best-attended match in the area is typically the Riverside County derby between Club Xolos USA U-23 and Temecula FC and it is no secret that rivalry creates more fans, it is the tribal nature of team sports. Soccer can thrive off of local rivalries just like high school and college sports do. If you have opposition in the stands it incentivizes other fans to take a side or join in on fun. Soccer cheers and chants are contagious and that can create the right atmosphere that this community needs more of.
Inland Empire clubs also lack local interest from city government and local businesses. Being able to leverage the collective of clubs creates a bigger voice that is more influential in the local government and business sectors. Getting politicians involved is crucial towards the success of a club or competition. Local governments can provide funding for more soccer spaces and soccer events that help develop a culture. Also, associating with local government is like a stamp of approval from the city.
So after all of this talk of marketing and the various logistics of the competition, does it actually provide a better on field product? This cup competition is about development. Simply having roster requirements force a participating club to fill their club with players that can be available for multiple competitions. The level of play amongst current IE clubs is comparable to each other. Some clubs have produced bigger talents, but this isn't a region that would produce an over abundant amount of lopsided score lines. There also is the added benefit of scouting, not only from clubs within the competition, but from the Southern California pro teams looking to unearth the hidden gems of the IE.
The ethos of this tournament is teamwork, it's that together we can create a real soccer culture. While the overabundance of league choices has hampered competition between Inland Empire rivals, it has provided a wide variety of knowledge that can be used by all of the participating clubs. The IE Paper Cup Classic encourages clubs to become a community and to teach each other their respective best practices.
A community around soccer would be much more than just competing with each other. It could be celebrating each other's achievements, coming together to watch a favorite professional side, traveling to national team matches and just having friends to call up for a quick kick about. It's community.
When you are in a close-knit community, you need to share what makes you successful so others can implement that and make that work for them. Every club has something different to offer from getting involved with city officials, how to start an academy, how to market themselves and other things that can help develop a strong relationship with the community.
A new inclusive competition is just what the Inland Empire needs. Changing the entire soccer landscape may be hard, but we need to just act with the intention to benefit our community. A soccer culture that benefits everyone that is associated with it, player and fan alike. Too often players fall through the cracks, could the IE Paper Cup Classic help shine a light on more talent? Soccer fans can get isolated out here in the Inland Empire. We often search for nearby supporters groups or have to travel hours to see professional soccer. We need more: as players, fans and as a community.
Hopefully this could be a call to action, maybe not for my region, but maybe another. The tides of change have already initiated, but now is the perfect time to ride the wave.
- Steven Ramirez