I played from ages 5 through 18, walked on to a Division 1 team and then played at the University of Oxford.  Now I’m coaching my son’s youth team.  Coaches taught me a lot of life lessons and had a huge impact on my life.  Soccer is a way to connect and helped me with my own growth.  It taught me leadership and decision-making skills, discipline, teamwork toward a common goal, and perseverance in overcoming adversity to achieve a goal.  We want our young people to inspire others with purpose, direction and motivation.  Organized athletics offers this opportunity like few things can for kids.  The MSC had a massive impact on me with my life story and development.

Tyler Matthews

West Point Graduate

I started playing when I was 4 years old until I was a Senior in high school.  Soccer will always be a part of my identity as an athlete.  I first learned to be a leader through the skills I learned playing soccer.  These leadership lessons helped me tremendously as I moved on to the US military academy and then eventually to active service duty.  Organized athletics teaches teamwork, facing adversity and hard work, and leadership skills for the future.

Lindsey Kozuch

Major United States Army

I started at age 4 and played soccer through high school and college.  My coaches played a vital role in building life skills, such as perseverance, leadership and communication skills, and working as a team.  I also gained lifelong friendships.  MSC taught me how to be a better person.

Dr. Chelsea Haines

Midland Soccer Club 1992-2006

Albion College 2006-2010

Playing soccer at MSC instilled values of dedication and work ethic that I still use in my life to this day.   Being part of a team for 10 years has given me friends that I will have for life.

Kyle Hop

Graduate Student in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program

Grand Valley State University

I support this project both as a coach at John Glenn High School and as the North District Commissioner of MSYSA.    I think it would be great for MSC and the community.

Brian Scherzer

All young people need Developmental Assets to thrive. Organized youth programs can provide a plethora of Assets for youth. For some kids, youth sports are the perfect fit for experiencing Assets that help them thrive in all aspects of their lives. Local communities can show youth they matter by investing in programs, such as these.

Kathryn Tate, President & CEO

The Legacy Center for Community Success

At the MBA, we recognize the importance and value of sports-related travel spending to our area.  The Midland Soccer Club’s current tournaments bring nearly $3MM into the Great Lakes Bay Region (GLBR) through lodging, transportation, restaurants, and entertainment.

It is projected that the new indoor soccer facility will have a significant economic impact through recreational tourism to Midland and the surrounding counties.  I am excited about the potential that the new Indoor Athletic Facility has for Midland and the entire GLBR.

Tony Stamas

President & CEO

Midland Business Alliance

I am super excited about the new indoor soccer facility.  This will be a huge benefit to our entire community.  Midland is very lucky to have such a beautiful, top rated soccer complex.  However, as you travel around the state, one thing we are missing is an indoor facility. Nearly every big soccer community has an indoor facility.  Adding one in Midland is a win for the kids and a win for the community.  Having the ability to not only train indoors during the winter months, but to also host tournaments will have a huge economic impact on our community.

Kurt Ieuter, CPCU

Chief Executive Officer

Ieuter Insurance Group

As a parent of a former MSC player, I was delighted to see the plans that the club has rolled out for its new Indoor Facility. The Midland soccer community has needed something like this for a while, and its great to see this long-term vision being realized. Our fields are already well regarded across the state and adding an indoor component will take the MSC Complex to a new level.

John Hatfield

Former MSC Board Member

All three of our kids grew up through the Fusion soccer program.  Like many families, that left us handing kids off to friends, catching as many games as possible and getting them to what training was available.  If you go far enough back, that included the horse barn at 20 degrees, late on a Friday night or begging or borrowing gym time anywhere it was available. 

Now, we don’t generally buy lottery tickets, but if the pot of one of the national lotteries grew to be enormous, we would occasionally buy a few tickets for entertainment.  We would encourage the kids to use their imagination and offer what they would do with “their portion” of the winnings.  Each of them said they would donate money to build an indoor soccer facility on the soccer club’s grounds. 

Well, we still haven’t won the lottery, and the “kids” are now adults, but their dream became a reality, and there will now be a fantastic indoor facility for Midland area youth soccer players to train, no matter the weather.  We were thrilled to let our kids know that one of their childhood dreams was going to be a reality.  We often discuss philanthropy as a family, and our kids wanted to join together to make a family gift.  What a fantastic opportunity to give back and what an amazing gift to the next generation of Midland area soccer players.

The Rod and Jen Coleman Family, MSC Legacy Circle Members

Jen, Ellie, Alex, Max, Rod