August 2019, Featured, U.S. soccer

Cincinnati SC is one example of how players who have aged out of youth programs but aren’t yet ready to be full-time professionals are filling the gaps. (Photo Credit: Cincy SC)

How developing a comprehensive soccer structure is establishing Cincinnati as a world-class soccer destination

Elizabeth Robinson

With a thriving youth soccer scene balanced by a top-tier professional presence, the path to success for aspiring Cincinnati athletes seems clear. But the space in between – the phase of player development when athletes have aged out of youth programs and aren’t prepared for professional play – has been murky: until now.

In the spring of 2019, Conner Zimmermann and Bret Marshall, former high school teammates and local youth soccer coaches, formed a new men’s team, Cincy Soccer Club, to bring a level of competition and development to Cincinnati that hadn’t previously existed. More than a recreational league, Cincy SC was established with the intent to join the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), the fastest-growing professional development league in the U.S. The UPSL is a collection of teams in regional conferences affiliated with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).

“Cincinnati is very well known for its youth soccer scene and obviously FC Cincinnati has put us on the map for adult soccer. We needed something in between,” said Zimmermann, General Manager and Assistant Coach of Cincy SC. “The UPSL gives players a platform to show their skills and develop. We are creating an opportunity for growth for our very talented players who want to play at a higher level.”

More than 40 local players were invited to train with the team, each with the stipulation that they must be coachable and willing to adhere to the values of Cincy SC, including excellent communication, inclusion, organization and community. Zimmermann, a USSF “D” licensed coach, oversees each practice and sets formations and tactics for each match. Together, Zimmerman and Marshall, the team’s owner who doubles as head coach, determine the competition roster for 11v11 and 7v7 matches in the local Gotham Soccer League.

“This team is doing so much more than just showing up and playing. Every single action is for a reason,” Zimmermann said. “Everything we’ve done has been well thought out and we’ve had a plan from the start.”

Many of the team’s players are collegiate athletes or recent graduates with hopes of advancing to a higher level of play. Jay Klein, incoming senior forward and team captain at DePauw University, a DIII program in central Indiana, sees this team and the UPSL as a potential stepping-stone.

“My goal is to play at the USL level, so I was looking for as many opportunities as I could to play and get practice in aside from my own personal training,” Klein said. “I had a feeling that this team would be a good opportunity when I heard that they were looking to take the club to greater heights and join the UPSL next year.”

Establishing the club and advancing to the UPSL has been an all-hands-on-deck process – one that each teammate has had to buy into and support. Whether it’s chipping in to cover the $500 league dues and $2,000 season fees, using connections to find local fields for practices and matches or tapping into professional expertise to plan for team budgets and sponsorships, the process has been a true group effort.

“We’re all having to help out to make Conner and Brett’s dream come true of taking this to the next level,” Klein said. “If this team is able to be successful and compete in the UPSL, then hopefully the city of Cincinnati will have more opportunities for young players to develop.”

It’s already been a success in its early stages.

On July 8, the UPSL officially announced the addition of Cincy SC as a new league member for the 2020 spring season.

“We’re thrilled to add Cincy SC to the Midwest Conference,” said UPSL Midwest Manager Cliff Conrad. “The city loves its soccer, and we’re thankful to the group for bringing pro development soccer back to the Queen City.”

“The opportunity for Cincy SC and any clubs in Ohio at this level of professional development is sort of untapped,” added Dennis Pope, Director of Communications with the UPSL. “A lot of people use the phrase, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’ – I think if people see Cincy SC, then that’s going to give other people courage.”

Beyond the opportunity for player development for the men on Cincy SC’s squad, the hope is that other soccer clubs throughout Cincinnati will follow suit and develop their own men’s teams at the amateur or professional development level. Comparable cities like Detroit, Milwaukee and Minneapolis have multiple teams competing within the UPSL’s Midwest conference.

“I want it to be something good for the city as a whole, not just a benefit for us,” Zimmermann said. “I want it to help take Cincinnati to another level.”

The added level of competition also opens the doors for players in the UPSL league to move up through Cincinnati’s professional and pre-professional structures, according to Larry Sunderland, Director of Player Development with FC Cincinnati.

“There is an opportunity for players to play in these leagues, to be scouted and seen, to move up into a USL second division team and from there potentially be scouted for an MLS team. That’s the inspiration for players,” Sunderland said. “I think that interaction in a market like Cincinnati is perfect. It creates a viable opportunity for players of various levels.”

With more homegrown players in the MLS today than ever before, the idea of creating a cohesive development structure to build local players is essential. Cincy SC’s foray into organized, pre-professional play helps set the stage for growth and potential for Cincinnati as a sustainable soccer market.

“The idea of having homegrown players is so important for developing a soccer city,” Klein said. “I think the more opportunities we have to develop players at a high, semi-professional level, the more Cincinnati will continue to develop as a soccer city overall.”

Elizabeth is an avid sports fan, communications professional and freelance writer based in Cincinnati. Follow her on Twitter @efrobinson13.