With this focus on the ideals and philosophy of the club, one might forgive Sporting for focusing on that and putting the more pragmatic parts of the game to the side. Make no mistake, Sporting AZ is as much about winning as they are about improving the quality of the game in the Phoenix area. When asked about the goals for 2019, Kyle did not hesitate, “First and foremost we want to win the conference.” That will become just that much harder of a goal this year, with the addition of High Plains Drifters FC and Tapatio FC (both of Amarillo, TX) and Summerlin Red Rocks (Las Vegas, NV). The quality of the squads is still to be seen, but the travel and quantity of clubs will make the conference that much more competitive. But with that expansion, Kyle sees a lot more potential for expansion in the UPSL Southwest. “I want to be really greedy and say that we can get a nice conference right here in the Valley [of the Sun, the Phoenix Metropolitan Area]. Certainly it’s possible to have multiple teams in Tucson. It would be great in the coming years if we could see a little more regionalization.” Certainly as the Southwest grows and the communities embracing their squads expand, it does not seem crazy to see Sporting AZ in an Arizona Division of the Southwest Conference, with teams like FC Grande and Southwest FC headlining a Camino Real Division in New Mexico and West Texas (what can I say, I’m a history nerd and that would be cool. Look it up).

The one area where Phoenix is somewhat lacking is in available fields and stadiums. Kyle lamented, “There’s a severe lack of quality playing surfaces on [the east side] of town relative to the number of youth teams and now UPSL teams.” There is currently an initiative focused on changing that. Mesa Plays has put forward a plan that would put a $60 million sports complex in Mesa that would include surfaces for practically every sport played in the United States. “Part of the initiative is a 2,500 seat stadium which would revolutionize how our clubs are viewed as far as being attractive to players and fans around town,” said Kyle. This is a potential game changer for the area as perception of the club certainly impacts how sponsors and likely supporters act in regard to the club. The difference between being viewed as a representative of the community and being viewed as an amateur or even youth team, can be a legitimate venue. With this change, the Southwest, and Sporting AZ could remain a focal point of the UPSL. (Editor’s Note: Sadly Mesa Plays “Question 5” failed at the polls 46%-54%)

Sporting AZ has focused on improving the quality not only of their play on the field, but also of their soccer community. With the profile of the club and conference being consistently raised over the last year, and expansion on the horizon, we could be looking at this “small soccer community” and seeing all the progress that belief in a community, its players, and supporters can provide.



- Phil Baki