Ep. 15 - Part 2 - Building a Nation: Weaving the Game into the Fabric of the Marshall Islands

Welcome back to Part 2 of our Marshall Islands Special! Embark on a historical journey with us as we delve into the groundbreaking formation of the Marshall Islands' first national soccer team, featuring insights from the Marshall Island Soccer Association's very own, Lloyd Owers and Matt Webb. As we chat with these soccer pioneers, we uncover the deep-rooted connections between the thriving Marshallese community in Northwest Arkansas and their pivotal role in the local soccer narrative. From their migration to the Tyson plants to the sport's development, it's a story of community and passion that's transforming the beautiful game in our backyard.

The pitch just got a whole lot more exciting as we explore the integration of players from various backgrounds, including the Solomon Islands and U.S.-based players, and how this diversity is sculpting the future of Marshallese soccer. The emergence of women's soccer poses its own unique set of challenges and opportunities in a culture where it's still in its infancy – a stark contrast to its popularity stateside. We also highlight the ingenious steps we're taking to cultivate young talent and build a more inclusive sports environment that transcends cultural barriers.

Rounding off our fascinating discussion, we shine a light on the creative methods employed to craft a proactive player database. Kudos to Pat McStay's networking finesse, as we navigate the intriguing paths to discovering soccer talent, from the virtual fields of Football Manager to the real-life pitches of Arkansas. Join us as ambassadors of the Soccer Federation, embracing the camaraderie of our community and the shared mission to elevate soccer in Northwest Arkansas to unprecedented levels. Your support means the world to us, and together, we're making history on the soccer stage.

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:04

Pitch to Pro is the official podcast of USL Arkansas. 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 Podcast is proudly sponsored by PodcastVideoscom. Podcastvideoscom is Northwest Arkansas' 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.

Speaker 2: 1:07

Hello everybody and welcome back to the Pitch to Pro podcast. I'm your host, wes Harris, managing Director for USL Arkansas, northwest Arkansas's professional soccer club, playing in the United Soccer League. I am super stoked to continue this conversation today. We've got our friends from the Marshall Island Soccereration back with us. Uh, just to remind everybody, we've got mr lloyd owers, our technical director, and commercial marketing director, mr matt webb. Gents, thank you so much for coming back and joining us. Hopefully we'll round out a really awesome discussion from from part one here today. So thank you. Pleasure to be back, yeah, go, yeah, uh, you, you have to watch the first episode if you have it, because you'll understand why the kit and and and where we're here. But I'm very happy to only be sporting and we even changed the lighting for you guys here. I think you know I I even put on the orange ring. I mean, I'm a brand ambassador. But thank you guys so much for coming back and joining us.

Speaker 2: 2:06

Just to refresh everybody's memory really quickly Marshall Islands group of islands and atolls in the Pacific. They're the last UN nation in the world to have a national soccer team, but these folks are working to change that. So very quickly and very soon. No more. So wonderful to kind of see the journey and talk a little bit about it, and last time you know, we kind of talked about the history of the project, what you guys are aiming to do short, long term.

Speaker 2: 2:35

Today's episode. I thought we'd dive a little bit deeper into the connection to here in Northwest Arkansas and how you guys are going to be involved here, because you will have a really solid presence here and we'll talk a little bit about that. Yep, and again, just to remind everybody, northwest Arkansas has the largest population of Marshallese people anywhere in the world outside of the Marshall Islands. World War II US tested some nukes and other bombing in and around the islands and as a result of that, a lot of people flooded the area and they found work here in Northwest Arkansas at the Tyson plants, along with a lot of I'm oversimplifying it, I don't want to do it a disservice, but that's kind of the main you know drawn and kind of how they found their way here throughout that process.

Speaker 2: 3:19

And now that population has grown they're very communal people and they like to have their communities has grown. They're very communal people and they like to have their communities and so that's grown into now almost more than 15,000 people, uh, marshallese living in NWA, mostly in Springdale, um, but we have this incredible and you guys have this incredible, you know population base here to to kind of work in and around with um, even outside of the Marshall Islands, and your work there, um, how does Northwest Arkansas and the broader US and the broader diaspora kind of play into your plans for building your project.

Speaker 1: 3:51

It's key because, even though the game is growing in the Marshall Islands, it's still relatively new and even though we have players that play same, again it's still relatively new. We have got some players. That it's good, because we have players that are eligible to play in the Marshall Islands that are technically not Marshallese. Yeah, they would be either born there or have lived there basically their whole lives, because parents moved there when they were very young and sometimes, especially the guys from Solomon Island and Futsal being huge there, they've had a massive impact in terms of the development of the game there. But it's still new.

Speaker 1: 4:31

So, in terms of the US, we've got players that are more established. We've got players in the US college system on the male and female side. We've got players on the female side that are high school players that play at a good level and because of that it brings that, even though they're young, it gives a different level of experience. Yeah, combined with the players in the martial islands. So that gives the opportunity to combine it to have a more of a powerful team when we have that presence. But on the female side specifically, um, there is no real sort of coaching or sorry player culture in the US. Sorry in the Marshall Islands, sorry for female players In the US.

Speaker 1: 5:07

Obviously it's massive, yeah. So we want to have that focus and have those players as role models, inspiration of, yeah, you can do this as well. And long-term, hopefully, we'll have players from the Marshall Islands playing in the female-type team that, yeah, other players can look up to as well. Yeah, yeah, the US is going to that other players can look up to as well. The US is going to be huge for that, because it just brings that level of player who have grown up playing and hopefully that can inspire players in the martial arts to do the same thing. No, that's great.

Speaker 2: 5:35

That's great. Talk a little bit about other pockets that you guys have kind of discovered through your work in terms of where some of those other pockets and bases might be for you guys, where you may, you know, explore and work with those communities. Talk about what that landscape looks like.

Speaker 3: 5:51

We were finding out all the time, aren't we? We were uncovering the pockets of Marshallese. Everyone was telling us about it. Was it Utah? There's a team of guys out there.

Speaker 1: 5:59

Yep, Basically the whole team of Marshallese players are playing like a rec league Marshallese.

Speaker 3: 6:04

Wow, goldmine. Yeah, we found out recently. Oklahoma's a big one, california.

Speaker 1: 6:10

Yeah, we're still in Reno Nevada.

Speaker 3: 6:12

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 6:13

Washington State yeah, we've got the two college players in Philadelphia away. I can't remember where, but around that area.

Speaker 3: 6:18

Basically, I think our goal is. This is what we're doing now is trying to. Can we get like a database of every single one? Yeah, ask if these persons ever kicked a soccer ball. We want to know about you honestly, like at whatever level, because we're not just trying to find national team players. We're trying to find anybody at any level recreation, youth players. We want to help you where we can as well.

Speaker 1: 6:39

Eight-year-olds are playing sport around Springdale and it might be something that we don't have them on the database. We know their name, but we have parents' details that because long-term they might be 10 years done, they might be an 18-year-old playing in the national team. So, yeah, we want to be able to track everyone.

Speaker 3: 6:53

Yes, and Hawaii's another one. We haven't scratched the surface of it. Obviously, marshall is jasper there and yeah, found it, but yeah, so that's kind of where we're at at the moment. We're kind of discovering and we're trying to build the connections, uh, higher level, more of an organizational nda stuff as well yeah, um, ngo, even um, to find out where these people are and, yeah, reach out to them. Yeah, so we're at this outreach kind of phase.

Speaker 2: 7:13

Um, yeah, so talk a little bit about you guys this trip, this time, and kind of what you guys are doing, who you're meeting with, what are your goals. Uh, tell us a little bit about what you guys are doing yeah, it's been.

Speaker 3: 7:25

How long we've been here? About three days. You don't mean in three days, it feels like three months. Yeah, it's ridiculous, it's so long, but in a good way. Yeah, so why have two british guys flown halfway across the road to be in springdale, arkansas and we're loving it, by the way, what a place, yeah, nice place. Yeah, many misconceptions.

Speaker 2: 7:41

I was like, wow, what a place yeah, yeah, there are, and that's that's what we deal with. A lot is misconceptions and nobody really understands it. Until you're here, yeah, um, and then you know, you kind of depending on, on your cup of tea or whatever, but you get a much better feel and those, those misconceptions are just blown away. So they uh, and oftentimes people want to stay yeah, um should we change our flights?

Speaker 1: 8:03

I gotta say, like, even though it has felt, yeah, like you said, three months, yeah, it's in a good way. Oh, yeah, there are and we have to be honest, there are times where you're like the downside of the project is the reality of the project. Yeah, because of things where, you know, last night, for example, we were expecting 12 to 15 male players who reached out to us for players that wanted to be a part of the program, and for those guys, it's an opportunity to be at least seen for a national team's ability. We end up with four. Right, okay, this is the reality of it, but at the same time, we know that there are four dedicated people, regardless of level, and then there are four people that could potentially spread the word again longer term. So, yes, so it's still, uh, a massive bonus that we did have the session. We had an opportunity to see people. It's just a shame it wasn't quite what we expected, but we still had things happening.

Speaker 2: 8:53

Nothing but positives, yeah, and this is a positive out of it and this is your first trip, though, right, yeah, and, and in trying to set up any, any kind of those sessions or anything like that. So, so next time it could be bigger. Yeah, next time that word will get out. Yeah, you know all that kind of stuff.

Speaker 3: 9:06

I guess it's fitting to say like the primary objective of why we're here is to hold the first ever national women's team futsal First camp. Not even just women First national camp. Well, um, and it happens to be like, by the way, one of the things we're trying to push like could it be the women's first ever country to have a women's team play before the men's yeah, it's like a real yeah is we don't know yet, we're just trying to scope out, I mean, a real possibility, and that dovetails into kind of the growth of the women's game, yeah, uh, which is just skyrocketing, right as it should, right, like gosh whatever it's, whatever comes naturally.

Speaker 3: 9:39

We came in maybe assuming in the Marshall Islands anyway the male kind of team would take prominence in the Marshall Islands. It is the case. But in the US we've been blown away and that's why we're holding this camp. We saw some of the female players who were expressing an interest to play, seeing their clips on Instagram, going some ballers here. Potentially we need to like.

Speaker 1: 9:57

O'Neill, who's flying in from California, scores goals. For Fumbler looks a bit uninstitutional. Yeah, yeah, she plays high school level in California, yeah, and obviously she scores a lot of goals and you know we want to bring her in. And we've got another girl. We've got Stani, who's, you know, a keeper, really promising yeah, promising keeper that Collier is looking at. She's only high school level now and being invited in to train massive potential.

Speaker 3: 10:17

Yeah, we wouldn't be here if we didn't think there was potential. We're not just doing this because for any reason so we've seen in players we want to bring them together under one facility, have a bit of a practice and introduce them to each other, trying to create a sense of community. Yeah, and if we take a look and you think there's potential there, then can we look forward in a couple months time. We've got an opportunity.

Speaker 1: 10:38

I won't say the country, but I don't want to give it away too much in case it doesn't happen. Yeah, yeah, potential and a very interesting country, who are a CONCACAF nation, not the US or Canada or Mexico, yeah, but still a CONCACAF, fifa-recognized nation, who are interested in playing a female fixture here in Springdale? Oh, wow, that would be so cool.

Speaker 3: 11:03

We want here in Springdale oh, wow, that would be so cool we want Springdale to be the hub for any martial arts activity in the country. It makes sense to us. Yeah, and obviously a little sideline, we met with yourself. Yeah, and obviously everything we do with US Arkansas there's some symmetry there of what's going on. Yeah, absolutely. I think yeah, building together and using facilities, some real productive chats with local schools and high schools and universities. The other side, yeah, went to the RMI consulate yesterday of Springdale of Arkansas. So building it from an off-the-pitch level, what can we do to do more in your community?

Speaker 2: 11:36

So that's super important too. How do you get plugged in? Because that's going to be key for you guys, too, and key for us as well. I mean, they're going to be a big part of our fan base as well here in Northwest Arkansas. So, yeah, I think there's a ton that we can do together for sure, as we've kind of talked about and alluded to. But you know rising tides and rising tides, growth of the game, rising tides, lift all boats. You know rising tides and rising tides, growth of the game, rising tides, lift all boats. So, but that's awesome. That sounds like you guys have had a busy schedule. Still more to go and your first trip of hopefully.

Speaker 2: 12:13

You know, benny, this thing starts to snowball and you guys continue to grow and develop and start making those plans. That'd be incredible. I know I'm already kitted out, I'm ready, I'm ready for that match that you're talking about, right, yeah, so, um, talk a little bit about, about, you know, we talked about the senior level and kind of what you guys are doing a little bit on the Marshall islands. What do you guys kind of aspire to do and look to do within anything with the youth, um, and and how do you start to build a talent base, um in base, in that, both on the islands and elsewhere, it's kind of a bit of a unique not that unique, but it's definitely more prevalent of a split between kind of the home-based country and then this other pocket of diaspora around the world and here in Spring springdale, a bit of a concentration, obviously. But you know, talk a little bit about that and how you guys have to manage that.

Speaker 1: 13:07

And then cultivating the, the talent pool um, so the marsh islands itself have like the youth structure. That links into the philosophy of how we want to play as a nation. Yep, it's harder to implement that for the us based players because obviously they have their own club environments, school environments, but when we have these camps it's going to then be important at that more sort of elite level, I guess, that we play that certain way and I think that's probably the same as any nation. When you come to an international camp they might play one way for their club but a very different way for their nation. So that's going to be the way of pulling that in. But the main thing around, especially in Arkansas actually, is going to be participation of players and getting kids playing, and the more kids we can get playing who are Marshallese, long-term hopefully, there's more opportunity to find those elite players. But even if we don't have those elite players, at least then they've picked something you know they're more active, they're more active, they're more social, they're more whatever, holistically packaged as a person, I guess, through the medium of soccer. So more participation and whether that's going to be a case of speaking to local people, just leaving equipment for them to use yeah, pick up soccer, recreation soccer, just let them. Let them play um, and then from that hopefully we can find, you know, an absolute gem who might go and play somewhere else. It might be that we link him.

Speaker 1: 14:26

We spoke last night about sport in Arkins Yep, speaking to Comets as well, yeah, and speaking to local clubs of it might be something that we have scholarship players that you've leveled that maybe can't afford it but arguably enough to play.

Speaker 1: 14:39

But the main focus here is going to be that participation level, just increasing the game and promoting the game, because that still links to what we're doing in the martial arts, because initially it was just now getting kids playing and that's still the focus because it's so new. But already we're starting to find that there are players, kids in the Marshall Islands that are, you know, if you've got a group of 30, you've got 10 that are standing out and it's how we maybe in the next year or so have a different session for those guys and have like that elite pathway and almost have that as like your national center, I guess, for kids, yeah, because that'll be a plan in the next few years to have 13s, 15s, 17s teams and same again. If that's foot sale because of numbers, then we'll do that right. Want to have a the elite pathway and then steal the recreational pathway and they both go and in.

Speaker 3: 15:27

Yeah, I think that's going to be what ties to the us as well still, and how good it would be if there's talented players and marshallians and they could maybe have opportunities through soccer. Be our scholarships, scholarships and education potentially definitely yeah I think being here as well has really opened their eyes to some of the other stuff we need to work on.

Speaker 1: 15:43

So look how soccer works. We talked to JBU, for example, or University of Arkansas and stuff like that, the connections that we could potentially build from it. There could be an 18-year-old that plays now yeah, maybe just a little bit too raw, but they might have the coaching needed here and there might be pathways. Maybe not for that one now because it's too soon, but the next 18-year-old that comes through in a couple of years' time they might be able to have that opportunity, like you said, in terms of playing here.

Speaker 3: 16:08

Other thing, because we just kind of discovered it yesterday, I think, was oh, how can we, maybe we can provide age to make sure, especially in the marshallese communities, soccer really is, it should be for anyone. There shouldn't be any barrier to entry. No, so all you need is a ball. Yeah, exactly. So in that case can we do anything to facilitate more people, marshallese communities and other communities, maybe just playing soccer here and in springdale and almost other communities as well?

Speaker 2: 16:35

yeah, I think access um to the game is one of the big things that you know we hope to grow and build as well. That's, you know, one of the biggest. It does, it does, and that's one of the biggest things that we can do is continue to provide that outlet and that access to others where, you know, we have a very weird different model here in the US on the pay-to-play system model here in the us on the pay-to-play system um, you know, a lot of times it's viewed, as you know, out of their reach, uh, for a lot of other different communities, not just the merciless people but other underserved, underrepresented communities you almost price out a player that could potentially be your work, your country's best player.

Speaker 2: 17:13

You just don't know, it's absolutely the case and that's uh, you know, I mean we can get into a whole other reason as to like why the US isn't really tapped into their athletic talent on the national teams and all that kind of stuff. But at least on the men's side, the women's side, they're obviously doing pretty well. But you know, talk a little bit, you know you touched on it a little bit. What does recruitment look like for you guys? How are you trying to go about that? Maybe a loaded question as well. We talked about some of the challenges, but, like, give us a high level view of what you guys are trying to do probably people coming forward because we've known that, we've noticed that and we've actually heard as well, didn't we yesterday?

Speaker 1: 17:53

that marshallese people would rather speak to a marshallese person, and it's understandable because culturally it would make sense. So I think sometimes people are a little bit I don't know what the word is. It's not shy, but it's hesitant.

Speaker 3: 18:08

So forthcoming. On a very basic level right now, we've got a Google form sheet for players to register their interest. That's as basic as we're doing at the moment. It's working so far. That's how we've discovered the players Moving forward. Obviously, we want to be going more proactive, so that's why we're building and Pat, I think, has been really helpful in this aspect, pat McStay, in helping us connect with various people and organisations at a college level, a high school level, for them to let us know about any potential players in the system. We can create our database. It may get bigger, but yeah, we're not so advanced at the moment. With us coming with time, I think. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:43

I think it has been a case of people coming forward to us and then us building on that relationship. Or can you find other players? Do you know other players in your community? Are there? Others try to reach out to as many youth club technical directors as possible in areas where there aren't pockets of Marshallese to spread the word. But same again, it's either a very low number of Marshallese that are part of a club or zero. There aren't players in that club and they're also trying to do the same thing and try to find ways to get them involved. So it's a little bit difficult in that sense, but hopefully same again. Having that presence of like a national team in some way makes it probably seem more real. Real, yep, it's not just these guys going to Springdale and doing some sessions. These guys going to Springdale and doing a session because there's a women's camp. These female players will then play.

Speaker 3: 19:38

that's the fixture how we found, how we found the players for this women's camp, so a couple of them was probably from Instagram. Yeah, it was. Yeah, so they were. Whatever work we're doing, we've gone, we must leave. Yeah, dm, and then we've got a conversation. Yeah, pat had a connection with one of the.

Speaker 1: 19:53

Yeah, so Pat is also a director of coaching at a club in Virginia. Okay, one of his teams in his club played against another team with a very talented player, yeah, who he just did a little bit of digging, found out she was Marshallese. There you go, and it just came about very randomly. Yeah, but I think that's how it's going to happen for a lot. O'neill came about because she played high school. Her high school played against a guy that was a connection to mine on Instagram, yeah, and he played against a guy that was a connection to mine on Instagram and he said it's a Martial League player, you need to speak to her. And then I think we managed to get in contact with her through our official account on Instagram and they just that's how it's all about.

Speaker 3: 20:31

So what you're saying is it's a bit of the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, I think that's the way for us in a moment, just trying to get that word out we haven't discussed just as well about the football manager stuff as well getting the game really yeah it's actually a nationality on the database now since we've come about that's something that kind of Lloyd we've been able to drive and get ourselves added to the game, so players can now save their martial ease.

Speaker 1: 20:59

Yeah so, and that's going to hopefully be a scouting tool. What about?

Speaker 2: 21:04

that's incredible for years in video games. I love this. I love this nation, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 21:09

Well, there is a player that belongs to a fifa nation, has played in fifa competition, who is actually martial ease. Oh, it lives in said country. Okay, but would like to express interest in playing for us when we get to that stage of having a representation. Yeah, so it's going in the right direction.

Speaker 3: 21:26

Yeah, definitely, but it's all been very stratic.

Speaker 2: 21:28

Yeah, we've done a great job and we'll get more structured. Yeah, well, I mean you have to be able to leverage the resources that you guys have around you right and be creative.

Speaker 3: 21:44

I think one of the things as well is like we're doing this with zero budget. Yeah, let's supply this. All this great stuff we've done is done with zero. I mean, we paid 40 bucks for a web domain and that is as far as we kind of yeah but if we had the budget, what would we?

Speaker 2: 21:54

do well, but take you guys, take, take us back, though. I mean you guys talked about it, the, the football manager video game you talked about. Social media has been a huge tool. You couldn't do this 15 years ago. No, oh no, you couldn't do this 15 years ago.

Speaker 2: 22:07

How would you find those players? Right? Yeah, I mean that's just think about that and just the timing right and the serendipitousness of that. I just made up a word, but, uh, I mean, that's also just like timing is everything too, and and things happen for a reason at the right time, right? Um, so there's a little bit of that aspect that's kind of cool. Um, in, in listening to, I'm just thinking to myself like god, if these guys had tried to do this, it would take them a lot longer. At least, it's not to say that you couldn't do it, obviously, obviously it'd be done. Right, you guys read a phone book. Yeah, how would you do it? Yeah, you'd be like the 10-year-olds now, if you give them a dial phone, they're like how's it going? Yeah, I don't know, I don't understand Talking about the landline.

Speaker 1: 22:55

I don't know. Actually it's a good point, because I don't think we would have been able to do half the stuff that we had the awareness to promote what we're doing.

Speaker 3: 23:03

For a start, how could three guys based, let's say, in the UK, because Justin is here, there and everywhere Three guys in the UK? How on earth would we even all of our work Because one of the things we haven't even talked about is being documented as well which journey is part of the story.

Speaker 3: 23:21

But I was like my thing isn't particularly interesting because I will do it. I do all my work except on a desk at a yeah top in some remote place in the uk. That's not very interesting. What I'm doing is interesting but it doesn't look very.

Speaker 2: 23:28

Uh, yeah, dramatic, but yeah, if it wasn't for well, not only that, but then everything that you guys have been able to do in terms of the notoriety that, yeah, and just the buzz and the wildfire that is in social media was then like enough for it to boom to worldwide press.

Speaker 1: 23:43

See, it wouldn't have happened without social media, yeah and it's just.

Speaker 2: 23:46

I mean, it's insane that that has changed the landscape of, of sports, I mean everything, obviously, in terms of our lives, but you don't have to get too much on the soapbox here, but I think I just think about that, and in not only in terms of what you guys are doing, but in terms of what we're doing as well and how we've been able to build as well. Yeah, um, it's totally changed the landscape. So you know, but kudos to you guys for being able to. You know you're, you're. You're playing it down a little bit in terms of what you guys have been able to do, I think, and be resourceful and scrappy, and and you use those connections though, and and so hopefully, now you guys can continue to build. So I love what you guys are doing it's always yes and however cover.

Speaker 2: 24:35

Um, I can't wait for that. I hope that that comes to fruition, that gaming, uh, here against that other country.

Speaker 1: 24:41

I think it already has for the new update for the game and obviously we've got like an unofficial database with a potential level. It is an actual sponsor of ours, isn't it? It's sought out. They've created like an update, haven't they, To be able to play like a major league martial league league.

Speaker 3: 24:58

That's more okay, maybe more from a marketing standpoint. That's a real fun thing. So people can now play as a martial athlete or create a league with, like, some fictitious players, but like it's all something that, yeah, they're going to grow up, yeah that's incredible.

Speaker 2: 25:11

I can't wait for the other country yet to be named.

Speaker 1: 25:25

I that happen. Any last thoughts for our listeners? I know you guys will be back, we'll be seeing each other, but any last thoughts for our listeners on today's continue to spread the word. Um, even if you're not a soccer fan, there is going to be a representation of your nation. If you're marshallese in some way, yeah, even if you're not marshallese but you live in the area, there will be international soccer here. So incredible. Why not be a part of that in some way and just continue to spread the word yeah, exactly the same.

Speaker 3: 25:43

For me, the greatest like kind of joy I get is when someone asks me about they'll get to tell them yeah, and that's one more part. In the uk it's really not well. So that one little bit of one conversation if someone else tells someone else about that, that's all we need. You don't need to. It's great if you buy jersey. It's great if you visit our website or follow us on social media. You don't need a lot, just learn and ask us Spread the word.

Speaker 3: 26:05

We're so, so happy to be ambassadors for the Soccer Federation at the moment.

Speaker 2: 26:10

Incredible. I know that we are going to keep in touch and we're going to continue to help each other. Thank you, guys, so much for joining. You definitely have a new supporter here, for sure, and I know that there's a lot that we can do to help each other. So absolute best of luck to you for our listeners. Remember to find us at Pitch to Pro on all platforms, wherever you get your podcasts. Check out our website, uslarkansascom, and at USL Arkansas for all the latest updates on the club. Until next time, northwest Arkansas cheers.