“It has been an exciting five months since we had the idea to establish an elite soccer team in the tri-state region. We have achieved a lot to be proud of in that short time – including constituting a nonprofit organization, opening an online petition with over 700 signatures of support, coordinating a soccer skills clinic for close to 60 high school aged players, and executing a first-ever raffle fundraiser.

Behind the scenes, we had been developing an operating model that was fit-for-purpose for a small, rural market like ours. At the center of this model were several key partnerships. However, this operating model fell some way short of the financial requirements established by the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) for membership applications. While the unwillingness to consider our unique situation was disappointing, we respect the NPSL and their membership criteria.

We had also been working on an alternative to the NPSL and were in discussions with a more regional soccer league about possible membership in Summer 2024. However, our geographic location was deemed as being too distant from the other member teams, which meant our involvement was not considered viable.

We are, therefore, stepping away from our original plan to establish an elite soccer team. And while there is interest within the organization to explore a different purpose and vision, these ideas need time to develop and mature. So, in the meantime, we are taking a break from further business and social media activities.

We step back convinced that there is interest and appetite for an elite soccer team in this region, and are hopeful another group is out there with the financial resources to make this a reality. Thank you to those who supported our venture.”

Allegheny Front Soccer Club