Pitch to Pro
Pitch to Pro is the official podcast of Ozark United FC. This will be our platform to tell our story about the club and the special place that we call home, Northwest Arkansas. This is a journey. We want to bring you along for the ride. We'll share what's going on behind the curtain, help educate the community at large about soccer, Our league, and give updates on the progress of the club along the way.
Together, we'll explore and unpack our journey to professional soccer, the magic that is NWA, our community, and talk all things soccer from on the pitch to behind the scenes, telling the story of our club.
Pitch to Pro
Ep. 49 - Outrigger Cup Brings Island Nations to NWA
Soccer history is coming to Northwest Arkansas! The Ozark United FC team reveals exclusive details about the upcoming Outrigger Challenge Cup, a groundbreaking international soccer tournament featuring teams from the US Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, and most notably, the Marshall Islands, who will be playing their first-ever international match.
Set for August 13-16 at Springdale High School's Jarrell Williams Stadium, this tournament represents far more than just competitive matches. It's a celebration of underrepresented island nations and a unique cultural exchange opportunity for our community. The hosts share the compelling story of how they've organized this historic event, from coordinating international teams to partnering with local businesses and schools. What makes this tournament particularly special is its community focus; all ticket proceeds (just $5 per match) will directly benefit Springdale High School's soccer programs.
The podcast offers a comprehensive breakdown of the tournament schedule, including the Marshall Islands' historic debut on August 14th, which will follow Ozark United's U19 Academy team playing their first official match. Beyond the competition, listeners will learn about additional activities, including opening ceremonies and closing celebrations. The hosts also reveal their vision for making this an annual tradition, with next year's tournament strategically planned to coincide with the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Whether you're a soccer enthusiast, cultural ambassador, or simply looking for a unique community event, mark your calendars and be part of something truly historic. Can't attend in person? The hosts share how matches will be streamed online, making this milestone accessible to viewers worldwide.
Pitch to Pro is the official podcast of Ozark United FC. This will be our platform to tell our story about the club and the special place that we call home, northwest Arkansas. This is a journey we want to bring you along for the ride. We'll share what's going on behind the curtain, help educate the community at large about soccer, our league, and give updates on the progress of the club along the way. Together, we'll explore and unpack our journey to professional soccer, the magic that is NWA, our community, and talk all things soccer from on the pitch to behind the scenes, telling the story of our club.
Speaker 1:Pitch to Pro podcast is proudly sponsored by podcast videoscom. Podcast videoscom is northwest arkansas's premier podcast recording studio, equipped with industry-leading equipment. The recording studio and services save you time, money and hassle. They are dedicated to helping you create, record and publish high quality podcasts for your audience. Be sure to check them out today at podcastvideoscom. Let's talk about you know how you guys are going to play your first match. You're hosting a event. Talk a little bit about that right here in Northwest Arkansas in the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 2:We are. So we're actually going to be able to bring international football to Northwest Arkansas, I believe, for the first time. I haven't looked at all the history books, but I think that this may be the first time that we've had an international match that's going to be hosted out in Springdale. Specifically, it's going to be called the Outrigger Challenge Cup. Officially, technically, this is the second iteration of the event. Last year we were able to host an inter-island competition, uh, between majiro quadrillion, I believe. Uh, micronesia and a couple other uh teams were able to take part. Um, it was small-sided out there. Uh, it wasn't the 11 v11 that we know.
Speaker 2:So this year annual uh second annual event we are bringing the us, virgin islands, turks, caicos, and we're even going to be including the U19 Academy for Ozark United. We're incredibly excited about that, as we're hosting here in Northwest Arkansas, being able to include both programs that are kind of coming up at the same time. It's going to be an incredible event because you're pulling from two different sources. Well, you've got people that are local and love the game and have seen Academy football and all things like that, and we may be getting a lot of people that haven't watched soccer before, but they understand the cultural impact of it too. So this is going to be a great event. We'll be holding matches on the 13th. It's going to be US Virgin Islands versus Turks and Caicos. On that first match, we're all hosted at Springdale High School, the new stadium that they've just had renovated out there. And then the Marshall Islands are going to be playing their first match on Thursday, august 14th, at 8 pm on that same field. Yes, and so we're same field, amazing, yes, and so we're definitely excited to get that going. We're going to have the team start flying in next Friday, I believe, and so things are starting to get really real. Yeah, a place that we're staying.
Speaker 2:I'll give my plug out to Mount Sequoia Center in Fayetteville. They have been more than accommodating, with everything we need. It's kind of a cool scenario that may not happen too often. Koya Center in Fayetteville They've been more than accommodating, with everything we need. It's kind of a cool scenario that may not happen too often, but we're going to have all three teams staying in the same area, kind of cohabitating together. This is obviously a first event of its kind for the Marshall Islands, but it's really more of a tournament that brings awareness to the island nations, the smaller, underrepresented, the ones that may not make it to a fifa world cup or ever, ever so, where we're really excited to have those smaller nations flying. They're excited too. They're bringing full squads um, people that have been playing and professional, semi-professional, collegiate all the different levels of football are going to be here and it's going to be so exciting that's great.
Speaker 1:So August 14th 2025, mark the date. Yes, first ever match for the Marshall Islands. That's really cool. Yeah, woody's going to get a tattoo, maybe Lloyd. No, I don't want to, maybe Lloyd.
Speaker 2:But we've got a whole bunch of series of things that are happening. All the teams are going to be training at the same location. Springdale High School is just fantastic to work with Eric Burnett, one of the athletic directors out there. He has just championed this event as well and made it so hospitable to work with us, letting us use their facilities and everything. If you haven't been out there, just go to check out how cool the stadium is. They've got a massive board. The field is just immaculate, you know kind of a really, really class stadium, and we're excited to be able to work with them and get all of our teams training and playing there for the entire week.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of stadium, woody, can I attend these matches?
Speaker 2:Of course, you can attend. Yes, we're going to have tickets that are available at the gate. Okay, right now they're going to be $5 per match. So come on out. We've got the Wednesday match. That's US Virgin Islands versus Turson Caicos. It's going to be held, like I said, at Gerald Williams Stadium, springdale High School.
Speaker 2:We have our first Marshall Islands match. That's taking place on August 14th. That will be the second of a doubleheader. Yes, the first game is going to feature Ozark United U19 Academy team, I believe for their first match as well, since they have had rosters announced. Yeah, their first official match. That's going to be fun. We're going to have them suit up in their new kits as well. Eno, lever and America's Car Mart and Children's out there too. Fantastic, and all the work that's gone on with that too. It's just brilliant.
Speaker 2:Then the last matches are going to wrap up on Saturday, august 16th. The first match is going to be at 1 pm and then the second match is going to be at 4. We'll have opening ceremonies that second night of matches. So on Thursday, before the Marshall Islands plays theirs, we're going to have some festivities out at the stadium. Bring all your kids. It's going to be a historic moment where we're going to make everything pretty incredible for all this cultural awareness that comes up and make sure that everything's really documented, because people are going to want to see this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. We have a lot of broadcasting people that are very interested as well, that want to make sure that the story is told, and then we'll wrap up, like I said, on the 16th. On Saturday, we'll have awards presented. We've got some really cool medals to give out for the champions. We've got a Best Player trophy, and then we've got a really nice champion of the tournament trophy as well. If anybody wants to come out, they're welcome to come to Mount Sequoia that evening too, and we're going to have another closing ceremony between everybody. That's there, kind of like a party to wrap everything up before people depart the next day yeah, that's amazing, and the proceeds of the tickets, those go yeah, that's the community.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's one of the best parts about this. Is that, um, for every ticket sold for people that go and turn up in stadium, all of that money goes right back to Springdale High School. It's going to go directly to the men's and women's soccer team, which, right now in the world, every little dollar that can go back to schools is just fantastic. So that's one of the best parts is that, yes, we're being able to showcase what we have and make this a huge you know, international cultural event, but we're not forgetting about where our roots are. Really. We're in Springdale, we're in this great little corner in the state, and we want to make sure that we're lifting everybody up as we do this, and that's kind of our way of giving back, not only for them, letting us use their amazing stadium and everything there too, but we want to make sure that soccer is supported in the communities all around.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, I love that, and so you know they're to historic or they're to witness historic event, but also support, you know, local community, Absolutely, so that's awesome. So talk a little bit about you know how how does this tournament, how's it going to impact? You know NWA, other than you know what we just talked about, which was you know, obviously, other than you know what we just talked about, which was you know, obviously, the impact for springdale uh, men's and women's high school soccer yeah, sure, um, so we're hoping that you know all.
Speaker 2:What is it? 500 000 plus show up to these games probably won't happen, but it would be really cool, um, what it means long term for our organization. We will still have our annual women's camp. That's going to be the next thing that we plan out. I think the last two years it's been in February or so. So that's what we'll start getting on to.
Speaker 2:Next, if we want to talk about what we're doing with the kids, we have coaching clinics that are going on right now and making sure that the people that are local, that want to be involved in coaching soccer, are able to. So we've got some training initiatives going on there. And again, that feeds right back in to working with some of the kids. And especially, we've worked with Joe Mardale Pena. He's part of the Islander Youth Athletic Outreach Program that's based out of Springdale and it works with all the different kids that are Marshallese and other from all the island nations. So we've got that. That's going to be ongoing as well. We're going to have training for the kids to work together. You know, grow up together playing the great game, and then it feeds in to what we're going to have is the third annual Outrigger Cup. There's this little startup tournament that's coming to the United States next year. It's called the FIFA World.
Speaker 1:Cup and's actually going to be startup.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we're planning to have our Outrigger Cup moved up a couple months compared to where it is this year, and we hope to really gather some of that energy that people are feeling towards the World Cup.
Speaker 2:Um, they're going to be, you know, feeding for soccer and ready for it to happen. Um, there's a lot of people that aren't going to be able to go to the games. Yes, you know, a lottery just to get tickets. Tickets are expensive, you have to travel, um, and a lot of these things just aren't available to a lot of people, and so what we want to do is make this, you know, international football, accessible to everybody that's in the region as well that may not be able to go up to Kansas City, to Dallas, to St Louis, wherever they're having the games. It just isn't possible sometimes. So, two weeks give or take before the World Cup, we're actually going to be doing the same thing next year and on and on, but we're really excited for the opportunity of what this year sets up in the future.
Speaker 2:This isn't just a kind of one and done, where we're really kind of positioning ourselves with different organizations in Northwest Arkansas, I'll get experience payable, like Swar Springdale, slim's Chickens, ones that have helped us out already in a few different ways. We've started these partnerships that aren't just hey, can you help out this year? What can we do for catering? Are you able to help us out with marketing or merchandise? These are conversations that we have about two, three, five years in the future. They really see it as a big investment into the area as well, and we're really excited that it's not just a one and done.
Speaker 2:As happy and tired as we are right now about about this year, uh, it's, you know, going to be a week off maybe, and then we start planning for the next one. Yeah, um, and that's just kind of how it rolls. And so we really want to make sure that soccer is brought to this area, um, and everybody has access to it at any stage, not just people that are playing record recreationally, not just people that want, people that want to go and see a semi-professional and professional match that's coming soon too but keep international soccer coming to Northwest Arkansas, because it just brings so much more attention to the area, to everything that's got going on here and all those other extracurriculars that happen that not everybody gets to know about, because we've got a good little corner in the state here that we hope that everybody can experience as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and I think that's so well put and I just love to watch you guys continue to grow and build what you're doing. And you know. Again, I just want to say I commend you guys for you know, leaning in and being a part of the journey and just helping. This is the I always tell people. You know that. Why do you like your job and all of that and it's you know, the pro team when it gets here, great That'll be. You know I'm so excited for you know what that'll mean and going to the stadium and uh, to, to matches and to be able to do that and support it.
Speaker 1:But what I love most is is how soccer just brings people together. Um, and it's the universal handshake is, uh, dropping a ball at at our feet and just saying, you know, it's a nice anything so simple too, exactly, and so it's. It's just, um, doing good through soccer and helping bring people together and build a community. So, and there's no better example of that that I can think of right now. Then then, what you guys are doing with the Marshall Island soccer. So, um, any, any last words for folks in NWA and coming out again, I think it's the dates, just remind people and then also can they watch it if they can't make it out, for whatever reason. And just where should people go for more info? That kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we're about two weeks out now. First match is going to be on Wednesday the 13th, taking place Again all of these matches at Springdale High School. We're going to have the first Marshallese game on Thursday, august 14th. We're going to have a doubleheader that day, as well as a doubleheader again on Saturday where all four teams are going to be playing Ozark United, united teams included. If you're interested and have a kid in the area that wants to go to a free clinic, we have a group that is going to be starting on the friday night between those games at sonora middle school more details to come about. That is going to be for fifth through eighth graders, divided into two different sessions.
Speaker 2:Yes, we do have links for people that are not local or people that you know can't make it out to the game. We'll be able to drop that link to make sure that that's attached to this. It. It will be streaming. Again, we have really good partners at Speedio that are providing cameras, helping us with software and getting all that set up Really great people that have put in a lot to this project as well.
Speaker 1:That's great, so remind folks on where they can go for more info. You guys have a website. You can get to social media.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a really simple website, rmisoccer and you can go on there find any of the information. There's a lot of different media that's being added each day. We've just recently announced our squad list. We have people that got their letters. For the first time, we have video of them opening up saying just what it means to be selected for the first team for the first match. It's just incredible, for the first match. It's just incredible. So, if you can go there, you can find GoFundMe that we still have. We're taking donations of all time, all kinds. We are a charitable organization. If anybody wants to get in touch about working together next year as well. Like I said, this is an annual project. It's not going away. It's really big to the area and, the most important thing, thank you for supporting the game, thank you for supporting Northwest Arkansas, thank you for supporting the Marshallese community as we go into a really, really historical moment in the words of soccer out there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you, woody. I love that and can't wait to be a part of the event and be there, not going to miss it for the world. So appreciate everything that you guys are doing and best of luck to you guys and putting on a great event. So that'll do it for this episode of Pitch the Pro. We hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to catch all of our episodes on pitchtheprocom or look for us on Pitch the Pro YouTube, spotify, apple, wherever you get your podcasts for more content until next time. Northwest Arkansas Cheers. Thanks for joining us on this episode of the Pitch to Pro podcast. Be sure to tune in again in two weeks for the next installment and check out the stoppage time series for a recap of today's episode. Be sure to find us at Pitch to Pro on YouTube, instagram and everywhere you get your podcasts. Until next time. Northwest Arkansas Cheers.