May Academy Affiliate Club Spotlight: Sporting Arkansas

May 25, 2021
Affiliate News

CLUB BIO

Sporting Arkansas was formed in 1998 as FC United under the direction of Jim Long. In 2015, the club became the 14th affiliate club of Sporting Kansas City and re-branded to Sporting Arkansas.

Sporting Arkansas is a member of both US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer.

The mission of Sporting Arkansas is to teach players life lessons through positive character traits such as good sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork, personal responsibility, perseverance, respecting opponents and officials, innovation, and honor of the game.

Sporting Arkansas strives to be the premier player development club in the region.

CLUB RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Announced new Director of Coaching in February, Scott Marksberry
  • Launched various new programs, increasing access to soccer for young players

COACH SPOTLIGHT

Julio Moreno & Fredy Diaz
Coach, 2006 Boys Premier

Coach Julio and Coach Fredy have done an amazing job of building up a top class team of young men! These coaches drive around our community to pick several of the boys up before training, and drive the boys back home after training.

They have maintained a professional training environment, but they have also cultivated a family atmosphere within their team. These coaches have set a great standard for our club to follow, in terms of engaging young men from our community who really need to be engaged in the game.

The coaches and their players are always the first in our club to step up to manage the concessions stand, weed-eat fence lines, mow grass, or complete any other work around the facility.

And, on top of all that, they are a force on the field!

Jenna Taylor Fisher
Coach, 2007 Girls

Coach Jenna has been coaching our 2007 Girls while also serving as the assistant coach for the women’s teams at John Brown University.

Coach Jenna has a distinct focus on building up young women who understand competition and excellence, and who will commit to technical and fitness development.

Coach Jenna has also been a resource for other teams in our club and has served as our unofficial club nutritionist, preparing other teams in the proper ways to eat, hydrate, and recover while they are preparing for big events.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Blake Curriden
2004 Boys

Blake helped build a team for the club this spring out of players who did not have the opportunity to play high school soccer.
A student at a local charter school that does not have soccer, Blake showed up to training, even when there were only a handful of players.
The team eventually identified enough players to participate in a couple of tournaments, even making it to the final of one event after a thunderous set-piece goal by Blake.

Violet Jackson
2009 Girls

Violet has been a magnetic force for our club all year!
Since we launched pickup soccer nights this spring, it is rare to come to the fields during a pickup game without seeing and hearing Violet out on the field.
She is the first to greet a new player who walks into the complex, and she is a great ambassador for the club to new girls who arrive in town.

For more information on Sporting Arkansas please visit SportingArkansas.org and follow them on Twitter and Facebook or Instagram.