SoccerToday NPSL Spotlight Series
Soccer News: The soccer scene has been exploding and the sport’s popularity increasing substantially. The National Premier Soccer League – NPSL for short – is the country’s largest amateur soccer league with 80 teams competing in 2016. SoccerToday’s special coverage on the this 4th Division of the U.S. Soccer pyramid, gives soccer fans a glimpse into the life of the teams. Just so you know, NPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Soccer Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and some NPSL teams have performed very well. NPSL is affiliated with both the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).
There’s no better way to learn about a team, then to talk to the Director of Soccer Operations himself. Check out what Chris Hanlon, Head Coach and Director of Soccer Operations of the Joplin Demize in Missouri has to say about his NPSL team.
Diane Scavuzzo: When did you become involved with the Joplin Demize men’s soccer team and the NPSL?
Chris Hanlon: I’ve been involved with this team from the very beginning. Chris Cotten, the Director with Joplin Parks & Recreation contacted me in the summer of 2012 to help the parks develop a soccer program for youth players with the idea of potentially having a senior men’s level semi-pro or 4th Division team.
The problem was there were no competitive youth soccer organizations that supported both the development and pathway for players of all ages to play in Joplin and it’s surrounding communities. So we were having a hard time creating this synergy. That following summer I got the opportunity to have a meeting with Ed Hershewe, a prominent lawyer in Joplin. Cotten and I had a meeting with Mr. Hershewe and I proposed starting an NPSL team, as a way to reverse the model, and start at the top down, where you bring the highest level of soccer through the NPSL to the Joplin community. Fortunately, Mr. Hershewe wanted to be a part of helping develop soccer in his community at both the youth and senior level and became the teams owner allowing for the purchase of the membership rights for the team and beginning the process of operating the team for the 2014 season.
Within a year of having an NPSL team, we had 120 Joplin Demize academy youth players on eight club teams from ages 8-18, on both the boys and girls sides. This helped create both a fan base and a local footprint for the NPSL team while establishing a unique soccer model in the Joplin area that did not exist prior to the Joplin Demize NPSL Team.
Diane Scavuzzo: Do you feel that NPSL is doing a good job with the challenges of amateur/pro men’s soccer?
Chris Hanlon: I think the NPSL has created a unique model, it is very user friendly for member teams. The league definitely gives teams more freedom in how they want to set their teams up; there is no international rule, no over-age rule and you have the ability to have NPSL Pro teams just like you can have NPSL amateur teams.
With new teams joining the NPSL, for example the Fort Lauderdale Strikers II, who are directly tied to their NASL side, just like what the MLS now does with the USL, allowing for a natural transition as you try to find organizations that line up with your clubs model and to have another way to develop players for the first team.
Diane Scavuzzo: The NPSL has teams in about 80 markets across the country – is your area in need of more competition?
Chris Hanlon: We definitely need more teams in the Midwest. We are at a growing stage in the NPSL and another 20-40 teams across the country would reach a point where it’s a sustainable organization it’s simply more difficult to operate a NPSL team due to the geography and population density in this area of the country compared to the east and west coast.
Diane Scavuzzo: How would you describe your team’s style of play?
Chris Hanlon: Our brand of soccer is an attacking style, we are trying to showcase soccer at the highest level, which means people want to see exciting, action, fast-paced, with many goal scoring opportunities. As a result, we expose our goalkeepers and our backline because we are going to push numbers forward and try to score goals as opposed to bunkering in and being more defensive minded. We’re going to try and beat you through possession and outscoring you, which can be a double edged sword when you play teams with high caliber players that once they are giving enough space and time, when we get caught in transition they will punish you. We play a 4-3-3. To create that environment and excitement where people will see plays that will make them want to come back to watch more Demize home games because win or lose it was exciting to be at the game.
Diane Scavuzzo: Would you like to see European style promotion and relegation exist in the USA?
Chris Hanlon: Yes, I think it would be fantastic, but I don’t think the application in regard to the geography of the United States and the number of professional/amateur teams that we have that would be potentially involved with a European style system and then the cost involved with the travel makes this format impossible. Financially it’s not realistic for a majority of teams out there to do this. Unfortunately, I don’t feel like we’re anywhere near a position to set up a system like that.
Diane Scavuzzo: What team do you believe does the best at promoting the game?
Chris Hanlon: The LA Galaxy, is one of the flagship franchises in US Soccer. They are a fantastic example of a team that has got a success both nationally and internationally outside of the CONCACAF.
Diane Scavuzzo: Who do you believe is your biggest rival?
Chris Hanlon: The Tulsa Athletics, 2 of the last 3 years they have been our conference champion.
Teams in Dallas and San Antonio are also high-level conference teams. What’s so unique about the South Central conference is that we currently are one of the largest in the NPSL with 13 teams and there are no weak sides. Every team brings something different to the table.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is your favorite memory since becoming involved with Joplin Demize?
Chris Hanlon: I have three favorites memories…
Our opening inaugural game, giving our owner Ed Hershewe a signed game ball from all the players and having all the players shake his hand because without Ed and his family’s support we would be well behind where we are now in trying to make a footprint in soccer in the Joplin community because there would not be a NPSL team for us to showcase soccer and get people in the community exposed to soccer at a different level, right here in there own backyards
When we found out that Mario Pinto was MITRE Player of the Week in Week 5, and later was named as one of the top 22 players in the NPSL. As a member of the all NPSL 2nd team where over 1,800 players across the country representing countries from across the globe are competing for that honor during the season. Both soccer enthusiasts, and youth players alike in Southwest Missouri got a chance to watch and meet one the leagues best.
Lastly, our fans, seeing the stadium that fits about 500 packed for our last home game on the 3rd of July and even when the weather was bad to look over at the stands and see hundreds of people in the pouring rain, watching and cheering for the Demize and then wanting to meet the players after the game, it was amazing to be a part of
Diane Scavuzzo: What are your goals for 2016?
Chris Hanlon: Our goals are is to represent our community, to represent the Hershewe family, in the manner befitting of the Joplin Demize, and make the conference playoffs and have the opportunity to win a regional and national championship.
