What we know about Springfield's new soccer entry into the USL League 2

Springfield Athletic Sporting Club co-owners Anthony Lambert and Lauren B. Cramer are shooting for more than just local entertainment.

They also want to enhance soccer’s growing popularity and elevate the Springfield area’s pool of talent.

The newfangled Springfield ASC Under-23 men’s soccer team is scheduled to commence its inaugural season this May in the pre-professional USL League Two, per a recent announcement by the United Soccer League.

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That’s just part of their initiative.

Future plans also include Lambert’s New York-based nonprofit Champs United soccer academy and a new performance training facility. Lambert founded the youth development program in 2007, with Cramer’s assistance.

Lambert said they wanted to expand operations with a new chapter and facility — and USL provided the competitive platform.

“The sport itself continues to grow in the U.S., and Springfield being a part of that growth is a wonderful thing,” Lambert said.

'HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE COMMUNITY'

Nothing specific currently exists for the team's envisioned building other than a site plan and a looming feasibility study, Lambert said. Ditto a set date for the youth academy.

But Lambert said it’s all about taking baby steps at the moment.

“We've been looking forward to doing this,” Lambert said. “This is not something that we started talking about a couple of weeks ago, it's been a couple of years. Now we're in the space where we are ready to make it happen and take on as much input as we possibly can from the community and just grow with it from there and just make sure that we grow hand-in-hand with the community.”

‘RIGHT IN THEIR BACKYARD’

Lambert, who also serves as a head scout with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, said he met in June with local soccer groups such as the Springfield Area Soccer Association, YMCA and University of Illinois-Springfield.

They want to complement these local entities, not compete against them. He described the academy as a lending hand for both boys and girls.

“The impact we're looking to have is we want to have the ability to just have a positive impact and form a strong relationship with the community and try to create new job opportunities, try to create the city's home team as well as another form of entertainment leaning towards the professional space,” Lambert said.

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Including both boys and girls mirrors the makeup of the ownership, Cramer said. They also foresee a women’s club team down the road.

“I am really excited about the opportunities for boys and girls, and men and women,” said Cramer, an attorney for nonprofit groups and a Northwestern University graduate. “And soccer is really big for girls as well and to be able to build on what's already there and give greater options and opportunity for them is really important to both of us.”

The academy, with teams ranging from Under-19, Under-17 and Under-15, would specifically address the area’s lack of elite amateur teams, Lambert said.

“It's a bit of a challenge when players have to travel an hour-and-a-half or two hours out,” Lambert said. “Now they don't have to do that lengthy travel. They can spend more time training on the pitch than having to sit four hours round trip. They can spend more quality time training because what they're looking for, it's right in their backyard.”

LOOKING FOR A NICKNAME

Springfield ASC still needs to find a temporary home for the upcoming season. A schedule also needs to be determined, but it will include other teams in the Heartland Division. According to USL spokesperson Will McClaran, 35 expansion teams will commence this season and also includes Peoria.

What will this particular team look like?

Lambert envisions a mix of local, national or even international athletes. That could include high school players if talented enough.

“The biggest thing is just making sure we have really, really good quality so that we can put on a good performance every single time and really entertain the fans,” Lambert said.

Lambert and Cramer will also comb for a new nickname, which can be suggested on the club's Instagram, Twitter or TikTok social media accounts.

Contact Bill Welt: bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield Athletic Sporting Club to launch in growing USL League 2