So who are you and what's your soccer story?

My name is Ben Kurowski and I am the General Manager of Green Bay Voyageurs FC of USL League Two. I never grew up playing soccer but my cousins played collegiately so I was around the game growing up. My fandom really took off during the 2010 World Cup when Green Bay native Jay DeMerit made the USMNT. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and worked in the athletic department. It was there that I had the opportunity to work with Dawn Crow who is the head coach of the women's team. Dawn played at North Carolina alongside Mia Hamm and was part of a class that went 97-1-1, capturing four National Championships in the process.

Can you tell us about the Voyageurs and how it came to be?

The Voyageurs are owned and operated by Big Top Sports & Entertainment, the same group that owns and operates Forward Madison FC in USL League One. The team was announced in October 2018 and we kicked off on May 31, 2019 at the brand new Capital Credit Union Park. Our goals are be community oriented and to bring a high level of spectator soccer to Northeast Wisconsin.

Love your logo/branding, who designed it and what is the story behind the name and crest?

We have to pay a strong compliment to designer Matthew Wolff who has was the designer behind some well known teams, including MLS' LAFC NYFC as well as the Nigerian National Team and PSG. Our name was suggested and voted on by the community. The name Voyageurs pays homage to the french settlers who landed on the Bay in birch bark canoes which is reflected in our crest. One of my favorite elements of our badge is our word mark, which takes inspiration from iconic Wisconsin brand word marks.

What approach does a League 2 side take? What's the focus of the club?

From a technical and soccer side we want to develop college athletes and help them take the next step towards professional soccer. Our focus off the pitch is the be community oriented and be a part of the local soccer community as well. We want to create unique and fun atmosphere for fans.

What has the club done to connect with the local soccer community?

We are always looking for new ways to help the local soccer community as much as we can. One of the ways that we have been able help out is the offer our field to the local clubs for training and games. The weather in Wisconsin has been less than favorable this fall and our turf field has been a great opportunity for the athletes to still get games in before the snow hits.

Green Bay is seen as a football town because of the Packers, is there a place for soccer and have the Voyageurs found it yet?

We as an organization believe that there is a place for the soccer in Green Bay. There are numerous youth clubs and teams and our high school teams have found great success. The sport continues to grow in the area and we are excited to be a part of it. Until 2019 Green Bay did not have a high level of spectator soccer and we are excited to be a part of the growth in the community.

Much is made of the divide between the other amateur leagues and the USL system, how do you see that difference?

With our connections to USL we are solely focused on USL League Two and advancing players to the next level. We know that other amateur leagues look to do the same.

Several clubs have jumped from the NPSL to League 2 this offseason, do you think the level of play is similar and should more clubs consider this type of move?

I believe USL League Two provides an opportunity for athletes to continue the path to professional soccer. USL League Two has a strong reputation of their alumni taking the next step in their careers.There are 201 USL League Two alumni competing in MLS in 2018 and 322 in the USL Championship for a grand total of 523 active alumni. During the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, 61 former USL League Two players were selected by MLS clubs, making up 81 percent of all players chosen in the draft.

What Green Bay players should fans know about?

With our roster being made up of NCAA athletes our team will change from year to year. Looking to this past year brothers Nick and Anthony Markanich of Northern Illinois were featured on the Top-100 players to watch in 2019 and had great success with us in 2019.

Anything else we should know about your club?

We are excited to be back in 2020 and are looking to build upon our success in 2019 and make a playoff push in 2020.