Wizards Tap Into Springdale Talent
Last updated Tuesday, May 27, 2008 5:24 PM CDT in Sports
By Josh Souza
SPECIAL TO THE MORNING NEWS
SPRINGDALE - To the rest of the world soccer is regarded as the most affordable and accessible sport. That's not quite the case in the United States, where "the beautiful game" has become the unaffordable game for many.
Not so in Northwest Arkansas, though.
A new soccer club has emerged from the pack that will offer players a chance to play no matter what the size of their family's income.
The Arkansas Wizards, a Springdale-based club, is looking to revolutionize the soccer culture in Northwest Arkansas by offering not just a soccer club, but rather a soccer community.
"It seems pretty simple to me," said club co-owner Kara Darling. "To play this game you need a ball, a goal, and a group of kids. It should be the cheapest game around, but unfortunately it can get unaffordable for many families, especially in the Latino community."
What separates the Wizards from most clubs, other than their $40 a month fee, is their approach to the game. The club is far more than just a soccer team. For instance, they offer transportation, off the field activities, a chance to play in front of professional scouts and are the only bilingual club around.
The Wizards are affiliated with the MLS's Kansas City Wizards and serve as a farm system of sorts for the professional club.
"Our older teams get the opportunity to scrimmage against the pro-club throughout the year," Darling said. "It gives the kids the opportunity to show what they can do against professional competition which can open the door to a career in soccer."
The club is the brainchild of Darling's husband Jaime Hernandez and former professional soccer player Carlos Chicas.
"My husband played soccer all of his life, and he and I both wanted to start a club that was more like the clubs in Latin America," Darling said. "In most countries, clubs like this are very common.
"(Carlos) Chicas covered the KC Wizards (as a member of the local Hispanic media), and is the one who made the affiliation possible," Darling said. "From there we started with two teams and have since grown to 22 teams."
In order to keep costs down, the Wizards have aligned several sponsors to help make the club possible including: Arvest Bank, Car-Mart, La Hacienda, Wagoner Supply and HDZ Construction.
The club will hold tryouts for their fall season on July 9-11 at Springdale High for ages 13-22. For more information on the Arkansas Wizards call 927 2626.
"There is so much talent in this area that a soccer club like this was a must," said Darling. "It is our goal to have at least 10-percent of our players go to college on scholarship, and we would like to produce one professional level player every five years."
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