So who are you and how did you get involved with Corktown AFC?

My name is Aaron Roy, and I’m the head coach for Corktown AFC. I previously served three years on the coaching staff for Detroit Sun FC (UWS), and two years with Motor City FC (WPSL). I was slated to take on the Detroit Sun head coaching position this summer. I started recruiting players for the program back in August of 2019 in preparation for the 2020 UWS season. By the end of January, 70+ players and 10 staff members were committed to the program which carried three teams. When the pandemic and its economic strain became a harsh reality for many business owners (including club sponsors and owners), along came uncertainty surrounding clubs being able to fund summer programs. At this point, I made a personal decision to step away from the Detroit Sun. Soon after, I opened up conversations with Eddie Hudson (Corktown AFC owner/founder). He was willing to step into an ownership role and fund a new program, solidifying the promise of summer soccer for the players. And so Corktown AFC was born. The coaching staff and players I had recruited all followed.

Can you explain the name of the club? How about the crest?

Corktown AFC is a club name representative of the Corktown, Detroit community where our stadium grounds are located. The crest contains 3 main elements. First, the Tiger Paw represents the location of our stadium grounds, which were home to our Detroit Tigers, dating back to 1912. Second, the Shamrock represents the Irish heritage of the Corktown community, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood, which was settled by Irish immigrants back in 1834. Lastly, the three orange pillars within the crest represent faith, heart and skill- the three things we lean on when striving for excellence in sport and life.

The UWS has added several clubs in Michigan, can you talk about what makes Michigan such a strong WOSO area?

The strength of the women’s game is a direct result of Michigan having a strong presence in the girl’s youth game, not only at a local level, but on the national stage as well. In part, because of the strong local clubs with rich history. The other reason is that these clubs are full of very talented coaches who put everything they have into teaching these kids. Smack dab in metro-Detroit we have the Michigan Hawks, who are the only girls-specific club in the state. Hoisting up National Championship hardware has become somewhat of an expectation for them, considering their constant success and commitment to excellence. The Hawks DOC Michele Krzisnik is the first woman Director of Coaching in the state, working alongside another very talented, experienced coach, Doug Landefeld. Not too far from them you have two other super talented clubs, Nationals and Vardar, both of which are no strangers to winning national titles. Jeremy Harkins (Nationals) and Demir Muftari (Vardar) are very talented experienced coaches, just to name a couple, in those programs.

How has the pandemic affected your preparations?

It has affected the scheduling of events more than anything. With the social distancing measures in place, we have to keep guessing and rescheduling to dates when we think we may be able to get together to train and play. At this point, we are waiting for our governor and health professionals to let us know when it’s safe to get out there. We were able to finalize our rosters and hold organizational and staff meetings before the pandemic took hold, so we’re in a very good place as far as those things are concerned. The players are very good at staying fit and training on their own, so those aren’t too much of an issue either. While participating in the Detroit PAL “6 Degrees of Separation” campaign, we have been in constant contact with our players simply to ask how they’re doing, and to keep their spirits up during this tough time.

Where will the club play matches?

Corktown AFC will play home matches at The Corner Ballpark presented by Adient, on Michigan Ave in Detroit.

Where is the club at as far as roster building?

The club roster is loaded with talent. Including 25 former ECNL and USYS National Champions, 3 U.S. Youth National Team players, 4 NCAA National Champions and a pair of former professionals who played Europe. Additionally, we have multiple Michigan high school Dream Team players, a winner of the prestigious Miss Soccer award, and winners of the Gatorade Player of the Year award.

With Corktown and DCFC putting clubs into the league, do you expect a rivalry to form with your fellow Detroit club?

At this point, the only things I expect are beating them at their place in Hamtramck, and beating them at our place in Detroit.

Anything else we should know about your club?

It would be very remiss of me not to mention my coaching staff consisting of Jeff Shuk, Todd Heugh, Dave Demeter, Skip Mukhtar, Nate Collins and Matt Lentine. This staff is loaded with experience. They are well-respected by colleagues and players alike, and will play a huge role in our future success. Our three teams will compete in UWS, UWS2 and the Michigan Premier Soccer League. Club owner Eddie Hudson said, “We’re dedicated to the community and our desire is to continue to help grow the game for women here in Michigan.”