Fort Wayne Sport Club is being honored as a 5-Star Club by the Indiana Soccer Association, recognizing the local soccer organization as one of the tops in the state.
"This shows to families that we are held to that higher standard," Fort Wayne Sport Club youth soccer vice president Todd Gilpin tells ParkviewSportsMedicine.com. "It's a banner to say I play for that club, and that I'm part of that family. It's really holding yourself to a standrd and continuing to strive to get better as an organization."
The 5-Star program is an initiative started by the Indiana Soccer Association about 2 years ago with hopes of growing the quality, compliance and capacity of soccer in the Hoosier State. 5-Star members earn their recognition by meeting certain criteria within five categories: governance, education, risk management, communications/marketing and alignment with the Indiana and U.S. soccer associations.
For Fort Wayne Sport Club, the quest to be a 5-Star club organization started about a year ago, when the board of directors chose to take part in the program. In July of 2019, Fort Wayne Sport Club was the first soccer club in Indiana to earn its first star. In the months that followed, administration, players, coaches and parents all did their part in pushing the club to 5-Star status.
"Like most things, getting started and getting over that intial hump is the toughest thing to do. Once you get it rolling, you get everyone on board and you start building mommentum," Gilpin adds.
Fort Wayne Sport Club is one of three 5-Star programs statewide. The 5-Star program requires yearly renewal, so Fort Wayne Sport Club officials must resubmit their club plans to keep the recognition in 2021.
In the meantime, Fort Wayne Sport Club looks ahead to summer adult rec league season and youth tryouts on June 22. Registration for both are available at fortwaynesportclub.com.
Fort Wayne Sport Club partners with Parkview Sports Medicine for athletic training, nutrition, sports performance training, athletic rehab and other sports medicine services for more than 1,000 athletes who compete in the club. Learn more at www.parkviewsportsmedicine.com.