May 1, 2022 - Evansville, Indiana
INDIANA FIRE ACADEMY Strengthens Affiliation with INDIANA FIRE ACADEMY SOUTH
Chicago Fire FC recently announced some changes to their Fire Juniors affiliate program and future youth soccer development initiatives. These changes are in the best interest of youth soccer and player development and very positive for all Indiana Fire Juniors clubs (Indianapolis, "South" - Evansville, "North" and “Central” – Magic S.C., Alliance F.C, South Central Soccer Club will join us as Fire affiliates.)
Chicago Fire FC will be adjusting the relationship with its Indiana partners. Indiana Fire Junior families will see the following changes effective for the 2022-2023 season:
-Chicago Fire will be dropping the Juniors name from partner youth clubs
-Indiana Fire clubs will be adopting a more “local” name and logo
-Logo will be reflective of our Indiana home and will not be the same as the Chicago Fire Brand.
-The Chicago technical pathway will remain in place with regards to talent identification and technical support. The flagship relationship in Indiana that has created many former and current Fire first team players will remain intact.
-Indiana will now have full commercial autonomy. This opens numerous commercial opportunities and partner control including but not limited to sponsor opportunities on the fronts of our home and away jerseys.
Our mission, vision, and values continue, the leadership structure will remain the same, core and supplemental programming options will be unchanged and the leagues, tournaments, and other events we participate in will not be impacted by this change.
Since the Juniors name will be going away, our club’s new name will be Indiana Fire Academy South, beginning with 2022-2023 season. A new crest has been launched as well as new uniforms (our current 2-year uniform cycle ends this season). More details on these exciting changes plus other information for the 2022-2023 season will be shared as the next season approaches.
In other exciting news, our Indiana Fire (Juniors) South girls U13-19 program has been invited into the ECNL Regional League – Great Rivers Conference. We are excited about the opportunity to have teams participate in what has become an excellent avenue of high-level competition throughout the US. Additionally, our affiliate Indiana Fire Academy (Indianapolis) has recently been accepted to the boy’s Elite 64 National League for USYS. The Indiana Fire Academy is the only program in Indiana selected for competition in the Elite 64 and MLS next. These announcements combined with participation in the MLS Next and ECNL for girls, assures Indiana Fire clubs a pathway for competing at the highest level possible in the USA for U13 to U19 players.
As we move forward with these changes and new initiatives, we’re more excited than ever about the future of the game here Evansville and throughout Indiana. With 3 affiliate Indiana clubs to work with, it is an opportunity to provide you with the most optimal local, state, regional and national soccer experience in the USA!
News Link for ECNL: https://www.ecnlgirls.com/2022/04/12/ecnl-girls-launches-ecnl-regional-league-great-river/
News Link for Elite 64: https://www.usy
March 30, 2015- Indiana Fire Juniors of Indianapolis announces expansion to include Indiana Fire Juniors South of Evansville
TOWN HALL MEETING TO HIGHLIGHT DETAILS OF THE NEW INDIANA FIRE JUNIORS SOUTH
April 8, 2015, Evansville, IN – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Paul Cadwell, Director of Youth Programming with Major League Soccer (MLS) Chicago Fire Soccer Club will join members of the current Evansville Soccer Club and Flood Soccer Club at CMTC Soccer Center (2200 Lynch Road Bldg D., Evansville, IN 47711) on Thursday, April 7 at 6:00pm for a set of Town Hall meetings. Cadwell will present detailed information about the two club’s new affiliation with the Chicago Fire Soccer Club and partnership with Indiana Fire Juniors Soccer Club. He will be joined by staff from the Indiana Fire Juniors of Indianapolis. The presentation will highlight the impact the affiliation will have on current programming these clubs offer to over 600 youth in the tristate area.
Last week, leaders from the two Evansville youth soccer clubs announced they are going to merge to become the Indiana Fire Juniors South Soccer Club, a Chicago Fire Soccer Club affiliate. This marks the area’s first youth soccer club affiliation with a Major League Soccer club. The affiliation was made possible through a partnership with the Indiana Fire Juniors, an Indianapolis-‐based soccer club. This partnership will allow Indiana Fire Juniors South players access to elite programs such as the US Soccer Development Academy (DA), Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), and National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).
Indiana Fire Juniors South will serve its current membership of almost 600 players with continued high-‐ level, yet affordable soccer programming and also offer expanded opportunities to the Tri-‐State area at its home fields of Price Park, Goebel Soccer Complex and through year-‐round indoor training at CMTC Soccer Center.
About The Evansville Soccer Club & Flood SC
The Evansville Soccer Club (ESC) was founded in 2008 as a merger between Evansville Elite Soccer Club and NEYSC Blitz. In 2013, ESC announced an affiliation with Sportstutor and CMTC to form the Flood S.C., a program for boys and girls ages U13-‐U16 in the Tri-‐State Area to pursue and compete in youth soccer at a highly-‐competitive level. The Indiana Fire Juniors South will be the first local MLS soccer affiliate of its kind in the area backed by the professional support of the Chicago Fire and the grassroots club support of partner Indiana Fire Juniors.
About Indiana Fire Juniors South
The Indiana Fire Juniors was formed in May 2014 as a merger between Carmel United Soccer Club and Westfield Youth Soccer Club to create the largest, most comprehensive club in Central Indiana as an affiliation of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Chicago Fire. The Indiana Fire Juniors offers a comprehensive pyramid of player development for players ages 4 to adult at recreational through professional levels of play by combining the strengths of two of the most accomplished clubs in the area with the professional backing of an MLS club. The world-‐class sports complex Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana, serves as the home of the Indiana Fire Juniors.