Ep. 20 - Soccer's Unyielding Spirit in Northwest Arkansas: A Conversation with Al Schaefer
Jun 13, 2024
USL Arkansas
What fuels the soccer passion of Northwest Arkansas? Join us as we chat with Al Schaefer, the driving force behind Smoke and Barrel and the head of the local American Outlaws supporter group chapter. Discover how this Army brat turned Austinite found a home in Northwest Arkansas and championed the local soccer scene with unyielding dedication. We discuss the region's rapid growth, diversity, and community spirit, and how Smoke and Barrel has become the heartbeat for local soccer fans. Al's journey is a testament to the power of community and the magnetic pull of the beautiful game.
From the electrifying U.S. national teams to the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, we explore the highs and lows of soccer fervor. Listen as we recount unforgettable moments like the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the recent tune-up game against Colombia. Al gives us a glimpse into the challenges of sustaining local support groups and the triumphs that come with it, offering a heartfelt tribute to the passion and resilience of the Northwest Arkansas soccer community. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to the sport, this episode is a celebration of soccer's unifying spirit and the people who keep it alive.
What fuels the soccer passion of Northwest Arkansas? Join us as we chat with Al Schaefer, the driving force behind Smoke and Barrel and the head of the local American Outlaws supporter group chapter. Discover how this Army brat turned Austinite found a home in Northwest Arkansas and championed the local soccer scene with unyielding dedication. We discuss the region's rapid growth, diversity, and community spirit, and how Smoke and Barrel has become the heartbeat for local soccer fans. Al's journey is a testament to the power of community and the magnetic pull of the beautiful game.
From the electrifying U.S. national teams to the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, we explore the highs and lows of soccer fervor. Listen as we recount unforgettable moments like the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the recent tune-up game against Colombia. Al gives us a glimpse into the challenges of sustaining local support groups and the triumphs that come with it, offering a heartfelt tribute to the passion and resilience of the Northwest Arkansas soccer community. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to the sport, this episode is a celebration of soccer's unifying spirit and the people who keep it alive.
Speaker 1:
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. Hey everybody and welcome back to the Pitch to Pro podcast. I am your host, wes Harris, managing Director for USL Arkansas, northwest Arkansas' professional soccer club playing in the United Soccer League.
Speaker 1:
So last episode I talked a lot about the incredible slate unprecedented slate of top tier international global soccer tournaments coming and being hosted by the United States, in the US in all kinds of different markets. Kansas City and Dallas are getting a lot of them here close to us markets. Kansas City and Dallas are getting a lot of them here close to us. But that all starts this summer, here in a couple weeks, with Copa America. Copa America, remember from last episode I just, excuse me, described it as let's cut out that, excuse me, guys. Last episode I described Copa America as a bit of a World Cup of the Western Hemisphere, and so that here starts in just a couple of weeks where the US men's national team will be taking in Kansas City as well as Dallas, here locally, or somewhat locally at least, close to our market, within driving distance. And so that all starts here with that tournament in just a couple weeks.
Speaker 1:
And so what I thought I'd do for this next episode is I thought I would talk a little bit more about what it means to support our men's and women's national teams, and so we've talked a lot about supporter groups and culture, but it's a little bit different on the national side of things Similarities, but some differences as well. And so here to talk about that with me today, I have an incredible guest, mr Al Schaefer, who is the owner-operator of the Smoke and Barrel right off Dixon in Fayetteville, which is the only American Outlaws bar official bar in Northwest Arkansas, and he is also the head of the local Northwest Arkansas American Outlaws supporter group Chapter. And so, al, thank you so so much, sir, for joining me today, and I think we're going to have an awesome discussion. Yes, so, al, do me a quick favor and just introduce yourself. Talk about you know your background a little bit for everybody and how you came to Northwest Arkansas.
Speaker 2:
I got to Northwest Arkansas in a really unusual way. My father was a military man, so I was an Army brat. My grandparents lived out in Prairie Grove and sometimes my dad would get. We moved a lot. Sometimes housing wasn't ready for us so we'd come back to Arkansas to stay with our grandparents until we could catch up with our dad again. Whenever I grew up and became an adult, I ended up graduating out in Prairie Grove. As I became, I fell in love with Arkansas and I decided that I would make this home until about 1995, when I decided to. I would make this home until about 1995, when I decided to spend a decade in Austin, texas, and have some fun, get my wiggles out.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
Came home in 2005, and have been here since.
Speaker 1:
Awesome, and so you've been here a long, long time. You did a little bit of a stint in Austin, which you may also do another stint in Austin if it keeps going the way it's going. Here in Northwest Arkansas it's starting to feel a little similar to some, but we're forging our own path. We'll take care of that. But talk a little bit about what you've seen from the growth of the area and just how we've gotten here today. I think it's rare that you come across somebody in Northwest Arkansas that's been here as long as you have and been able to see that growth all the way from the 90s to today. Typically, you're like me, where I call myself a local now and claim this as home, but I've only collectively been here 10 years throughout 15, you know span, so um I may be an oddity in this.
Speaker 2:
I I love the progress. I I love what it means. It brings diversity and a lot of uh. It brings some outside influences in which I don't. I never think any of that is bad. Our, our little secret is out about the area. You know, for forever People just kind of disregarded Arkansas in general as just you know, one of those out in the woods kind of places. But people started coming around and they started seeing how beautiful it is, how nice the people are, and now you have more and more people that are living here and wanted to call it home, and I'm okay with that. It's a beautiful year. The air is clean, the water is clean, the people are decent. Yeah, what else would you ask for? Yeah, it's a place to grow and raise a family, absolutely.
Speaker 1:
So talk about how you kind of got involved and became involved with Smoke and Barrel.
Speaker 2:
A couple of friends about 15 years ago. They had an opportunity to turn an old restaurant into a bar. They did so and found immediate success in doing so. I think it was a little crazier than they thought. We were friends from a previous job together, a couple of us. They knew that I was a bar manager down in Austin and that I understood how the business works and in the beginning I was like well, I can kind of help streamline some stuff for you guys. You know I was still trying to open my own place on the east side of Fayetteville, but that all fell through and eventually they talked me into becoming partners with them. It wasn't really a hard sell for me.
Speaker 2:
I counted my own bar was always the goal, and we've been down on Dixon for 15 years and I've loved just about every minute of it.
Speaker 1:
That's incredible, that's great. So I mean back to the growth of kind of the area and what that's done. You've been able to see it not just as a resident but also as a business owner in one of the more popular places that you see kind of out and about. And you know I remember the days when I still frequented Dixon, more so than today, and going back, you know, whenever I do go back, uh, now it's almost a completely different scene. Um, and so talk a little bit about that. That growth and evolution of of kind of what that's been like from from your standpoint on as a, as an, as a business owner. Um, and what has that transition been like and the growth and and everything like that down there?
Speaker 2:
Oh, I think in Fayetteville I think a lot of the growth has been young, it's been college. The university has. In the 15 years since we've been there we've seen the university, it feels like it's doubled in in size and enrollment. So a lot of the growth we're, we're seeing down there just the super young you know, uh, young me, you know college kids but um, yeah, I mean it's obvious when they're they need to, they're getting creative at making new parking, creating new parking solutions, because of stuff like that.
Speaker 1:
Younger. In the growth of probably the university, but I also imagine with the growth of Walmart and all the surrounding ecosystem that comes with that, you get a lot of the folks that are earlier in their career that choose to live, you know, closer to the fayetteville area, although that is starting to transition up here to rogers and in betville areas they put in more apartments and different things like that we've noticed a lot of more of the young professionals not around, right.
Speaker 2:
Okay, it's been more kids got it, so I was trying not to. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but yeah, a lot of the young professionals we used to get in the early days of Smoke and Barrel, they've transitioned up. I can almost pinpoint the moment that happened Benton County went wet. There was no reason to go to Fayetteville as often anymore and risk that travel, which is totally reasonable, totally reasonable.
Speaker 1:
That was the option. Why am I going for light rail now?
Speaker 2:
I think light rail needs to happen around here immediately, or at least a decent bus system would be nice. System, that would be nice. I I think, the more they overlook the uh, inevitability of what north arkansas is becoming, which is it's it's going to be a metropolitan area, and I, the the four cities up here, the main ones they need to start collaborating a little bit more together and realize that we're only going to become more connected. And let's facilitate that, yeah, facilitate that conversion. For, you know, it would be nice to hop on a bus if they make it to make rogers, rogers or you know, in a reasonable amount of time, yeah and same, it'd be nice for these guys to come down there and have a safe way to do so. Yeah.
Speaker 1:
I'm sure we'll see it here in the not-too-distant future.
Speaker 2:
It has to be. I don't see how you don't.
Speaker 1:
So we've talked about the growth of the area. Can we pivot a little bit, because this is what you get a lot of in your, in your, in your bar is is the game? Is soccer, yeah, um, talk a little bit about what you've seen, uh, as a resident, as a fan, as a business owner, in terms of the growth of the game viewership, participation. Sure, as a fan, as you know, use sports talk a little bit about what you've observed in the game.
Speaker 2:
I would say 15 years ago, when we were in the barrel, in the smoking barrel, I insisted that we watched. Specifically when the US national team played, I was like we're watching this game. We didn't have the social media outreach we had back then, so it was really just for me you know, and so I feel like we've always been the outlaw bar, because I'm I've been a soccer fan since like 90, yeah, which is kind of an interesting story. My dad was a military. I was living in Stuttgart, germany.
Speaker 1:
Okay.
Speaker 2:
From 88 to 91. A lot of cool stuff happened in that little time. The wall came down, yeah, but Germany won the World Cup in 1990. In our small little quiet neighborhood, all of a sudden there were hundreds of people walking up the street singing and I had no idea what was going on. So I walked down there and I stood on the sidewalk and I watched them going by. The first guy that makes eye contact with me, this acid German man, just grabs me off the sidewalk. He says we're going to the bar. I was like what happened? He said you don't know.
Speaker 2:
And when I saw what it meant to them and when we made it to the bar and there's just money being thrown and beers being passed, and this went on for days, I was like I want, I want to see that in my country. I would love to see that type of passion and what it meant to them. I would love to see that here. And that was in 1990. That's incredible. So you know, up until very recently, if you said I love soccer, I'm a soccer fan in this country. It was kind of awkward. It was what do?
Speaker 2:
you mean it's so boring? Yeah, you don't know. Yeah, I've In this country. It was kind of awkward, it was what do you mean it's so boring, you don't know? Yeah, I've seen 0-0 games be the most fascinating things I've ever watched on TV. It was incredible. I agree with that. It's pretty awesome. So I think that's been awesome. You know, that's how I got into soccer and now Utah has grown, it has built up, it has exploded in popularity. You know, you see these, it's happening. Yeah, there's a lot of things people complain about the way our youth systems are set up. Right, hate of play or whatnot. You need a field and a ball. Yeah, a couple backpacks.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, your play, your play, and that's what's amazing about it it's so accessible. So that's great. That's an incredible story and one that I, too, one day hope that I get to live out, when we maybe in my lifetime when a world come and be able to celebrate. So you took that and now have pivoted that into your you. You know, maybe not entirely lifelong, but a very large part of your life as a soccer supporter. And specifically, let's get into what does it mean to be a supporter of the national team and talk a little bit about that versus your club. You know that some people may be very passionate about their club team, um, and talk a little bit about the american outlaws and sure, what is that culture like? And, uh, talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 2:
I mean the soccer it cut the variety of packages offered. You know international club, you know uefa, all this stuff. You know if people like what they like. Uh, for me it's the international game. I love nation versus nation soccer and well, admit that the club game is way more technically good because these guys play together for lots of money all the time. I still love when these professionals come back to their country and represent. It's fun. It's fun to have a little pride for something being something. To you. It matters. You know we could see the obvious difference. Anybody who's a SOG fan knows the difference between our men's team and our women's team in the scope of their success. Yes, and it's still kind of exciting in a lot of ways to support an underdog. Yeah, which is our men's team.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and every victory is just that, it's, it's awesome we almost kind of have the best of both worlds yes, where you get to support a global powerhouse, yes, or a global powerhouse and watch the women handle some business, and then you get the underdog story with the men. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:
You know, the whole Columbia game was.
Speaker 1:
Oh, yeah, for those that don't know, we just had a tune-up game. Yeah, for the Copa America, a tune-up game for the Copa America. We unfortunately lost to Colombia 5-1, although it was 2-1 in roughly the 60th minute they were doing okay and then the wheels came off. Hopefully they're getting the cobwebs out now in these tune-up games. That's what they're for Ahead of the tournament itself.
Speaker 2:
That was a rough one considering the, the lineup we had. Yeah, like you're like, okay, this is looks like our guys. Yeah, so and we have.
Speaker 1:
You know, there's that evolution of increasingly becoming, you know, a little bit less of the underdog, uh, but still an underdog, as we continue to progress as a soccer nation. On the men's side, you know, you have I think this was the first time or one of the first times you have had the starting 11 all playing in for club soccer in the top five leagues in the world. Yeah, and unfortunately just, you know, that's the thing about. You know, to Al's point, that's the thing about the national team.
Speaker 1:
Your player pool is limited to those that have um citizenship in the United States, that you don't necessarily have to have been born here, but you have to have citizenship in the country, and so that limits your player pool, whereas on the club side, you can buy and sell players from all over the world and so if you have a specific system that you like to play, you can go and buy and sell those players to your heart's delight and within your budget and the rules, but by and large can kind of shape and mold your team around that, mold your team around that.
Speaker 1:
On the national team side, you have your player pool where the coach's job at least in my opinion, there are coaches that will still try to impose their specific style of play. But I think from my perspective it's the job of the national team manager to understand the talent that they have and then fit the system and their style of play to that for the best possible results with the talent and the players that they have Within, not force-fit a system on players at a talent pool that doesn't fit square, peg, round hole which.
Speaker 1:
I think, has happened in a lot of the time in our history, with a lot of countries as well. It has Not just us, that's a fair point, that's a very fair point. You see that a lot of countries as well. It has Not just us, that's a fair point. That's a very fair point.
Speaker 2:
You see that a lot, it's really hard to, because they also have a really limited amount of time to prepare.
Speaker 1:
They do, so talk about that. That's an interesting piece too. The national team only plays in tournaments or qualifying for tournaments or friendlies, but it's not this consistent week in, week out like you get with a club team. So what is that like as a supporter?
Speaker 2:
That's why the clubs are way more fun to watch is because they do have all that fun. As a supporter, it makes every game special. I love that. Yeah, you're like okay, here we go. This one's going in the books Friendly or not, it matters, it counts. And there are obvious friendly games where they're just saying, all right, I'm going to see what this 20-year-old kid can do. And there's other friendly games you take a lot more seriously, depending on the opponent, and you know, uh, we have rivals yeah, oh, yeah a lot of them actually.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, but um yes every, every game.
Speaker 1:
That's an interesting take. I like that, yeah, and how talk a little bit about the american outlaws. So how did you? Who are they? How did you kind of get in touch with them or come into that?
Speaker 2:
We have a friend named Will Watson, and Will Watson's still around. He's a very busy guy. He kind of got the ball rolling for the American Outlaws and this was 2014, heading into the Brazil World Cup which I went to.
Speaker 1:
Oh, that's incredible. I got to see USA, germany there, that's incredible.
Speaker 2:
It was crazy. It rained so much. We almost said make it, because the roads were bloody, yeah, but we made it. That's an incredible experience. We got our membership on the opening day of the tournament. It was fun, it was really exciting. The AO had a huge hype video. I believe that we came on, yeah, and that just got people really stoked and excited and I feel like we did really well in that tournament. The Belgium game will go down in history for me as one of the greatest. I mean Tim Howard's effort in that game cannot be matched.
Speaker 2:
The secretary of defense 16 saves in one game for a goalkeeper when they were coming at us in that guy's step. It was so fun to watch. But, yeah, we got our membership that opening day of the 2014 World Cup and then huge turnouts for watch parties during that entire World Cup Like it was incredible. You know, it's kind of fallen off. Our watch parties have fallen off a lot, but that's also because of other places have become more engaged and have started having watch parties themselves.
Speaker 2:
Originally, we were the place. Yeah, we're showing soccer. You can come watch the Razorbacks with us too. You know, yeah, whatnot, but we're showing soccer today. Know, you can come watch the Razorbacks with us too. You know, yeah, whatnot, or? But we're showing soccer today. Yeah, and if you want to get with that, get with that. And we were surprised at how many people were showing up. Like, oh my gosh, there's a tons of like-minded people, you know, and with with, uh, social media, even being able to connect a little bit more with that, it really opened our eyes as to what the community of soccer fans was expanding. We didn't know it existed exactly as vibrantly as it did. We just had to find each other. Ao made that happen. That's great.
Speaker 1:
AO for those that don't know is the just american outlaws.
Speaker 2:
It's the common abbreviation so american outlaws is kind of a fascinating thing to me, because before american out, american outlaws are the unofficial soccer fans for the national teams, the official. I'm not gonna disparage these people, but it was originally uncle sam's army, yeah, and as a young man, not not I'm not talking about a hooligan or nothing, but someone wants to go party and stuff. It wasn't the scene it was. It was soccer moms and their kids and you know I get a little rowdy, you know, at a soccer game that's part of the fun, you know, is you kind of let loose a little bit. You might have a drink or you know you and uh, so you're there to let them know. You're there, yeah, got them back, you're supporting them. So when AO came about, looked into them a little bit and you're like, okay, these guys, we're in tune and they throw great tailgates. They do. They march into the stadiums, it's singing, it's 90 minutes on your feet, fun.
Speaker 1:
They also travel internationally.
Speaker 2:
I've done one trip with them internationally. Me and Big Josh went to the Azteca qualifier. Wow yeah, that was incredible. That had to be an experience. It's bananas. They wouldn't let us wear hats belts. I thought they were going to take our shoelaces away from us. Uh, your buses come into its own parking lot. There's riot cops lining you both sides into the stadium and they stick you way up in the corner of azteca.
Speaker 1:
And if you know anything about Azteca, it is monstrous and, for everybody that doesn't know, the Azteca is the stadium in Mexico City where the Mexican national team plays. Oh, it is glorious. It is one of the global world soccer's best venues. It's their cathedral.
Speaker 2:
I love that. I will rarely love anything about mexican soccer as a as an american fan, but I'd love that they play all of their home games in one place and they make the trip. Yeah, it's on you to show up. You know where they're going to be. That stadium is amazing. It is so big.
Speaker 1:
I think it's up to 100,000 people.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I think 105, but I think they can put about 130 in there. When we went, there was still semi-COVID stuff going on, so it wasn't packed, which was kind of disappointing stuff going on. It wasn't packed, which was kind of disappointing, but it didn't take anything away from the experience that I was after and received yes.
Speaker 1:
That's incredible. Well, I think it's been great to hear about American Outlaws, the growth of the game, the growth and success of Smoke and Barrel. I mean congratulations, for you know you're continuing that legacy. You know there's a lot of institutions that haven't made it in the 15 years and have turned over and all that. It's a lot of work. Congratulations on all of that and the success and you know, being a contributor to the growth of the game in Northwest Arkansas, we thank you for that. So for there, we'll cut it. Thank you, al. I really appreciate you joining me today. You bet and you know we'll see you out there at some watch parties, oh yeah.
