Fort Wayne FC Prepares For ‘21 After NPSL Season Cancellation
April 8, 2020 at 4:49 p.m.
Fort Wayne FC Prepares For ‘21 After NPSL Season Cancellation
By Noah Tong-
That is until the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the unofficial fourth tier in the American soccer pyramid underneath the likes of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the United Soccer League (USL), cancelled its season on March 26 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A scenario that seemed categorically impossible back in September when Magner first introduced Fort Wayne FC to the general public next to Mayor Tom Henry is now a harsh reality for the organization.
“I think good judgement was shown by cancelling the league,” said Magner. “I think it was the right decision.”
After hosting tryouts for around 200 players earlier this year, just 37 of those participants were selected for the final roster, Magner explained. Nine players are local, some are from out-of-state, and others are foreign. It’s impossible to suspend games until a later date, since most of the roster contains college athletes who must get back to their schools when August rolls around.
“We asked our general manager, Greg Mauch, to inform all the players and coaches of NPSL’s decision so they could hear it from us first,” said Magner. “It gave us an opportunity to call all the players.”
Although unable to pay the athletes – the NCAA views the subject as a direct violation of its amateurism rules – the NPSL offers an avenue to continue developing their skills at a high level over summer months.
“We have contacts with MLS teams and Indy Eleven, and if the players show their talents with us, we can help get them promoted,” said Magner.
Despite the disappointment arising from NPSL’s announcement, Magner believes the pandemic gives Fort Wayne FC more time to prepare an unforgettable 2021 inaugural season.
“We have to bridge these 12 months now,” said Magner. “There’s a lot of time and resources available. We want to support the beautiful game of soccer in our community. We want to support sports in general. We want to be available for as many community events and non-profit organizations as possible.”
“If there’s a silver lining it’s that now we can engage more, and deeper, with our supporters than before.”
Games taking place at Bishop Dwenger high school during the 2020 season were already set to include a 4000 square foot tent for food and beverages, popular singers performing the national anthem, airplane flyovers before kickoff, and halftime events to give matches a “festival feel.” Now further efforts to make the in-game atmosphere enjoyable can be prioritized.
Through their efforts, the organization hopes to inspire local talents from Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Auburn, Decatur, and other surrounding areas, and to give them a sense of the ability required to become a semi-professional player. Fort Wayne FC ownership also includes individuals who are extremely active with Fort Wayne Sport Club and Fort Wayne United, two of the biggest youth soccer clubs in the area.
With the focus now being on 2021, Magner is not worried about the financial prospects of NPSL or Fort Wayne FC moving forward.
“I called around to other teams, and they all seem to be on strong financial footing,” he said. “I don’t foresee NPSL teams in our area needing to cease operations. I think this is partly because the cancellation was early enough because if it becomes too late, then you have more expenditures coming in. The day we heard about the cancellation we made sure we didn’t have any expenditures we don’t need for the season.”
“I’m not so concerned for this year because we are in good financial position. We hope fans will return to the stadium, and they will feel comfortable sitting next to each other. We hope this pandemic will be solved by then.”
Many players, coaches, and staff notified ownership they want to be a part of Fort Wayne’s 2021 season. All sponsors are also staying with the team and supporting their efforts.
Magner’s plans to create a Fort Wayne FC women’s team will be pushed back another year. The goal originally was to play exhibition games this season with female athletes who have already registered, before joining the Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPSL) or United Women’s Soccer (UWS) the following year. Both leagues are considered a level below the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), often considered one of the most competitive leagues in the world for the sport. Exhibition games will now begin in 2021 in the hopes of fielding a professional team in 2022.
Perhaps most disappointing to the club is knowing the 2020 roster will never play against NPSL opposition.
“In my opinion, we had one of the strongest rosters in the conference, and maybe even in the entire Midwest,” said Magner. “I was amazed at what I saw at tryouts. Some of these players are a sliver away from being full professional players.”
However, the memory of these unprecedented times will not be forgotten any time soon.
“The jersey we’ve sold as merchandise is the number 20 for the inaugural season in 2020,” said Magner. “When we talked to the players, we realized how difficult it is for the players who make the roster. Then everything is cancelled.”
“There will never be another player that will wear the number 20 [for us]. Number 20 will be in the stadium, and it will be our fans wearing 20. Even years down the road, the number 20 will always be for the players that were selected and could never play the game. Number 20 will also reflect the victims of the pandemic.”
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That is until the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the unofficial fourth tier in the American soccer pyramid underneath the likes of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the United Soccer League (USL), cancelled its season on March 26 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A scenario that seemed categorically impossible back in September when Magner first introduced Fort Wayne FC to the general public next to Mayor Tom Henry is now a harsh reality for the organization.
“I think good judgement was shown by cancelling the league,” said Magner. “I think it was the right decision.”
After hosting tryouts for around 200 players earlier this year, just 37 of those participants were selected for the final roster, Magner explained. Nine players are local, some are from out-of-state, and others are foreign. It’s impossible to suspend games until a later date, since most of the roster contains college athletes who must get back to their schools when August rolls around.
“We asked our general manager, Greg Mauch, to inform all the players and coaches of NPSL’s decision so they could hear it from us first,” said Magner. “It gave us an opportunity to call all the players.”
Although unable to pay the athletes – the NCAA views the subject as a direct violation of its amateurism rules – the NPSL offers an avenue to continue developing their skills at a high level over summer months.
“We have contacts with MLS teams and Indy Eleven, and if the players show their talents with us, we can help get them promoted,” said Magner.
Despite the disappointment arising from NPSL’s announcement, Magner believes the pandemic gives Fort Wayne FC more time to prepare an unforgettable 2021 inaugural season.
“We have to bridge these 12 months now,” said Magner. “There’s a lot of time and resources available. We want to support the beautiful game of soccer in our community. We want to support sports in general. We want to be available for as many community events and non-profit organizations as possible.”
“If there’s a silver lining it’s that now we can engage more, and deeper, with our supporters than before.”
Games taking place at Bishop Dwenger high school during the 2020 season were already set to include a 4000 square foot tent for food and beverages, popular singers performing the national anthem, airplane flyovers before kickoff, and halftime events to give matches a “festival feel.” Now further efforts to make the in-game atmosphere enjoyable can be prioritized.
Through their efforts, the organization hopes to inspire local talents from Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Auburn, Decatur, and other surrounding areas, and to give them a sense of the ability required to become a semi-professional player. Fort Wayne FC ownership also includes individuals who are extremely active with Fort Wayne Sport Club and Fort Wayne United, two of the biggest youth soccer clubs in the area.
With the focus now being on 2021, Magner is not worried about the financial prospects of NPSL or Fort Wayne FC moving forward.
“I called around to other teams, and they all seem to be on strong financial footing,” he said. “I don’t foresee NPSL teams in our area needing to cease operations. I think this is partly because the cancellation was early enough because if it becomes too late, then you have more expenditures coming in. The day we heard about the cancellation we made sure we didn’t have any expenditures we don’t need for the season.”
“I’m not so concerned for this year because we are in good financial position. We hope fans will return to the stadium, and they will feel comfortable sitting next to each other. We hope this pandemic will be solved by then.”
Many players, coaches, and staff notified ownership they want to be a part of Fort Wayne’s 2021 season. All sponsors are also staying with the team and supporting their efforts.
Magner’s plans to create a Fort Wayne FC women’s team will be pushed back another year. The goal originally was to play exhibition games this season with female athletes who have already registered, before joining the Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPSL) or United Women’s Soccer (UWS) the following year. Both leagues are considered a level below the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), often considered one of the most competitive leagues in the world for the sport. Exhibition games will now begin in 2021 in the hopes of fielding a professional team in 2022.
Perhaps most disappointing to the club is knowing the 2020 roster will never play against NPSL opposition.
“In my opinion, we had one of the strongest rosters in the conference, and maybe even in the entire Midwest,” said Magner. “I was amazed at what I saw at tryouts. Some of these players are a sliver away from being full professional players.”
However, the memory of these unprecedented times will not be forgotten any time soon.
“The jersey we’ve sold as merchandise is the number 20 for the inaugural season in 2020,” said Magner. “When we talked to the players, we realized how difficult it is for the players who make the roster. Then everything is cancelled.”
“There will never be another player that will wear the number 20 [for us]. Number 20 will be in the stadium, and it will be our fans wearing 20. Even years down the road, the number 20 will always be for the players that were selected and could never play the game. Number 20 will also reflect the victims of the pandemic.”
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