Business Spotlight: Legend Sports Video

Onward with our efforts to cover the companies which make soccer happen at the lower league levels – this week we wanted to look into how players and coaches track their progress and help to move that on, visually, to bigger clubs or leagues who might be looking for that diamond in the rough. We reached out to Jeff Batt of Legend Sports Video to learn more about his business and uncover the process of displaying soccer talent.

Who started Legend Sports Video and what's the mission of the business?

I started Legend Sports Video in 2015 to try and make HD elevated game film and editing more affordable and accessible for; school and club soccer teams in all areas. Benefitting; players, parents, coaches, fans and scouts along the way. Legend Highlights have assisted players on scholarships, pro-contracts and national team call-ups. 

I met you through covering PDX FC, a lower league soccer team in Oregon, but what other teams, or sports, do you cover?

We're focusing on soccer at the moment. Video is most important in scouting soccer, because its less data driven than other sports, and more about just seeing how a player touches the ball, in a game.

What services do you provide and how far are you willing to travel to help players or teams capture the action?

We film games, distribute video online and create highlights and clips for coaching and scouting. We're willing to go anywhere to watch a good game. 

How are you getting on during the shutdown? Are there still services you can provide despite there being no live sports?

We're actually doing ok during the shutdown. While we're not filming as many games, there's a surge in demand for video editing and highlights clips production. It's a challenge to edit your own highlight video because it's time consuming and difficult to not be subjective about your performance. We've found just by editing player's DIY highlight's we can greatly increase the first impression they'll make on coaches and scouts.

Once we all get back on track, what does the future look like for Legend? If folks are interested in getting in touch, what is the best way to contact you?

The future is bright for Legend. We're in the process of planning the first ever All-State Showcase Game between Washington and Oregon. It will be streamed live online and on TV this summer. The game will focus on highlighting High School and Junior College accomplishments in the Pacific Northwest and will be a historic event. I think people will be really surprised at the quality of play on display, there is A LOT of talent in this region. There will be a breakout moment for someone, you won't want to miss it. Look for details soon on www.legendsportsvideo.com or follow us on Twitter @legendsportvid.

Best way to contact us is email jeff@legendsportsvideo.com or you can go to our website and fill out a player card or order form and we'll get in touch.

Check out all our highlight videos on Legend Sports Video - Youtube Channel. It's a great resource for coaches and scouts, looking for undervalued talent in the region. As well as young players looking to improve their understanding of the game. I always learn something new each season from these guys and gals. It's incredible to watch players grow and improve as the season goes on. I'll be sharing some more of my thoughts about this in a new series of narrated highlights, coming soon, so be sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel. 

NPSL Announces Launch of VPG eNPSL

With the cancellation of the 2020 season, the NPSL has announced the launch of an eLeague to help supply NPSL fans with a soccer fix. In a press release today, the league laid out the format for the new league. The tournament will be 11v11 style on the FIFA Pro Clubs platform. The inclusion of VPG, a big name in the industry, certainly lends credibility to the new eLeague.

“The NPSL is excited to enter the esports market for the first time,” NPSL Managing Director Cindy Spera said. “The VPG eNPSL will be a great way to bring our community members together for friendly competition on a virtual pitch.  This will also be an opportunity to take the NPSL brand beyond our traditional boundaries and into new households across the country.”

“It’s fantastic to see the NPSL getting involved in the 11v11 FIFA esports,” Virtual Pro Gaming CEO Arron Dellosa said. “All of the teams entering into this will benefit massively as football has been postponed around the world.  Many fans and gamers will enjoy watching the content created from FIFA 11v11.  I am looking forward to getting this started.”

So far 8 clubs have signed up to participate: Atlantic City FC, Central Florida Panthers SC, Denton Diablos FC, Duluth FC, Fort Worth Vaqueros, Milwaukee Torrent, Muskegon Risers, and Ozark FC. We spoke with Damon Gochneaur about his club, Denton Diablos, participating in the competition. “The Diablos are excited to continue to grow the beautiful game, and one way or another, find a way to play soccer. The 11v11 format will provide an exciting format that will embody the spirit of the game. But most importantly, one way or another, we’re excited to face off in the first ever online Chisholm Trail Clasico against the Fort Worth Vaqueros.”

The schedule of the competition has yet to be announced, but the league did roll out a slick new logo for the league. Won’t lie, it’s pretty awesome. When we know more about the specifics of the league, we’ll pass them to you.

- Dan Vaughn

Old Man Yells at Sky: When Does This End Edition

No, I’m not saying I want to leave my house and hang out with several thousand people at a time. It would just be nice to have things be normal for a minute - regular schedule, wife at work, kid at daycare, etc etc. And maybe just a moment to not WORRY about this damn virus. It’s a constant pressure in everything you do. Even today, I was talking to my neighbor in my backyard over the fence. I kept my distance, but his dog kept barking so he asked me to let the dog sniff me. I felt like I was risking my life just approaching the dude. Held my breath and let his dog smell my hand before scurrying back and away to safety. So yeah, maybe a moment of peace of mind.

Yeah, right, we’ve got a long way to go.

1. Ending this thing early is going to end badly. Mark my words. It is a mistake to end our stay at home, social distancing approach too early. Right now is way too fucking early. It’s like not taking your antibiotics because you took three days and feel better. FINISH THE COURSE!

2. Podcasting is having a hayday. Do you know some of the big names we’ve landed in the last couple of weeks? It’s nuts. It’s like they have nothing else to do. HA! But yeah, I guess this isn’t a complaint as much as a wonderful byproduct of the world being super shitty at the moment.

3. It’s hard to keep things rolling during pandemics. I don’t know about the rest of you, but when this thing kicked off, I talked about writing a novel, making a youtube channel, reading 20 books. Sky was the limit. And now I sit on the couch and get bored playing Animal Crossing. I really think we all need to cut ourselves some slack, but also SNAP OUT OF IT. Get up, start that project, do the thing. And if you don’t make it off the couch, do it tomorrow! The worst thing any of us can do is heap guilt on not doing enough when life is so unbearable. BUT DO IT!

4. LIGA MX suspending promotion/relegation, WTF. Hard not to feel like MLS is inspiring a bunch of rich fucks to take advantage of bad times to do shitty stuff. I really wish their federation would stop allowing this to go through, but it’s a hard thing to say that when we live in a country with USSF. Mismanagement is what we do!

5. Go-to snacks. I’m sure we’re all snacking a lot now. I certainly am. I try not to go too HAM, but there’s not much to distract me…so food. I’m mostly a cereal guy. I like the mix of crunchy, sweet, plus dairy. I’m for that. Top cereals: Golden Grahams, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes. I don’t like chocolate cereal, that shit is nasty. Curious which are your go-tos.

6. Isn’t Twitter crazy? I know some of you don’t use Twitter as much as I do (because I’m on this thing all the time), but it’s such an interesting way to get in contact with people you wouldn’t normally talk to. It’s wild. I sort of love it. And, in retrospect, I hate Facebook with a passion. Stupid site, run badly, super intrusive and not for me. I have one for family and that’s it. Twitter levels the playing field.

7. eSoccer, huh? So that’s a thing now I guess. And yes, I know we sponsored a tournament, but it’s not really my cup of tea. I even got approached to play in one. That would be have been a shit show of epic proportions. I’m watching people who play every day getting blown out 12-0. Nope, no thank you. Reminds me of on time I played with a coworker of mine who was 15 years my junior. After going up by 10, he dribbled the ball out with his keeper and scored a goal on me. Not cool, man.

8. Music Recommendation: James Brown - “Get on the Good Foot”
   One thing I’ve learned at work is that kids don’t listen to music like I do. They are missing out. Watch this video of an absolute badass James Brown crushing this performance.

My Best Ten and Me: Tommy Hodul

We sat down and asked Co-Founder and Director of PR/Comms for Oakland Roots,Tommy Hodul, to pick an ideal formation and select ten players he’d most like to play alongside. There were two caveats:

1. You are the Player/Manager and you have to plug yourself in

2. Any player selected must have been active in your lifetime…

My preferred formation is a 4-4-2 with one attacker that likes to drop deeper into Midfield in transition. I enjoy a 4-4-2 the most because I believe it is the formation that does the most to balance the skill level on the field. I like to give examples of the organizational shape of Leicester title run and Atletico Madrid when they won it. While both featured some great players neither had the best team in the league on paper the years they won. What took them over the top was an organized defensive shape and strong counter-attacks.

GK: Myself Since we are supposed to be player-managers. This was the position I played most of my life.

LB: Leighton Baines The definition of a pro’s pro. Someone who can deliver 10 assists a season from defense and will do anything for the crest he plays for.

CB: David Unsworth Part of the last Everton team to win a major trophy. Along with a player coming up Unsworth defines being an Evertonian. You can tell what the club means to him every time he speaks about it.

CB: Phil Jagielka One of the most liked players anywhere around. Phil scored the penalty to send Everton to the 2009 FA Cup final one of my best soccer memories ever. 

RB: Ali Krieger One of the nicest people off the field who turns into a beast when on it. AK has long been my favorite player in the game man or woman.

LW: Clint Dempsey Defines the way Americans used to play with the underdog grit. Also, I named my Dog Dempsey so I couldn’t leave him off the list.

John O’Brien, playing for Ajax.

CM: John O’Brien The 2002 World Cup played a big roll in me following in love with the game, I’ll never forget John’s goal. As well he lives in Oakland now and we see each other at Soccer Without Borders events regularly and he is just the nicest guy out there. 

CM: Mikel Arteta Let’s just say it would be a dream come true to see Everton land half as dominant a center midfielder again. What a special player he was and I think will become a great manager.

RW: Landon Donovan Again 2002 World Cup was huge for me and Landon’s goal vs Mexico was the biggest. As well his two short stints at Everton were magical for this American Toffee.

CF: Brian McBride My favorite player growing up and while he only played for Everton briefly, he was the reason I started following the club.

CF: Tim Cahill That man who would do anything for Everton. Defines what the club has been missing since he left. Nothing like a Cahill goal vs Liverpool.

Business Spotlight: Fly It Flags

Continuing with our look around at the companies which help grassroots soccer look good, we came across Fly It Flags – Michael Juszczak, the sales representative I’ve had the good fortune to work with on a few projects, was able to answer my questions and tell us all about the custom flag making company in our latest Business Spotlight.

When was Fly-it-Flags founded and what was the original vision of the business? What products did you start with? 

Fly-It Flags was founded in 2017. This is all started because of a men's soccer league in Buffalo called the Buffalo District Soccer League which is one of the biggest men's amateur leagues in the country with around 80 teams every year with 6 different divisions. I run a team called Pendleton United FC, and made flags for my team since we are all big soccer fans. Other teams saw the flags and majority of teams wanted flags, which was our only product at the time in any size, so I made them all flags for their teams. This made me think, if the demand for flags is so high in this, I should start a business with it. I have been growing every year, and appreciate all the support from all our customers so I can live out my dream of making this bigger every year. 

Who was the first soccer team you did personalized products for; a local youth team, a lower league soccer team, or maybe a college program? Have there been any requests which you added specifically for a soccer client? 

Continuing on from question one, the first people I made flags for was my team, Pendleton United FC, but my first big customer was the whole Buffalo District Soccer League itself. Without them and their outstanding participation, Fly-It Flags wouldn't be a thing. Some soccer clients have been really interested in the starting 11 crests you see professional teams use for their team pictures before games and soccer scarves which we have added as well. We really can accommodate anything custom, so we usually meet the demand of our customers.

I've seen a few examples of soccer jerseys made by Fly-it-Flags; do you have in-house designers or do clubs have to have an idea of what they want beforehand? Sublimation seems pretty dynamic, can interested teams approach you with any design they have in mind? 

The past two years all our jerseys have had set designs and we would print anything on the jerseys like logos, sponsors, names, and numbers anywhere on the jersey where the customer wanted. This year we added dye sublimation jerseys which allows us to fully customize any jersey with any design imaginable. We work with our customers and our design team in house to make it happen exactly how the customer envisions it. 

Nearly every soccer league in the country has been put on hold, some may not be able to buy full uniforms right now, but what other promotional, lower price-point items do you sell?

Some teams are still gearing up for the season by buying jerseys because if there is no season some of the players like to have the jersey to use in our Buffalo indoor leagues or out with friends. Some lower price items we sell are the starting 11 pennants, car flags, and any size flag.

Are there any new items you're considering? Patches, charms, labels? What do we have to look forward to from Fly-it-Flags?

I would like to enhance some of the products we can print on like metal signs which could be hung to promote something or hung inside a house or man cave. As we move forward you can expect Fly-It Flags to continue great work and meet any demand the customer is looking for product and design wise. One of our biggest assets is being able to redraw any logo. If it is bad quality, we can bring it back to life by the work of our design team which is very beneficial for social media and printing purposes. We appreciate all the support as we continue to grow!

Check out Fly-it-Flags here:  https://www.flyitflags.com/

- Joshua Duder

Business Spotlight: Sticker Mule

Trading and circulating stickers has become a sport unto its own in grassroots soccer. Any soccer club aspiring to promote itself at a fairly inexpensive rate will go get 50 or 100 three-inch stickers printed and swap them with fellow clubs or even potential new fans. Chief among the companies working with these lower league soccer teams has been Stickermule. In keeping with our latest goal to research and promote businesses on the periphery of what we love, and basically to find out more about a company even we use regularly, we reached out to Stickermule to get stuck-into their penchant for producing promotional products.

When were you founded and what was the original vision of the company? Has that mission changed since then?

Sticker Mule was founded in 2010. Our founders created Sticker Mule to be the best place to work and shop. That means making ordering fast, simple and fun while creating a stable, low stress and enjoyable place for talented people to work.

The name is Stickermule... not Polybagmule, Charmsmule, or Coastersmule - when did Stickermule start adding new products? What's the thinking behind the diversity?

Great question! Sticker Mule was born out of frustration. No one treated customers or employees as good as we felt was possible. We wanted to do better and set out to build the best way to shop and work. Mules are known for their work ethic which was the inspiration behind the name.

Originally, we planned on launching a different site for each product line, but thanks to our customers the Sticker Mule brand got so strong that we decided to introduce all of the products through Sticker Mule. The diversity of products is based on customer feedback. I don't recall the exact date, but introducing products like magnets, buttons, labels, and packaging options were excellent compliments to our existing lines.

Stickermule CEO Anthony Constantino in the sprawling warehouse (photo: The Daily Gazette News)

I recently added some mule sauce to my omelet and it kicks! However, unlike all the other products, this doesn't fall in the same category - what's the story behind it?

Truth be told, we never set out to be in the hot sauce​​ business. Our CEO, Anthony Constantino does a lot of creative community events in his hometown of Amsterdam, NY. A few years ago, he decided to host "Free Burger Day" for the city and gave away 10,000 free burgers! The team was experimenting with creating different sauces, most of which were mayonnaise-based when someone suggested creating a hot sauce. From there, Mule Sauce was born!

You regularly offer amazing deals and have quickly become a major part of startup businesses' marketing and promotion plans; at what point did you realize how many grassroots soccer clubs make stickers through you and that Stickermule has become an integral part of them telling their business story?

One of our favorite things to do is to walk through the factory and see what's printing. It's a unique experience and made us realize how diverse our customer base is. It was probably 3 or 4 years ago that I noticed more soccer-related orders coming through .

Stickermule offers an incredibly diverse range of stickers, labels, coasters, buttons and more

Now you're doing even more, can you explain how Stickermule is helping during these uncertain times? What services are you offering to help fight the coronavirus?

We retooled our business to focus on essential services support during the COVID-19 crisis. We have removed all non-essential products from our site for the time being and focus on labels and packaging for food, beverage, medical, pharmacy, cleaning, and sanitizing industries. We're also working on more products (masks/hand sanitizer) we can make to help.

What's next for Stickermule? Any new products you want to allude to? If people have ideas for new products, how do they let you know?

We have a roadmap full of promising products. We recently launched Redraw​​ which allows users to upgrade any image to a high resolution, vector graphic for $29! We're always open to new ideas and suggestions! You can recommend and vote for improvements here​​.

All in the family – the warehouse which homes Stickermule was converted from Noteworthy Industries, the family business founded in 1954. (Photo: The Daily Gazette News)

- Joshua Duder

Old Man Yells at Sky: Pandemic Edition

Won’t sugar coat it, everything sort of sucks right now. Pandemic, economy crashing, soccer cancelled, distractions super limited - not the best time. Anyway, let’s do this.

1. This whole thing sucks. Like worse than anything I’ve lived through. Probably worse than anything you’ve lived through. I can’t spin it, it sucks. Especially for people on the East Coast. Shit is ugly in New York. Survive people, just survive.

2. Things have been worse. I know you know this, but things have been worse even for your parents and grandparents. Consider if you were a gay person in the late 70s and early 80s, AIDS was a death sentence. And it killed swaths of people. And the government turned a blind eye to the whole thing. Even laughed at it publicly. Economy has tanked worse than this before (maybe not in raw numbers, but certainly in effect). Yes, there are a lot of people out of work, but I still have SOME hope that the government will do something to help. And we’re thankfully not at war for the moment. Generations of young men died in Europe fighting Nazis. And many thousands have died in the more recent wars in the Middle East. Yes, it sucks, fucking bad, but it’s been worse.

3. We’re putting out mass podcasts. If you know anything about our podcasts, we’re spotty. But not since this shit hit the fan. We’ve put out 2-3 podcasts a week for a month now. Get on it.

4. The English Game is good, watch it. I know there’s not enough soccer in the show, but what did you expect, 90 minute episodes of 1881 FA matches? It’s good stuff, especially if you enjoy old period dramas. And the soccer history is close enough to accurate that you’ll enjoy it. Might even learn a bit, I certainly did. I’d suggest watching it two episodes at a time and then check out our Having a Pie podcast. We broke the show down entirely, episode by episode. Good stuff.

5. Politics still sucks. Doesn’t matter who you vote for, things may have never been worse. While I definitely don’t trust one side, I’m without confidence in the other. There’s a leadership void and the country is suffering because of it.

6. Anyone get the weird juxtaposition of great weather and shitty virus? - Weather where I live has been pretty great and it’s so weird to feel the sense of dread when I leave the house when I look around and see a sunny, mild day, birds singing and flowers blooming. It’s ridiculous and a little surreal. It does offer you the chance to take a moment and breathe. Just look around and feel good that we live in a beautiful world, full of amazing things, and yes, shit sucks right now, but it’s not forever. Breathe.

7. Music recommendation - John Prine - Died last week from COVID19 complications. He was a great songwriter, but he died, along with thousands of others. Remember him, just for a moment. His Tiny Desk concert is wonderful.

Business Spotlight: Skadi Soccer

With no soccer happening at any level right now, we wanted to shift some of our focus to the companies who help to make soccer happen during the regular times. Skadi soccer is fairly new to the grassroots scene here in the US and Canada too – this francophone entreprise de foot is looking to break into the market with original designs at respectable price points. We reached out to hear more about what their plans were before the Covid-19 shutdown and where they’re going once we’re all back online. Entrepreneur Antony de Varennes was kind enough to walk me through his plans.

When was your company founded and what gave you the impetus to get started? Is there are story behind your brand name - what does it mean?

To talk a little about my history around soccer, for the past few years I have been one of the chief editors for Culture Soccer, a French-speaking website, and I am more specifically in charge of the lower division category of the site. I officially founded Skadi Soccer a month ago. I started this project to unite my two biggest passions: Design and Soccer. Before launching my project, I was looking for a name and a logo that would make my brand unique. I also wanted a name that referred to the North, since I'm Canadian. So, I did some research in Nordic mythology and the name Skadi came up. I immediately liked the name and it referred to a mountain goddess. The logo came later.

Who is your target clientele? We've seen your work with NorthPen FC, what other soccer/football clubs have you worked with?

First of all, my target clientele is the lower division clubs whether amateur or semi-pro. My main goal is that each club have the opportunity to have a unique uniform without spending huge amounts of money. Every club has the right and should wear uniforms that represent them perfectly. For now, I have collaborated with a Quebec senior team, Bandjos FC, a few clubs from the Dairy Cup in Utah, Saratoga Springs or MOAB Nomads, and some others. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has put a little pause in the project, but my subscribers will still have content.

Skadi honing their skills by laying out an entire leagues worth of shirts!

We caught a rumor that you landed an entire league? How many sides are involved? Are you designing the kits as well as manufacturing?

First of all, I would like to make it clear that this is not a real league, but a project that I am launching in order to remain active despite the events that are taking place at the moment. So, I have started a "league" that will be based in Eastern Canada. Starting the week of March 30th, every three days, I will be announcing a club with its jersey. If the demand is strong enough, some may eventually be produced. 

Do you help produce or design any other products? If not, do you have it on your radar to add a few things to your catalog?

At the moment I'm only making uniforms, but I'm open to anything depending on club demand. It will be possible in the future to produce everything a club needs in terms of sportswear like joggings, jackets, hoodies and more. 

Complete kits recently designed for new Washingtonian side NorthPen FC.

Where do you see Skadi in a few years? What will be the sign that you've "made it?" 

In a few years, I see Skadi Soccer helping several amateur or semi-pro clubs. Whether in Canada or in the USA, I want my brand to be more and more present. However, I would also like to break into the professional world if the opportunities allow me to do so. So, I think the sign that I've "made it" will be if an American or Canadian club of 2nd or 3rd division approaches me or agrees to work with me. Even though I'm mainly targeting amateurs and semi-professionals, collaborating with a big club would be a great accomplishment.

How can interested clubs or owners contact you? Do you have an online catalog to look through?

The best way to contact me is by email at skadisoccer@gmail.com . Otherwise I am available at any time on my social networks, i.e. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@SkadiSoccer). Also, it will be soon possible to contact me and see my catalog via my website, but it is currently being developed.

Including Non-English Speakers in the Conversation

There has been a fundamental problem in most of American soccer for years. It hasn’t been corrected and continues to plague the American version of the game. It’s the lack of connection to a massive section of this country’s soccer fan/talent base – Spanish-speaking soccer players, typically of Mexican-American descent. It’s a blind spot incomparable in professional sports, because, on average, Latin American immigrants and their children, are overwhelmingly soccer fans. The love soccer is a key aspect to their heritage and social identity, yet the American leagues, broadcasts, and even the federation, have ignored this significant part of the country.

So it’s thrilling to see one of the amatuer leagues we cover begin to step up in a real way. Earlier this year, I began to notice that all of the press releases from the UPSL were coming in both Spanish and English, as separate emails. So I reached out to Dennis Pope, Communications Director for the UPSL, to learn more about it.

---

So can you discuss the new approach we've seen from the UPSL providing spanish language press releases? What sparked it and when did you implement it?

Not much to discuss, really. There was a clear need to do it, going back to before 2019 even, and so I made sure the Management Team brain-stormed it in January during the UPSL's Annual General Meeting at the USC Convention in Baltimore. We first implemented in late February with the announcement of the UPSL MVP and All-UPSL teams.

How does that work? Do you have an inhouse translator?

We go outside for the translation. There's a number of good options available, but we've made a good relationship with a translator using a third-party app.

 While the UPSLenespanol twitter account exists, it's pretty sparse. Any thoughts or plans  on building up the spanish social media?

That's part of the initiative moving forward. We're currently looking for the right candidate to run that account while adding an UPSLespanol Instagram account. 

Do you think there's a significant market for non English content?

There's a MASSIVE market for non-English content. Southern California, the Southwest, Texas, Florida are all brimming with Spanish speakers looking for native content about the UPSL. It's our job, as a league and a league communications department, to support that as best we can with the resources we have available. 

---

It’s thrilling to see a league taking the right steps in growing their appeal and connection into a market ignored by everyone else, even the federation! The UPSL deserves massive props for doing this and it certainly sparks hope that others will follow their lead and begin to focus on the Spanish-speaking audience that’s hungry for soccer.

On a side note, expect something similar from our site soon.

- Dan Vaughn

UPSL Delays Spring Season

In a statement released today, Yan Skwara, UPSL Commissioner confirmed that the Spring season will be delayed until May 2nd. This announcement comes as the other national men’s amateur league, NPSL, is preparing to cancel their 2020 season entirely.

From the league statement:

“…we are now proposing to kickoff play the weekend of May 2nd. We will push back the National Finals weekend to August 15th/16th. These changes still allow a total of 11 weekends in which to schedule a regular season of at least 10 games and hopefully more. This also allows several weekends for play-offs and a one weekend break before the National Finals weekend.

We recognize that some teams in CA and FL have already played a game. Those results will stand. For some conferences this change will require a bit of tweaking to the originally planned schedules. We do appreciate your understanding and willingness to adjust accordingly at this time. Your conference or division manager will be in touch to address any schedule changes.  

Without wanting to be pessimistic, we also have a plan B which would still allow a spring season to be played, even if it needed to be shortened. If necessary we are willing to push the National Finals to Labor Day weekend which would buy 3 extra weeks. We will address that possibility only if it becomes necessary.

Finally, it goes without saying that these plans are subject to the lifting of any restrictions currently in place, particularly those regarding public gatherings as well as any mandates from our governing body. Please note that the player insurance coverage is dependent upon the activity being sanctioned by the USASA.”

For the full announcement, here’s the link.

Breaking: NPSL to Cancel 2020 Season

This story is developing and will be updated as news becomes public.

First reported by Michael Lewis, of Front Row Soccer, the NPSL is cancelling the 2020 season due to the pandemic gripping the nation. Lewis cites an unnamed source for his information.

When we reached out the NPSL, we spoke with a league official who, off the record, indicated this was correct and to expect a statement from the league tomorrow around noon. We also reached out to NPSL club owner who informed us that the league had been waiting for a call from the USASA and speculated that the governing body may have made the final decision. If that is the case, we can expect a lot more leagues to be closing up shop for the year.

Updated 3:43MT

Protagonist Soccer has received an enteral email distributed to league clubs regarding the cancellation of the 2020 NPSL Season. The message is from Kenneth Farrell, NPSL Chairman. The email includes the core reasoning behind the decision to cancel the season:

“Earlier this week, USASA has extended its ban on soccer activity until April 30, and the CDC last week has recommended there be no group activities for eight weeks, which coordinates with May 10. Given these circumstances, the 2020 NPSL summer season, under its current competition structure, has been cancelled.  This decision was made unanimously by our Board of Directors…This action was not taken lightly.  Over the past few weeks, we have spoken to many of our teams and to our affiliate organizations.  As you can imagine, every situation is different and has its own set of circumstances.  We are balancing the immediate needs of our teams, and ensuring that we have a successful, thriving league for years to come.”

That decision by the USASA can be found here.

More news when we have it.

- Dan Vaughn

CAFF and CONIFA - An Alternative to National Team Nonsense

In October of 2019 the Western Washington Premier League, a regional league in the state of Washington, announced its direct affiliation with the Cascadia Association Football Federation (CAFF). While CAFF was conceptualized as early as 2011, with fan-designed badges and kits emerging in 2012, the concept took a step towards organization in 2013 when interested members held a general meeting, elected a board of directors, and ratified bylaws. Anybody who lives in the bioregion known as Cascadia has at least heard the word, and probably could tell you a thing or two about where and what it encompasses; however, few outside of the Pacific Northwest could accurately speak on the subject.

The conversation on bioregionalism and the environmental movement could take us far away from the topic of soccer in the Pacific Northwest, but getting an overview on the topic of Cascadia will help us understand why a soccer federation was established. Conceptually, Cascadia stretches beyond conventional borders and includes stretches of Canadian British Columbia, Washington State, Oregon, and in some descriptions, it can include portions of Northern California, the Yukon, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming. “A bioregion is defined in terms of the unique overall pattern of natural characteristics that are found in a specific place.” However, depending the lens with which one is looking at a region, those borders are dynamic.

The supporter-created and staunchly maintained Cascadia Cup.

In the case of soccer, the focus of Cascadia largely includes BC, Washington, and Oregon – the idea of Cascadia as a soccer-specific territory was promulgated by the supporter groups of its largest soccer teams: (In alphabetical order) Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps. These vociferous and socially active organizations are not only responsible for tethering the love of their home to supporting their local soccer teams, regardless of league, but they created the first North American fan-run rivalry-specific table and trophy, The Cascadia Cup. They are activists inside as well as outside the stadium and the primary protagonists in the founding of a Cascadian-specific soccer team.

In 2013, shortly after the 2012 London Olympics, CAFF became organized and sent a representative to submit an application and to plead their case to the CONIFA board to be admitted to the international organization. CONIFA, the Confederation of Independent Football Associations, was itself founded in 2013 with the intent to bring non-FIFA sanctioned diasporas or underfunded nations together in the name of soccer. The qualifications for admittance include: ethnic or linguistic minority, indigenous group, cultural organization or territory which is not directly represented by a member of FIFA. Cascadia is joined in its unique status as an unrepresented nation and people in North America with Montreal and Hawai’i, both of which also have membership status in CONIFA. Though the specific circumstances behind every member of CONIFA is going to vary, the concept is that under-represented or diasporas of ethnic and linguistic minorities can come together to celebrate soccer, just at their larger FIFA-sanctioned neighbors do.

The squad representing CAFF in the 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup (Photo: CAFF via Facebook)

Though CAFF, and its respective FA, CONIFA, are relatively young they are absolutely essential in fighting the power consolidation and crippling corruptness so openly displayed by both US Soccer and by FIFA. These larger organizations flaunt their misogyny and disinterest in equity with reductive announcements about female athletes and a casual dismissal of rampant racism within the borders of their own member nations. Meanwhile, the base of organizations like CAFF openly fight against racism and gender inequality. Soccer has a long history of bringing together those that organize against tyranny, oppression, and wielding control for economic gain – it takes supporters of independent soccer to view something like CONIFA in the same light that they would look at grassroots soccer; full of its own shortcomings, but genuinely trying to make soccer available to all on a shoestring budget.

One of the shortcomings of CAFF, in its brief existence, has been its filling the roster with willing players from abroad instead of with players directly plucked from the ranks in its very own defined borders. Though an argument could be made for each player who started for Cascadia during its participation in the 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup and the federation’s subsequent friendly versus Darfur in Kent, Washington. Firstly, the Cascadian federation isn’t totally loaded with expendable cash and it’s far less expensive to hunt down players in England with roots to the Pacific Northwest of US to play in a series of international matches based in London. Secondly, you have to start somewhere – case in point is the exhibition CAFF hosted in July, 2019, where the majority of players came from the college and regional league ranks of Washington.

July 27, 2019 – Cascadia hosted Darfur in Kent, Washington in a CONIFA int’l exhibition (Photo by Paul Kahl, via PROSTAMERIKA.com)

The future of CONIFA and CAFF is busy, with upcoming matches at the Southern Frontier Cup in Surrey, England this May as well as the 2020 CONIFA World Football Cup in North Macedonia through June; the 10th ranked men’s team will be playing loads of soccer in the early summer. Additionally, Cascadia may be releasing a colorful addition to its pantheon of custom kits – just in time for those summer international matches. The hope is, that through their recently agreed upon affiliation with the WWPL, those brilliant new shirts will be worn by natives of the Pacific Northwest, plucked from the teams associated with the regional league – but be patient with them and understand their finances. It costs a lot to send a whole team of local lads around the world and significantly less to recruit European-based players with Cascadian ties to travel a third of the distance or less. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to buy one of their new kits when its released, to put some money in the coffers.

Another reason to consider buying shirts and scarves from CAFF is to help fund a proposed addition to the federation. CONIFA’s first ever women’s match was a friendly between Kibis Türk FF and FA Sápmi, which was played in Northern Cyprus on November 10th 2018. Since then CONIFA have added Kelly Lindsey as its Director of Women’s Football and she’s determined to host a Women’s World Football Cup as soon as possible. Kelly has created a solid, six core values and functions plan with the intent to recruit and incorporate a strategic team of women leaders “who would positively challenge, disrupt and transform the way the world looks at women’s sport, women’s football – in my mind – the ‘women’s’ game globally, that encompasses women, across all sectors, at all ages.” It would absolutely glorious to see Cascadia join the ranks of the women’s teams joining CONIFA and be leaders in giving women the respect and recognition they deserve which FIFA and US Soccer fail to recognize.

The first ever CONIFA women’s match was in November of 2018, here’s to hoping its one of many more to come and a catalyst for a CONIFA Women’s World Football Cup

Lower League eCup

With no sports and specifically no soccer, what is there to do with our time? Well, I spoke with Joe Meyer, who is setting up the Lower League E-Cup, a FIFA 20 competition to help fill the soccer void we are currently in. Meyer says that he “thought that this would be a good way for lower league soccer to come together and help pass the time until the leagues can resume” and that “it will allow supporters and clubs from across the country to square off that wouldn't normally be able to.”

According to Meyer, the league is “designed for supporters of lower league clubs” but is also open to “any players, owners, etc. who would like to get involved” and more specifically “representatives from clubs in NISA or any amateur, semi-pro, or women’s league.”

Each real-life lower league side can have one representative in the PS4 and Xbox leagues, but can change their representative each week. A PC league may be being added, but at the moment it is too early to tell if there will be enough interest. Meyer does ask that if a lower league side has a supporters group that the representative come from the supporter’s group rather than directly from the club. Meyer’s said two-players representing a side in a single match is also going to be allowed.

The league will consist of a four to five match group stage followed by a knockout stage that will be played across two back-to-back legs to find a winner. With this, the potential is there to start as early as next week having one match for each team per week all the way up to a final in mid-May, around the time of the end of the CDC’s current recommendation of 8 weeks of no public gatherings.

 When asking Meyer about how which teams will be used will be decided he explained the following: “Two options, I’ll leave it up to a vote. Either way, it will be on online friendly mode, not ultimate team. One option is that representatives will either select a club from the 3rd or 4th division from England or Germany. The other option is to use the option on FIFA20 friendlies that gives each team an 85 overall rating. This would allow supporters to play with clubs that have a connection to their club like FC St. Pauli, Union Berlin, Wolfsburg, Fiorentina, etc. Either way, we’ll ask each supporters group/club to stay with the same club for the entire tournament.”

If you are interested in competing, reach out to the league on Twitter (@lowerleagueEcup) and try to find a club to represent.

And if you either do not have FIFA 20 or are not much of a gamer, do not worry. The league plans to “work with our players to make sure we stream as many matches as possible,” so there will be some sort of lower league soccer for everyone to watch and support throughout the spring.

No matter whether you plan to take part or simply watch the event, it is exciting to see some form of lower league soccer return to our screens during this crazy time, even if it is a digital version.

- Aarik Long

Note: This week, Protagonist Soccer stepped in as a sponsor for the league.

Salvatore Piraine: Taking DCFC Into Uncharted Waters

Last year, with some fanfare, Detroit City FC announced major plans for the future and a brand new club expansion. After 8 years of playing men’s soccer in multiple leagues (NPSL, NISA), the rouge and gold are entering new territory by rolling out a women’s side into the United Women’s Soccer. The club is known for having talented sides and supporters as notorious as any player on the field. As the kickoff to the next UWS season approaches, we sat down with head coach Salvatore Piraine to discuss how he’s preparing his club for their first season in a new league.

---

You've been coaching since 2002, can you talk about the path that brought you to Detroit City FC? 

I have been coaching for a while now, and I would say in the last 10 years I have not only coached in the youth game, but also with some men’s amateur teams over the summers.  So the level of summer "Semi-pro" summer ball is something that helped me get to this point.. The relationship now with Detroit City FC and the youth affiliates has also helped with the working relationship we have created.

DCFC has a strong track record for sustainable growth, what made the time right for a WOSO side?

Couple things that I think has made this the right time for the club to add a UWS side. The level of soccer for females has grown within the UWS and the state of Michigan, along with the strong support of the female side of our youth affiliates made it a no brainer to put out a women's team to compete. 

Do you feel extra pressure to succeed because of the DCFC brand?

I wouldn't say that I feel pressure but do expect for us to compete immediately... It is always tough coming into an established division of a league and try to compete immediately but there is no reason why we shouldn't be able to. There will be definite learning moments that we will have being new to the league, but again, expect for us to learn and grow during the season to hopefully be competing in July.

What sort of support do you expect from the Northern Guard?

I feel that we will have massive support for the City faithful just based on the large amount of support we have already received. We had over 1,000 fans at our first ever tryout in January and the support via all social media has been amazing… Super excited!!!

Where are you in the process of staffing and roster building?

I would say that I have my staff in place, with maybe 1 or 2 volunteer opportunities that I am working on. As for the roster, it is a work in progress. Making sure that I am building a team that will buy into the culture we are trying to create. With the season being so short, my goal is to build a side that will work hard for me and each other. It is not necessarily what college you play or have played for, but more of buying in to what we want here at DCFC.

You’re building a roster from local talent, so how did your tryouts go?

We had 67 players turn up for tryouts and the level of play was good. I was able to narrow the number down and currently have a smaller pool of players that I am still looking at.

What are your expectations for season one?

Like mentioned above I would like to compete immediately. The UWS division we are playing in has teams that have challenged for a title so this division is not a walk in the park. I am looking for us to be as competitive as we can, that is all i can ask of the ladies...

The UWS site hasn't been updated yet, but I assume you'll be playing in the Midwest conference, several clubs familiar to DCFC from NPSL competition, plus Detroit Sun. Who do you see as rivals from day one?

Tough to say, I am sure every match will feel like an immediate rivalry but to just name one team, I cannot do.

How will you measure success this season?

I think we will sit at the end and take a look at what we accomplished and from there we will make the necessary changes for the following years if needed. 

A Letter from The Editor Regarding COVID-19

Hey Everyone,

I’m sure most of you are freaked the fuck out with what’s happening across our country. It’s hard to even be online at times, with the amount of bad news that’s hammered into my head every day. Things are going to get a lot darker before they get better. And though some of us will die, most of us (in fact, a large majority) will live. So we need to keep our heads up and keep moving.

We’re a soccer website, so maybe we aren’t the most important part of your online experience, but you are reading this, so we matter at least a little. Last week, when all the dominos began tipping and each league shuttered for the month, I considered shutting the site down. It’s hard to want to write about a sport, when life/death struggles are happening all around us. But maybe that’s why we need to press on. Because it sucks to be online right now, it sucks to have to work (if you have to, trust me, I feel your pain), it sucks to be cooped up at home, life just sucks right now. And maybe an article about your favorite sport or club gives you a tiny bit of light on a cloudy day.

I will warn you, production will slow, but all the writers are dealing with the same crap you are. Some of us are working, but consumed with stress and concern about contracting this virus. Some of us will get sick or deal with a family member getting sick. We’re just like you and when something bad happens, we’ll step away to deal with it. But we’ll work together to try and produce the best soccer content we can during this shitty shitty period of our lives.

I hope at the end of all this, we’re all still standing. And, if we aren’t, we’ll write a great eulogy for whoever we’ve lost. We love so much of the grassroots soccer world - the fans, the players, the clubs, the trolls, the zealots, the anti-MLS people, the pro-MLS people, the Eurosnobs, every single one of you, but, most of all, we love the game. And the game will kick off again soon enough. We just have to ride this out. Stay safe, we aren’t going anywhere.

Dan Vaughn

Editor

Protagonist Soccer

NISA Postpones League Play for 30 Days

In a statement just released from the league:

The National Independent Soccer Association is committed the health and safety of the fans of the League as well as the players, staff members and communities. In light of the issues created by the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019), the League Office and its Board of Governors are suspending the season for the next 30 days effective immediately.

NISA will use this time to monitor this situation in consultation with medical experts and in consideration of the guidelines being put forth by local governments, public health officials and the CDC to determine next steps for moving forward with safe protocol.

We are committed to to being as transparent as possible as this rapidly evolving situation develops and more information becomes available. At the appropriate time, we will provide updates and plans for the continuation of the 2020 Spring Season. We wish everyone health and wellness.

This is a developing story.

COVID-19 Impacts Bugeaters FC

In a statement put out by club chairman Jonathan Collura, Bugeaters FC have decided to cancel club tryouts and are considering cancelling their entire 2020 season.

“In light of the expanding COVID-19 pandemic and escalating situation, we have made the decision to cancel tryouts.  Refunds are being issued to all who signed up. Further, we are evaluating if a season is even possible in 2020 given the timing and potential financial impact on the community.  We are in the key months of preparation and believe this time is needed by all of those involved to focus on safety. We think that this plan is common sense and want all involved to stay safe. Thank you to all of you who support Bugeaters FC.”

This is in line with what is happening all over the sport as multiple leagues, MLS and USL, have decided to delay matches for at least a month and the NBA has cancelled their entire season. What impact the pandemic will have on grassroots soccer and the US Open Cup is unmeasurable so far, but the economic devastation will be severe. Now is a good time to buy a kit or a scarf from your favorite club. Stay safe, everyone.

- Dan Vaughn

For more on the coronavirus pandemic, check out this article from yesterday.

The Risk of Soccer in the Age of COVID-19

Sports and Sickness

News broke today that the NCAA plans to hold its men’s and women’s tournaments without fans present due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The virus, commonly referred to as the Coronavirus, is considered too much of a threat for the NCAA to allow fans to attend the games. NCAA President Mark Emmert’s statement was very specific about the NCAA Board of Governors’ concerns. “I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance. While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”

The announcement from the NCAA came in tandem with an announcement from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine banning spectators from games, specifically the NCAA Men’s tournament kickoff game to be played in Dayton. “The order will be that there cannot be spectators there. There certainly will be people — there will be TV people, there can be radio people there, there can be sports writers, certainly can be the media there. But we’re not going to have the large crowd.” In another statement DeWine was blunt about his perspective - “Ohioans have to understand what the facts are, that any gathering of people in close proximity to each other is dangerous.” DeWine’s announcement is one in a series of large-scale bans being implemented by local municipalities in the face of the rapidly spreading pandemic. Schools across the country have either cancelled classes or moved classes online, in an effort to slow the progress of the disease.

Soccer Reacts

The soccer world in other countries is ramping up their efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19, particularly in Italy, where matches have been played in front of empty seats. La Liga officials made the aggressive decision to suspend the league for the rest of the month, in hopes of the situation coming under control by early April. In the United States, Seattle Sounders, in a state heavily affected by the outbreak, just announced the postponement of their next home game, due to a request from the governor. The USL affiliate of the Sounders, Tacoma Defiance, will play their next match behind closed doors.

So where does that leave the subject of our coverage, the grassroots soccer leagues across the country? We’ve reached out to several of the leagues we cover and only the UPSL has responded officially. A spokesperson for the league gave this statement: “The UPSL is staying flexible but following USASA guidance on this. That said, games are currently scheduled to be played this weekend.” We left a message at the USASA National Office for Duncan Riddle, executive director, but haven’t heard back at the time of publication (should he respond, this article will be updated).

The NPSL, for their part, sent out a memo to their clubs which included a statement from Cindy Spera, NPSL Managing Director, “With the increase of reported CoVid-19 (“coronavirus”) around the country, our main priority is the safety and health of our players, coaches, and staff.  Our 2020 NPSL season has started matches on the West coast, and nationally, our teams are preparing for US Open Cup and holding tryouts and pre-season training sessions.  We would like to recommend that our teams adopt best practices in order to minimize the chance of exposure.” Included with this memo was a list of potential approaches clubs could take to limit risk. While there was a general section on general approaches, there was also a section for soccer specific approaches which included:

• Anyone (player, staff member, coach, etc.) who is feverish should not participate and stay at home.

• Avoid handshakes - use fist bumps or elbow touches with players, coaches, staff, and referees.

• Avoid all spitting - including on the ground as players may come in contact. Coaches should remind players not to spit. 

• Ensure that athletic trainers are prompt to give them extra time to address any concerns. 

• Ensure that trainers have adequate supplies - especially gloves and antibacterial supplies such as sanitizer, alcohol pads, and soap products. 

• Have extra balls on hand.  If a ball goes into the stands, disinfect the ball before putting it back in play.  The home team is advised to wipe down balls with alcohol or disinfectant at half time.

• Suspend autograph signings as it is a risk to pass items back and forth.

• Display attached sign / infographic in your training facility on game day in locker rooms, bathrooms, and food areas.

The sign mentioned in the final item is a sign that MLS created for their clubs. The NPSL received permission to include and post the sign for their players and staff.

MLS-created content.

The Difficult, but Right Path

It seems clear that banning large gatherings of people makes sense, especially when we think of the potential contact each attendee could have in their everyday lives. While most adults and children are relatively safe in the event of infection, there is still a statistical chance of serious illness or death. And for older adults (70+) or those with compromised immune systems, the threat is much more serious and often fatal. No person should ignore the risk to those of our community that could not survive this disease, regardless of their own health. Everyone has a grandmother, grandfather, or some other family member or friend who could run the risk of death, should they become infected with COVID-19.

So should leagues cancel matches or play the matches without a viewing audience? It seems obvious they should do something aggressive, particularly when members of the crowd could run the risk of infecting each other. Obviously in some regional or local leagues, crowds aren’t really a concern, but even the players may run the risk of infection. The virus is still contagious even before symptoms begin to manifest, so a player may not feel sick on matchday even though they could be infecting those around. Luckily, most of the NPSL and UPSL aren’t playing league matches yet, leaving the league the chance to wait and see. However, in those leagues most of California is already up and rolling and NISA is already in Week 3 of action this weekend, with important home openers scheduled in Chattanooga and Detroit in the next couple of weeks, where large crowds should be expected. With streaming via Youtube or Mycujoo easily accessible for their fans to watch the matches, why run the risk of spreading the disease?

Dealing with a public health threat requires concern, intelligence, scientific facts, and a willingness to sacrifice. It seems clear that now is the time to take drastic steps, but rather or not teams and leagues will take those steps remains to be seen. Fans will certainly be opposed to any action that restricts their access to their clubs, but doing what’s best for the weakest in our society is the most important decision any league or organization could make. Either postpone the games or restrict access and stream the matches, it’s the right thing to do at this important moment.

- Dan Vaughn

When we hear back from any official, we’ll update this article.

Dan Watches NISA: Week Two

Each week, I’ll be writing a recap of the NISA matches, give my thoughts on the matches and give a short power ranking of the clubs at the end. All matches were watched on Mycujoo, because I don’t live within 500 miles of any NISA clubs. Matches will be in random order.

Week 2 in the books. Two draws and a win, there’s going to be weeks like this in any league. Certainly hard to match the intensity and excitement of week 1, especially with Chattanooga and DCFC on bye weeks. But we’ll soldier on! Time to look at the matches of week 2.

---

LA Force 1 - Stumptown 1

• A note on officials - Has anyone noticed how many women officials there have been in these matches? Three matches tonight and two of them had head officials that were women and (at least) one had a woman as a side judge. I haven’t heard any specific talk about this from the league and maybe it’s just a coincidence, but this is a great move on the part of the league. Honestly, they should be trumpeting it. And, as my podcast cohost John would say “if you aren’t noticing the officials, they’re doing a good job.” So far so good!

• It’s clear to me that Stumptown is taking the “fire at will” approach early in matches. Long shots, yards outside of the box, are flying in both their matches so far this season. Funny enough their goal this match was more build up play, but they are definitely trying to test the keeper early and often AND from distance.

• Pitch notes - this match had the best looking rug of the evening. Oakland has that patchwork abomination they bought and 1904 FC is playing on a football field. Yikes.

1904 FC 0 - Cal United Strikers FC 0

• There are different kinds of draws. There are the kind where both teams score goals and end up even at the end of the match. There are the kind where the keepers stone their opponents and it ends in a stalemate. Then there are the kind where the viewers are bored out of their minds the entire match…

• Cal United looked flat this match, especially compared to Week 1. Not sure if the hour commute really wore them out, but they looked disinterested and slow, almost as bored as I was watching the match. I kept waiting to see the slick passes and smooth interchange between players of Week 1 and the club looked zombie-like instead. Just not there in the way I expected. They could have won this match and left one on the table. Hope it doesn’t bite them in the ass at the end of the season.

• Oh, but 1904 woke up in extra time. Suddenly all the pressure in the world was coming from San Diego. I guess they were well rested from being so slow and disengaged all match? They looked dangerous and aggressive in the few minutes of extra time, in a way they hadn’t looked the entire match. More of that please, 1904!

Oakland Roots 2 - Michigan Stars 1

• I’ve said it multiple times already, but Stars deserve more points than the goose egg they are sitting on right now. They’ve played long stretches of punishing, patient defense, and each match they’ve conceded and lost the match. You work that hard, you deserve more credit and certainly a point or two.

• Jack McInerney continues to be the most dangerous man in NISA. 8 goals in 8 matches. He could have gotten two more than his lone goal in this match. He had one called back for offsides (debatable) and a second went off the crossbar. I’ll predict it now, barring some crazy matches from another player, JackMac will end the season as the golden boot winner.

• First win for Oakland. Big deal. Glad they didn’t blow it in the final minutes.

• Michigan Stars looked downright threatening in the second half. Scoring chances, good passing, and all without their defense falling apart. I think it might be time to rethink their bunkering strategy and look for something more balanced. They have the attacking talent on the roster, let those horses run.

That’s it for this week. Check out our Protagonist Podcast feed on almost every major podcast outlet, brand new episode of Knights Who Say NISA out Monday night. Every match recapped and broken down by Dan Vaughn and John Howard-Fusco.

- Dan Vaughn

The Only Time We'll Interview a 15-year Old

Shane Kaemerle subbed on for Cal United Strikers FC against Michigan Stars FC two weekends ago. A big moment for anyone, playing for a pro side in a brand new league, but for a 15-year old it’s a life changer. When we heard his story, we had to sit down and talk with him, a boy among men.

So 15, huh? When I was that age, I just played a lot of video games. What electronic games do you waste time on?

I play a lot of FIFA and Fortnite with my friends 

Can you talk about your path through the Cal United system? How long have you been involved with the club?

I have been involved for 7 months. I came out during the summer 3-4 Times a week which transitioned into me practicing full time with the club and now I am where I am

Impressive to see you make your pro debut with Strikers two weeks ago. What was that feeling like, subbing in against Michigan Stars?

It was amazing, I was pretty nervous at the beginning but as soon as I stepped foot on the field all of those nerves went away. 

Speaking of Stars, saw one player get a pretty good tackle against you. Was that your welcome to the pros moment?

Yeah, I think so, he came up to me after the game and told me that was my “welcome to the pros” 

What approach do you take, playing against 20 and 30 year olds?

I definitely have to adapt my game and play quicker because they’re a lot stronger and faster. It’s much different than playing against academy players. 

What do you think of your club's chances in NISA this season?

I think we have a great group of players and a great team and I think we will be bringing home that cup this season. 

What's your relationship like with your fellow Strikers? Anyone mentor you specifically?

My relationship is good with everyone on the team, but Kevin Jeon and Chris Klute have been big mentors for me by giving me pointers and helping me understand the game more. 

What role do you expect to play this season?

I hope to play as many minutes as I can, but my focus is to make it into the 18 each game and work myself into the lineup when they need me. 

What are your long-term goals in soccer?

My long term goal is to go to Europe and fight for a spot there. For now though I am focusing on this goal, with Cal United, to help the team to a championship. 

What music do you listen to hype up before a match?

I listen to mainly rap, Playboy Carty is my jam. 

What's the best part of being a 15 year old pro?

I get to play the sport I love for a living! I don’t have the traditional school experience, but I wouldn’t change that for anything.

How do your parents feel about you playing soccer with adults?

They’re very excited for me. My dad thinks this is the best thing for me right now to be with Cal United and grow my game. He played himself, and so for him to be able to see me grow in this sport right here in my backyard is a huge plus.