Hialeah City FC: Going Smaller to Go Big

June 28, 2019 by Dan Vaughn

In a time where major jersey suppliers seem to only have a handful of base designs for top tier clubs in a cookie cutter fashion, lower league clubs like Hialeah City FC have looked to lesser known suppliers such as Spyro for unique designs in order to represent their team and community. Smaller manufacturers are willing to go above and beyond in ways that larger ones are not, as they are looking for growth opportunities. Hialeah City FC found a brilliant partner to give the a design that stands out in a crowded market.

Hialeah FC is located just northwest of Miami between the Everglades and Biscayne Bay in Hialeah, FL which is one of the largest Spanish speaking communities in the United States. Founded in 2017, the "Blue Fury" competes in one of the UPSL's most competitive divisions, the Florida Dade / Broward Division in the Southeast Conference, playing their home games at Kendall Soccer Park.

Though only two years old, the club has established youth teams from U-12 to U-19 and according to their website wants to give their players the opportunity to become professional or collegiate players as well as eventually looking to join the USL 2. Their kits already reflect this level of professionalism in their look. They are certainly professional grade.

Their emblem has a blue eagle whose wings spread in front of a soccer ball with their logo sitting above it on a shield-shaped crest. Their main color is a light blue that's as tropical as their South Florida home and is the base color of their home jerseys. While most teams have their stripes either vertical or horizontal, Hialeah FC chose for their darker blue stripes to run diagonal wrapping around the shirt which take after the tropical storms and hurricanes common to the South Florida area.

Their away jersey is mostly black with the left side of the shirt fading into blue diagonal stripes which resemble the wings of the eagle on their club crest with a similar design on each leg of the shorts. The goalies’ primary jersey mimics the outfield players’ home jerseys except in shades of Florida Orange while their goalies’ second jersey is black and purple with a Pollock-esque splatter design running diagonal through the shirt.

Looking to become a more professional club and building a brand requires professional looking jerseys and crests and Hialeah FC seem to have already nailed that aspect of the business. They say that to make yourself successful, you should dress for the job you want to have. Hialeah City already has the look of a big-time soccer club, regardless of their short history. Expect big things from the club in the future as they look to progress off of two successful first years within a great community.

- Paul Kowalczyk

If you love this kit as much as I do, here’s the link to Hialeah City FC’s Store.

New Look Same Club

May 03, 2019 by Dan Vaughn

The identity of a club is often overlooked, but often it plays an essential role on how we feel about a club. A fan should embrace the identity, but a player must live with it and become an ambassador for that said identity. That is why the crest of a soccer kit lays over our hearts. A brands identity is one with the fan, the player and the community.

“The new uniform will give us a breath of fresh air.”

— Anthony Perez

In this week’s Uniformity we travel to Perris, CA to check out the new brand refresh for City Legends FC. City Legends FC is a sophomore club within the UPSL. In its first year the club went undefeated in the Championship and were promoted to the Pro Premier. The club’s identity wasn’t bad. It had a well done crest and a color palette that sticks out in the soccer world: maroon and gold. But 2019 was meant to be a bigger year for the club, and a bigger year meant an even better presentation. “ Once we jumped up to the Pro Premier, we didn't start off that great,” said Anthony Perez about the new year and new identity. He added “ I thought a refresher, the new logo and new uniforms, would spark us up again.”

The Crest

The original crest had a unique shape and was drenched in maroon, the clubs primary color. It was a bold crest fit for the desert city of Perris, CA. The bandit became the icon for the club, equipped with his western style cowboy hat. The crest itself gave the team an identity, but just because something works doesn’t mean that it can't get any better. Because it did.

The new crest is sleek and designed in a minimal fashion. Every adjustment has made this crest more appealing. The shape is more defined and offers a stronger frame. The maroon acts as an accented color, rather than dominating the space. The use of negative space helps the badge breathe. The font variances help create symmetry and balance within the piece. And the bandit still makes his appearance, but he is bolder and more experienced because he has that undefeated season under him.

“We wanted to keep the base of our logo, so we just freshened it up a little. We made look cleaner. We made it look sleeker.”

— Anthony Perez

The Uniform

In soccer a new season often means a new uniform. Most pro clubs will often trot out different color variants to the same template, but in grassroots soccer you often see an explosion of creativity. That was how Uniformity was born.

The new City Legends uniforms look great. The design is sleek and matches the new identity that the club is creating. The alternate colored stripes give a classic feel to the kit, but the fade at the bottom gives a cool modern twist to the outfit. One element that stands out is the diagonal hoop. It’s just another element that slightly changes the jersey traditions of old.

My favorite is the white, mostly with how well the badge fits in and how the maroon accents just give another strong element to look at. Those two extra elements provide a balance to the overall kit that the black can’t match.

The new design helps to usher in a new era for the City Legends. An era that has attracted a jersey sponsor in Lascom IT, who believe in the project that this club is creating for its community. A new uniform isn’t always about style, but about growth. City Legends Football Club is stepping away from being a soccer team and stepping into the identity of a soccer program. A soccer program that has the potential to truly develop a soccer community.

Bugeaters FC: The Simple Things

April 25, 2019 by Dan Vaughn

One of the best secondary things about the return of soccer across this country is the debut of all the kit rebrands and releases going on all over the country. Of course, we track those as they happen and so far we’ve seen some strong contenders out of the box. Last week we saw another redesign from an up and coming brand (one that we’ve written about in this very column) and we were thrilled to be able to head back to the great state of Nebraska to double dip with Bugeaters FC.

We usually begin out Uni-Formity pieces by talking about the brand and what’s going on with the club, but because we’ve written about them already, we can skim that subject just a little. Bugeaters have had some big announcements in the last 6 months. The biggest of those announcements was their exit from the UPSL, after a single season of competition, and their decision to join the brand new expansion division of Gulf Coast Premier League, the Great Plains Premier League. While Bugeaters had only played a single season in the UPSL, they have a larger footprint in the national conversation due to their creative approach to marketing, advertising and strategic partnerships. So their exit from one league and eventual (GPPL plans to kick off in 2020) entry into another league made a big splash, even with the most passive of lower league followers. Paired with their league transition, Bugeaters announced they would be playing a season of friendlies, rather than participating in league play in 2019.

Then three weeks ago, Bugeaters announced a partnership with Creighton University to play in Morrison Stadium for their home 2019 matches. The drive to find a place to play matches had been a tough one for Bugeaters FC owner Jonathan Collura. But having a home in Omaha had more benefits than just a field to play on. “We are excited to be playing at Morrison Stadium. This venue has all of the amenities that we have needed. We expect it to be multi-season, but we need to focus on being good tenants. Omaha has two top division one programs and we are excited to have ties to both of them.” Playing matches in a college field is sure to attract some potential players to the eye-catching Bugeaters brand.

And that brand was taken up a notch last week with a kit reveal that had social media buzzing.

Jonathan Collura always thinks about the details when it comes to his branding and these kits are no different. The black home kit features a black background with a zig zag pattern in a barely seen gray. All the elements of the kit are white, with piping on the neck and sleeves. Over the shoulder, there’s two parallel lines, almost football (American) in style. Those really stand out on this all black kit, giving definition and shape to the shoulder area. Those lines can also be be spotted in the red away kit, which is a red kit with three white stripes. That white extends to piping on the collar, sleeves, and shorts. The badges, unlike many kits at this level, are actually woven versus sublimated, it’s a classy touch, particularly at this price point. But in the end, both designs are simple, through and through. And that approach by Collura, who partnered with CustomFC on this kit, is on purpose.

“I have been collecting kits since the mid-90’s and my style is based on what I have found to have wide appeal. Unique simplicity is what I think does well. Last season’s kits did well and we used simple elements with solid kits. This season, we again use simple elements but in a unique way. I like unique designs and as you have seen, we have had bespoke kits both last season and now this season. There are simple things that can be done to enhance the look. We put the shape of the state on the back neckline as an example. We are not tied to an academy and required to use stock kits. This allows us to have the flexibility to do what we want.”

Danny Whitehall sprints up the field for Bugeaters FC. Image courtesy of John Peterson.

With such a buzz around the release of the kits, the Bugeaters owner could have jacked his prices a bit, but he broke the mold on this subject as well. “I believe in giving fans a sub-$50 kit. Let’s face it, no club makes much money on kits (at this level anyway), so why not do what you can to get them in to the hands of the fans?” Why not indeed.

With the kit release announced and the preorders rolling in, Collura’s vision is turned to what’s next. “We have an amazing season lined up. We’ve had one ‘tune up’ match which went well and we fully expect this season to be a step up to last. The team will boast a squad with all Nebraska connections. My new coach, Scott Robertson, buys in to the philosophy of building a community based club. The next couple of weeks will be a big challenge. We have both Little Rock Rangers and Chattanooga FC back-to-back weekends. I’m excited and confident that we can complete against such top sides.”

If not on the field, certainly in the way they are dressed.

- Dan Vaughn

In the Shadow of the Mountains

April 12, 2019 by Lola Vaughn

“Every natural object is a conductor of divinity and only by coming into contact with them... may we be filled with the Holy Ghost.”

— John Muir, 19th century naturalist

We cannot shake the effects of the beauty of nature that surrounds us. While humanity is old, some 200,000 years old, the rocks, the hills, the mountains that surround us and shape our environment are much older. The Rocky Mountains, that divide and shape the Western portion of the United States, were pushed from the ground by the movement of plates during the Laramide orogeny, a geological event 80 million years ago. There were no humans to see the mountains rise towards the sky and no one human could have, as the movement took millions of years. It would have taken generation after generation, each passing along the story of the movement of the land, without a break in the sequence, without a single generation disconnecting or moving on.

As technology and hubris has developed within our species, we assume an ability to control nature around us. With our machines and engines, we push and tug at the land, we strip back the trees and dirt, we drain lakes and shift rivers, but the land continues to shape us as much as we shape it. We pretend to be god, but there is a limit to our power. Our effects will fade as quickly as they are made, as the Earth will continue to exist - long after humanity has burnt itself out. We will leave scars but the elemental movers of the world - wind, rain, the movement of the plates - will eventually smooth those into oblivion.

But in the moment, we can look up to the mountains that stand above us and acknowledge their seeming eternal nature - that uncounted generations have each looked above themselves, into the points that pierce the sky and cut the clouds, and felt their own smallness. And while that feeling may be intimidating for some, it also inspires the soul to create - something lasting, like the mountains above.

The southern New Mexico town of Las Cruces is dominated by their own mountain range, less famous than the Rockies and slightly younger by 20 million years (but who’s counting) - The Organ Mountains. The range was originally named “Sierra de los Organos” by the Spanish explorers that came through the Southwest hundreds of years ago. Los Organos because the peaks resembled the pipes emerging from the church organs in the cathedrals of Europe. While the town of Las Cruces, NM wasn’t founded until the 1840’s, the area has been inhabited for hundreds of years earlier, first by native people, then by the Spanish. But the town has never been that large, dominated by the popular cities in the northern parts of the state and by El Paso, 45 minutes down I-10 in Texas.

The Organ Mountains above Las Cruces (Image from Wikipedia)

When Alexis Ruiz decided to start his soccer team in Las Cruces, he was aware of the downfalls that come about in such a small market, but when he talks about it, he always starts with the positives. “ We do get a lot of support from our local soccer community. Soccer is very popular in Las Cruces. You'll catch a lot of people out here wearing their team jerseys or team uniforms. We have a good amount of people come out to our games as well. We average 200 to 300 fans per game which is huge for a small city club like us. Cons would be that our talent is limited. Many athletes stop playing after high school due to the lack of opportunity in the area. There are very few of us that get the chance to play college ball due to either finances or lack of being scouted. Many of the most talented players in Las Cruces stopped playing years ago.”

“I say this day in and day out but if the best players in Las Cruces were to play with us then we would win the league. That I am confident in.”

— Alexis Ruiz

His optimism and drive are rare in someone his age and when he speaks about his club and his city, he inspires the people around him. Ruiz is the product of that same small town, but the vision for his club has always been epic. In 2018, in the UPSL Fall season, FC Grande kicked off their inaugural season, drawing talent from the town they love. While the city of Las Cruces has around 100,000, the club was able to put together a strong side that finished second in their conference, behind only Sporting AZ FC. It was a successful season and in the off season, Alexis decided he wanted a more personalized kit for the club. “I had wanted to find a way of representing Las Cruces, New Mexico. Something that when someone from Las Cruces saw it, they would know exactly what it is and what it represents. I came up with the idea of incorporating our beautiful Organ Mountains being how popular they are here in town. Everyone and any one from Las Cruces knows the Organs. It's a huge part of our culture. If you take a cruise down Las Cruces, I almost guarantee you that you'll find something related to the Organs.”

So Alexis began hunting for the perfect idea, first working with Icarus on the idea before transitioning to the club’s kit provider, Admiral. What emerged was a beautiful sublimated kit that shows the outline of the mountains with the light of a rising sun emerging over the edge. The design is original, creative, and entirely representative of the city of Las Cruces and its mountains.

It would be a mistake to discuss this jersey without mentioning the crest, one of the best in the UPSL. Designed by Robert Boyd at Custom FC and Alexis swears by his work. “I must say the he did a great job on it. He's made many world class crest. Any clubs looking to redesign their crest need to contact him!”

Much like the Organ Mountains making an appearance on FC Grande’s kits, the crest was also a Las Cruces inspired work. “What had influenced our crest was the Rio Grande and the Zia Symbol. Robert had a came up with a bunch of designs and we started breaking the design down one by one. When he had sent me the design of the Rio Grande running through the center of the crest, I knew that was the one. He had added the Zia Symbol on top of it and from there we decided the colors.” For those unfamiliar with the Zia Symbol, it is an ancient symbol used by the Zia Pueblo people, an ancient civilization that lived around modern day Albuquerque. The number four was a sacred number for the tribe and the four crisscrossing lines represented, among other things, the fours seasons. The image is often referred to as “the Zia Sun Sign” due to its shape. It is on the New Mexico flag and ties the state to its native roots. Those roots are vital to Alexis and FC Grande and he has made an effort to tie his club to them.

One more item of interest for existing fans of the club’s original kits. The baby blue kits of their first season aren’t being discarded, but will be the home option for club. The grey kit will become the club’s alternative.

Pablo Rodriguez brings the ball up the pitch, wearing the home kit from 2018.

FC Grande has set lofty goals for their upcoming UPSL season. “Our goals for 2019 spring season are to build a bigger fan base, win the Southwest Conference and qualify for the US Open. Last year we were almost there but fell short to a strong Sporting AZ FC side. We've been training since December and feel we have a strong group. We have some returning players and some new players. Overall the men have been working hard on and off the pitch.” With a schedule that features multiple back-to-back matches, having a strong, fit squad will be important if they hope to achieve their goals.

FC Grande’s new mountain kit does everything that Alexis wants for his club. It ties the club to the city he loves, in a way that is unmistakeable and obvious. As he strains to build something lasting in his hometown, his club will wear the eternal geography that has shaped the city and state he loves.

- Dan Vaughn

If you’re interested in more information:

FC Grande - Twitter

Custom FC - Twitter

Ordering FC Grande’s kit - Admiral

Rebranding for Authenticity

January 11, 2019 by Lola Vaughn

For clarity, Icarus FC does advertise with our site. It just so happens they keep making the freshest kits!

If you are not living in the Philadelphia area, you would be forgiven for thinking Lone Star FC was a Texan club. However, anyone in and around Philadelphia could tell you that Philadelphia Lone Star FC is an absolute institution in the city. The club was founded as Junior Lone Star FC in 2001 by Liberian immigrants, whose heritage is drawn on as inspiration for the “Lone Star” name referencing the lone star on the Liberian flag. The club has come to be known as one of the foremost professional development clubs on the east coast, growing from a single squad when it was founded to a club that fields teams in the NPSL’s Keystone Conference and the UPSL’s Northeast Conference. They’ve provided Philadelphia’s amateur footballers, and in particular those of African descent and heritage, with countless opportunities for further development in the sport.

This connection to Philadelphia fueled the club’s desire to rebrand last year and they adopted the name Philadelphia Lone Star. The club adopted a new crest to go along with its new name, ditching a “Barcelona”-shaped badge in favor of a cleaner pointed shield. The crest is not only a slick design, but it also does a simple design in a way that does not feel overly generic or unimaginative. The Liberty Bell is a simple homage to the city these players now call home but the club has not abandoned its own history in the process.

Lone Star FC took this connection to their city a step further as they prepared for the 2019 season by linking up with local kit designer Icarus Football. “Philly Lone Star is a big name around here,” said Icarus when asked about the partnership. “We really wanted to make sure we put together kits that would reflect their stature in the community.”

Based on the badge above, it would have been fairly simple for Icarus to look at this as a straightforward project. Red, white, blue...there’s 10000 high school, college, amateur, and professional soccer teams (not to mention the National Teams) in the US that use the same color scheme. Lone Star getting the template treatment that we see so often in major club and international football would have been simple. Icarus did not take that route whatsoever as they produced four fantastically unique kits.

Home

The impressive thing about this home kit is that it feels both familiar and unique all in one effortless stroke. Wearing sky blue with white shorts could have been a chance to look like a Manchester City copycat, but the Liberty Bells down the sleeves and sides of the shorts evoke a Philadelphia version of the classic Kappa designs from Serie A. The red trim pops in a way that you might not expect against the light blue, while the sublimated Star design makes it so Philadelphia Lone Star is embodied throughout the kit. An impressive effort from top to bottom.

Philadelphia Lone Star Sky Blue Star Kit.jpg

Away

The Away Kit is another stunning effort. The red-over-red with the sublimated stars ties this design back to the home kit but it is the pattern on the sleeves and down the shorts that is the true star of the show here. We have seen, especially with Nike’s recent templates, the effort to make different colored sleeves the unique element of a kit. Icarus has taken that idea and cranked the creativity through the roof, implementing a pattern inspired by West African fabric patterns to create something truly splendid.

Philadelphia Lone Star African Red Star Kit 2.jpg

Third

Philadelphia Lone Star’s Third Kit serves the dual function of being gorgeous and aiding a worthy cause. During the middle of the NPSL season, Lone Star will wear this kit in conjunction with a campaign to raise money for juvenile cancer research. Such a campaign should succeed on its own merits, but this design is a fantastic advertisement. The pink and black color scheme has an extremely modern feel to it without it feeling garish. The black and white version of the crest is, quite frankly, badass. The star details down the sleeves and shorts add a nice touch, but the sublimated design again steals the show, with a lovely hoop design culminating near the collar in the Philadelphia skyline. A kit that accomplishes this much both aesthetically and in helping those in need is extremely admirable and I hope this kit gets the attention it deserves.

Fourth

There is something so striking about a well-executed white kit. When that kit has a sublimated spotted print and a unique pattern down the sleeves, you have something special on your hands. The aforementioned pattern extends from the collar, down the sleeves, and down the shorts, with the numbers on the kit itself containing the pattern as well. This kit again brings Lone Stars African roots to the forefront. This celebration of the club’s heritage is evident in each design but this particular design feels like a celebration in and of itself. I, for one, am extremely here for it. This kit will act as a fourth kit for the NPSL squad and will serve as the UPSL squad’s home kit. This may be premature, but I would shortlist this kit for one of the best in UPSL for the Spring Season.

Philadelphia Lone Star African White Kit.jpg

Philadelphia Lone Star FC are embarking on a new chapter of their history in 2019 and with this new identity that links their current home to the club’s African heritage, the club is emphasizing what we all love and idealize about the United States and the game of soccer: The opportunity to succeed no matter your background. This club is admirable for its ideals and history, and now we can all look on and admire the kits as well.

- Phil Baki

Kick It Off With a Bang

December 28, 2018 by Lola Vaughn

During the winter months, leagues take care of all the business that the regular season crowds out. League meetings, player tryouts, kit redesigns, almost anything you can think of happens when the weather outside is inhospitable in most parts of the country. One of those pieces of business is adding clubs. Whether through introducing a brand new club or adding on an established club who is jumping from one league to the next, expansion offers a spotlight on clubs, mostly through their crests (because most have a limited track record on the field). With all the announcements from league after league, we decided to put together a short list of some of our favorite badges from expansion sides this winter. Enjoy!

- Dan Vaughn

Dan Vaughn

Louisiana Krewe FC - Lafayette, LA - GCPL

I’m a sucker for maps. The shapes of states, cities, countries, you name it, love that stuff. This crest features the shape of Louisiana on a gray/black background. The name of the club is featured above the state with the smaller “FC” below. Rather than a round shape, the crest is almost the shape of a police or fireman badge, with the three points on top and the single point at the bottom. The colors are very much in line with the NFL’s Saints, connecting the club to familiar territory for Louisiana sports fans. By the way, Krewe is a term for a group of people that put together a float in a carnival (much like in Mardis Gras). It’s a sharp badge and I can’t wait to see the uniforms that will feature it.

Steven Ramirez

AC Miracle Hill - Desert Hot Springs, CA - UPSL Western Conference

If you live in Southern California and have made the drive through the desert, you have been faced by many giants that ruled in Don Quixote's time. The Southern California desert hosts a wind farm that contains over 4,000 windmills and is known to many travelers. When creating a crest for this Desert Hot Springs club, nothing makes more sense than those towering windmills. Using the “Athletic Club” moniker applies a traditional naming convention that is sporadically used in the world, especially in the U.S. soccer sphere. In their first year of existence this UPSL crest jumps out as one of the best in the league.

Aarik Long

Chattanooga Red Wolves - Chattanooga, TN - USL League One

I was at Edley’s BBQ on November 15th to witness to unveil of this logo for Protagonist Soccer. The atmosphere inside of the restaurant was incredible. When the crest was finally unveiled, there seemed to be a positive response inside the building. However, people have seemed to not agree online. It’s been mocked repeatedly, but I think it’s a great crest. To begin with, I love that red is the primary color. It’s pretty common and maybe a little cliche, but there’s nothing like a cross-town, red vs blue rivalry. The wolf looks great. It isn’t a goofy cartoon canine, but it also is not overly realistic. The overall shape of the badge looks really nice, as well. The spikes at the bottom aren’t very common among crests, so the unique shape is refreshing. Some of the reasonings behind different parts of the logo seemed like a little bit of a stretch, but I think the crest itself is extremely solid and among the best in USL League One.

Dab Williams

Contra Costa FC - Concord, CA - UPSL

The round of expansion teams for Spring 2019 hasn’t impressed me much, honestly. Don’t get me wrong, they might be great on the field, but artistically and stylistically I’ve been underwhelmed. Contra Costa FC was a breath of fresh air. CCFC’s badge is in the shape of the Union Pacific logo and features a similar design with the white and red stripes across the base of the badge. The top of the badge features some mountains, the name and, outside the limits of the badge, is the star, which I assume is from winning the Liga NorCal Copa Cup championship in May 2018. Across the front of the crest is a soccer ball with wings (not my favorite feature of this one), completing the look of the badge. I love the color palate, love the shape, it’s the best of the UPSL expansion clubs, without a doubt.

Bugeaters FC: Reaping the harvest

December 07, 2018 by Lola Vaughn

Few teams have exploded on the lower tier soccer scene like Bugeaters FC. Founded earlier this year in Lincoln, Nebraska, Bugeaters FC has effectively leveraged social media, beneficial partnerships and smart design to attract a national audience that few have been able to match. Led by owner John Collura, the club has been a model of smart but aggressive growth - targeting opportunities in creative ways to yield results. Their fans are spread across the map - far from the sprawling fields of Nebraska - due to their innovative approach to growing a soccer club in the lower tiers of the American pyramid. That creativity hasn’t just garnered attention in their social media marketing, their slick packaging of the crest and kit have also brought hungry eyes from all over the world. Jonathan Collura shared some of his thoughts on their kit and crest and what he feels defines the Bugeater brand.

Jonathan Collura has a hands-on approach to his club and designing the kits was a task he took on himself. His love of kits began long ago and he brought that love of design to the Bugeaters’ look. “I designed them. I’ve been collecting kits since ‘94.“ Having collected kits for almost 25 years, Collura knew what his unifying focus would be for his kit design: the logo. “The black one is intended to make the badge the focal point…I believe the key to a successful kit is logo placement and being completely visible.”

The Bugeater name goes back to a 19th century nickname for farmers from Nebraska. As the story goes, farmers grew crops, bugs ate the crops, farmers had nothing to eat but bugs - so they were bugeaters. The farming ethos, such a defining one for the club’s home state, is seen throughout their design. The crest is a model of clean lines and distinct design. The tractor drives across the top of a soccer ball, but, in some ways, the soccer ball is a symbol of the world. The brand has a worldwide appeal, tapping into a innate appreciation for farmers and their important work. Farming has been the key to our success as humans, and Bugeaters embraces that culture with passion. Their catch phrase, seen throughout their social media and web presence, is “Farm to Pitch.” That connection, both soil based and passion based, is embodied by this Nebraskan club.

Their away kit is a beautiful example of Collura’s eye for design. “The red/white sleeves are something unique I thought of. Commonly seen on the kit, itself, I felt that this would fit the look.” The use of bright colors, particularly in contrast to their dark black kits, provides two distinct looks for fans to choose from when purchasing kits. Both kits feature small details that continue to tie the club to their state and agrarian ethos - “You’ll note the state outline on the back of the neck. The inside has Farm to Pitch in the neck. I think it’s the little details that help.”

The kit has also been used to cement new relationships that are paying dividends for Bugeaters FC’s popularity and financial success. Every kit features a patch on the arm for the Cooligans podcast, a national show that mixes comedy and soccer. “Absolutely fantastic guys. I cannot say enough about how much they have helped us.” Pair that with their kit sponsor, Backswing Brewing, also based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Backswing specializes in brewing craft beer and created a special brew specifically for Bugeaters, “Bugeaters FC Goalden Ale.” The kit will change next year as another corporate connection is finalized, a multi-year kit deal is in the works. When asked with which manufacturer, Collura only offered - “Can’t say yet, but we are excited that they wanted to sign a deal with us…We’ll aim to be consistent with style and keep unique elements and details.”

What is clear about Bugeaters FC and Collura, they are resourceful and are using their kit and crest as a means to grow their fan base and financial well being. Much like the farmer ethos the club models itself after, Collura is using what he has in the most resourceful way possible. And just like those farmers, he’s beginning to reap a successful harvest.

- Dan Vaughn