Recently, Protagonist Soccer ran a series of twitter polls to determine who had the best lower league soccer badge in the United States for 2019. While there were the obvious entries, one nomination came as a surprise and we need a little explaining. Noah Hughes, founder of Agema FC, who are based in Indiana and will be joining the OVPL gave us some insight and a history lesson too.

When and why were you founded? What does your club's name and badge mean?

The Agema name was founded back in 2016 originally as a small E-sport Organization. My love of E-sports and soccer have always been existent and when I was 17, I created the Agema brand for fun to try to learn more about the world of E-sports. Along the way I have fallen in love with the name and I hopefully have it as a part of my life forever. Our recent tweet describes what an Agema is but to anyone that does not follow our Twitter: An Agema is a term to describe a military detachment, used for a special cause, such as guarding high valued targets. Due to its nature the Agema most probably comprised elite troops. Our logo is a mix of a Greek soldiers and Thor's helmet to give it an updated stylized look.

Some clubs change leagues as they grow - what league are you currently in and do you have any aspirations to move "up" to a higher level?

We plan on one day joining the newly founded OVPL. However, I do play indoor soccer with a group of friends and I (somehow) convinced them to use the name in our next indoor session. After that the sky is the limit of course, NPSL, USL League 2, and up are always a part of a club’s hopes and dreams.

What first started as an e-sports organization, will now take on physical form and compete in the realm of the living.

Some clubs are connected to a youth program which helps cover costs, while other clubs are out there slinging scarves and stickers to get by - how does your club sustain itself?

We plan on releasing Merch in the future. I also am very close with the board of the club I played travel with and I’ve been in contact with them to hopefully create a partnership with that club in the central Indiana region. I also sell items of old board games, trading card games, and more that I would do to self-fund the E-sports aspect.

Pulling together a consistent squad can sometimes prove difficult at the lower levels of soccer - where do you draw your players from and how often do you have to go looking for new players?

Indiana is a gold mine of lost talent that has been skipped on for years. Personally, I have played with and against talent that have more than enough potential. One of the best players from my team who was a Freshman my Junior year of High School ended his HS career with 77 Goals and 38 Assists. The kid is insane and it would be a disgrace that he never gets a shot for higher level soccer. Especially pro. There are many kids just like him from the Indy area and out the outskirts that have more than enough talent to make it. Hopefully one day we will display those players.

What does success look like in 2020? What goals have you set?

Success for me is to keep doing what I’m doing. If I can sell one Kit to a guy that I’ll never meet that is more successful than I can ever dream of. Our online presence with all my E-sport contacts are supporting me along the way. The sky's the limit, am I optimistic as a young 20-year-old? Is it possible for me to fail? Look how many clubs die every year in lower tier soccer. The one thing I’ve learned though, is if you believe you can achieve, it's just how you deal with problems that come in your way are where your real colors show.

Newcomers Agema FC, named for a special ops Greek Soldiers outfit, will take the battle to the Ohio Valley Premier League in 2020.