ASL: Connecticut United GM Talks Vision, Goals Ahead of Debut
- Updated: March 15, 2016
American soccer has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity, with multi-million dollar contracts up for grabs at the top of the pyramid.
Further down, success relies on how deep grassroots can reach. Ingrain yourself in the community and you’re well on your way to becoming the next Detroit City FC. Misapply resources, however, and you probably aren’t getting a second chance.
New England has seen its fair share of pitfalls and windfalls in lower division soccer and American Soccer League (ASL) newcomers Connecticut United FC aspire to be the latter.
Recently, NESoccerToday.com correspondent Ryan Dolan sat down with Daniel Hoskins, the General Manager and Sporting Director of Connecticut United FC. Edits have been employed for brevity. Here’s what he had to say.
NEST: Why ASL instead of, say, NPSL or PDL?
Daniel Hoskins: “NPSL is regionally not here, so that would make travel costs more expensive. It’s a much shorter season. There’s already a PDL team in CT. For what it’s worth, I think [Robin Schuppert] (GM of AC Connecticut) is doing a fantastic job over there. They have their market sorted and they’re doing very well for a PDL team now. Again it’s a short season, where the ASL gives us more time to develop younger players.”
Why New Britain?
Hoskins: “Well, I’m from [New Britain], so that’s always nice to be home. It’s a fantastic city. There hasn’t really been a city that’s as helpful as New Britain, so I can’t thank the Mayor and the Parks and Rec Department enough. [Team Owner] Greg [Bajek] has done business [in New Britain] previously so we know the market’s here.”
Why should the sporting public take you seriously given how often lower division soccer teams come and go these days?
Hoskins: “Don’t. Watch me. Watch us. Everybody has an opinion and everybody has the right to love us, hate us, whatever. I’m very unbashful about that. I just want to take care of our boys and that’s it. Honestly, that’s something that happens. Leagues come and go at this level and the reason being they’re not backed well.The league doesn’t necessarily matter. If you implement what we’re trying to implement, and make the focus on player development, I don’t care if we play in the CSL. That’s the thing. If that’s my main focus than, they’re going to come. All we can control is ourselves, and try to do the right thing ourselves and you hope the rest works out.
Where do you see the club in five years?
Hoskins: “Ideally, we’d all want to be at the highest level. The reality to the sport here and to any sport here is this has always been a minor league set up in a state. We want to come in, be realistic, be reasonable and add to that. Add to the team, add to the community. ‘Cause that’s the thing, we’re already trying to give back to the community. We want to make it sustainable; we want to make it a communal thing. I can promise you one thing: It will be a show, and it will be fun.”
Connecticut United FC opens the season Apr. 2 against the Philadelphia Fury.
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