News

Indiana Soccer is excited to announce that with your participation, approximately 1,600 plates adorn the automobiles of the Indiana Soccer family. Your state association would not have been able to reach this huge milestone without your kind support and generosity.

Indiana Soccer & Indy Eleven are committed to the growth of the “Beautiful Game” at all levels. We look forward to your continued support to achieve this goal.

The goal of the specialty plate program is to assist Indiana’s youth develop lifetime skills on and off the field that will enable them to reach their full potential as adults.

Destination Sport Group is proud to announce a new partnership with the United States Consortium of State Associations (USCSA) as its Official Travel Partner.  

The exclusive partnership, which encompasses Destination Sport Group divisions inspiresport, SportsBreaks, and Destination Sport Travel, will provide tailored travel solutions, including international soccer tours, fan travel experiences and business travel management, to the Consortium. 

With the USCSA currently representing over 900,000 athletes across 16 US Youth Soccer State Associations, this collaboration aims to streamline and elevate their travel opportunities, offering unrivalled travel experiences for athletes, coaches, officials, families and fans. By bringing together the expertise of its three core divisions, Destination Sport Group will offer comprehensive travel services designed to support every aspect of sports development, participation, and enjoyment.  

As an Official Team Travel Partner of the USCSA, inspiresport  offers the Consortium and its members access into 50+ top professional clubs and academies. With exclusive partnerships with top level teams throughout Europe and South America, it provides a unique opportunity to train at elite facilities and play games against competitive opposition, while being immersed in an enriching culture of club and country. 

SportsBreaks, which specializes in providing ticket-inclusive packages to many of the world’s most sought-after sporting events, offers USCSA members access to its unrivalled portfolio of soccer clubs across UK and Europe including English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga, in addition to the likes of Formula 1, Ryder Cup and other sports. 

Destination Sport Travel, a global leader in travel management for elite sports organizations, will leverage its vast experience in professional team travel and business travel, ensuring precise and efficient management for the Consortium’s travel and events.  

Jeremy Parkins, President of Destination Sport Group North America, welcomed the exciting new partnership by saying “From our initial discussions, it was evident that our breadth of solutions and expertise as a global leader in sports travel management, combined with our ambition to positively impact all levels of sport, perfectly aligns with the USCSA’s objectives and commitment to their membership. We’re thrilled about the partnership and grateful for the trust they’ve placed in us. We’re looking forward to achieving great things together.” 

USCSA Vice President and Ohio Soccer Association CEO, Gordon Henderson commented, “As an organization of close to one million players, this is a natural fit with one of the worldwide industry leaders in providing unique travel experiences for the totality of our membership and their families. The level of access they can provide as exclusive partners to some of the top soccer clubs in the world, as well as many other National governing bodies across sport, means our membership will have an unparalleled breadth of access to some of the top global sporting events and experiences. We look forward to these bringing incredible benefits to our members.” 

Dave Guthrie, USCSA Governance Chair and Indiana Soccer Association, Executive Director stated, “The relationship with Destination Sport Group, a trusted, global, high-end travel provider, allows Indiana Soccer to add to its member benefits, a quality travel provider that can provide access to some of the most treasured soccer and sport experiences in the world for all Indiana Soccer members.  Indiana Soccer looks forward to working with Destination Sport Group to construct unparalleled ’bucket list’ travel opportunities for our membership.” 

About Destination Sport Group 
Destination Sport Group is a global leader in sports travel with expertise in travel management for elite sports organizations, fan travel experiences, youth development tours, hospitality and VIP programs, endurance, and participation travel, plus global destination management. With a global footprint across Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania, Destination Sport Group is a truly unique sports travel business and counts 100+ high-profile partners and clients including teams, governing bodies, and federations. To learn more about Destination Sport Group, visit destinationsport.com.  

About United States Consortium of State Associations 
The United States Consortium of State Associations (USCSA) is a game-changer in the soccer eco-system, currently representing 16 USYS State Associations and more than 900,000+ players. Their mission is to maximize and unlock the true potential of state associations by creating a highly functioning network of state associations. 

The full list of USCSA Members: 

• Alabama Soccer Association 
• Arizona Youth Soccer  
• Georgia State Soccer Association 
• Indiana Soccer  
• Iowa Soccer  
• Kentucky Youth Soccer Association  
• Massachusetts Youth Soccer  
• Michigan Youth Soccer   
• New Jersey Youth Soccer  
• New Mexico Youth Soccer  
• Ohio Soccer  
• South Texas Youth Soccer  
• Tennessee State Soccer Association  
• Utah Youth Soccer  
• Vermont Youth Soccer  
• Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association 

To learn more about USCSA, visit consortiumofsoccerassociations.org/. 

Indiana Soccer Family, ODP Final Tryout dates are approaching.  

• Sunday, October 27: 2008-2010 Boys & Girls – NO TRYOUTS 2011-2014 Boys & Girls 

• Sunday, November 3: 2008-2014 Boys & Girls – FINAL TRYOUT for all ages for the season 

You can find the registration links for the remaining tryout dates here as well as the tryout times on our calendar page. 

Indiana Soccer is proud to announce that Southern Indiana United, (SIU) celebrating its 25^th anniversary as a club, has started their 5-Star journey.  Kathleen Eckert, SIU Board of Directors Secretary, runs point for the club and has submitted the documentation for the Communication and Alignments stars. 

On October 2, 2024 Indiana Soccer signed off and awarded the Alignment Star to SIU.  “We look forward to working with SIU to complete this important program.  As one of the larger clubs in the state, they will have the opportunity to set an example and set the bar for others to reach.” –Angel Hall, Associate Director 

• FIFA Forward makes USD 3 million available to fund U.S. Soccer Federation’s Innovate to Grow (ITG) initiative
• ITG aimed at increasing participation, building capacity and removing social and economic barriers to the game across the U.S.
• ITG to build on excitement ahead of FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ and the FIFA World Cup 26™ to ensure game’s long-term health

United Soccer Coaches Announces 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees: Honoring Legends Mike Berticelli, John Daly, and Glenn ‘Mooch’ Myernick. Join us at the 85th Annual United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago, Jan. 8-12, 2025, as we celebrate their lifetime contributions to soccer. Induction ceremony to be held on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.

Coaches and parents, please remember, nobody makes 100% perfect decisions in any part of life.

Referees need our encouragement, support, respect and gratitude as many feel isolated & vulnerable in the middle of the park. So if you’re lucky enough to have one, please treat them respectfully. Speak to them how you yourself wish to be spoken to and they may just come back next week

No Ref, No game!

Thank your referees.

Indiana Soccer Director of Coaching Education Steve Franklin took the time to visit Franklin County for an evening of fun-filled soccer activities and coaching mentoring. The Franklin County Soccer League has been in existence since 1976, when Bob O’Bryan moved there after an undergraduate club career at Ball State University. He grew up playing in Lebanon and wanted to provide the same opportunity to the youth in Brookville. 

“We’ve been very fortunate in that we have drawn a very consistent group of 200-300 kids that have played in the program for decades”, stated Bob O’Bryan. “We just wanted them to enjoy the game as much as we did.” 

Volunteer coaches experienced new methodologies and ways to make learning fun for the grassroots players, focusing on the needs of who was in front of them. O’Bryan has relied on volunteers to provide the coaching, often with no experience in the sport. 

“The players experienced the “Play, Practice, Play” methodology where the kids arrive at training and immediately scrimmage using small-sided games – providing them tons of touches and decision-making opportunities, stated Franklin.  “We then give them a nugget or two of take-home knowledge to make their game a bit better (the practice part). Then they scrimmage again, trying out those new nuggets. Desert, dinner, desert if you may.” 

Coaches had a unique opportunity to learn first hand from the Director of Coaching different ways of keeping the kids engaged, offering them just a couple of coaching points to improve their game, while having fun. Coaches were provided with a seasons worth of lesson plans to assist in their volunteer efforts. 

“I just wanted to personally thank you for conducting a very special clinic for our league. 

It was apparent on the night of the clinic that the players were definitely enjoying themselves, stated Kathy O’Bryan. “However, since then, Bob and I have received several positive comments from coaches. We both thank Coach Franklin for such a positive presentation. It is now up to the coaches to take what they experienced in the clinic and put it to good use” 

Santiago Castaneda’s Unique Path To German Pro Ball Included Florida High School Soccer

by Brian Sciaretta

Floridian Santiago Castaneda’s 2023-24 play with third-tier MSV Duisburg led to a move to 2.Bundesliga club SC Paderborn 07. (Imago via ZUMA Press/ISI Photos)

Even since the proliferation of pro club youth academies in the USA, American players continue to take different pathways to the professional ranks.

The common route involves progression through MLS Academies, advancing to MLS Next, signing homegrown deals, and eventually securing first-team contracts. But some college players continue to climb the ladder. The MLS-drafted players who have earned caps for the U.S. or Canadian
national teams include Daryl Dike, Duncan McGuire, Tajon Buchanan, Alistair Johnston, Cyle Larin and Moïse Bombito.

There are also other ways.

Santiago Castaneda, 19, is now the starting defensive midfielder for SC Paderborn 07 in the 2.Bundesliga, and the club holds ambitions to be in a promotion race this year. For many who follow the development paths for American professionals, his rise has come as a surprise because
it involved making choices that went against what many top young players choose, namely MLS Next and then eventually college. When he reached high school, Castaneda was playing with Tampa Bay United in MLS Next, but he felt he needed to step away. At the time, education was becoming more and more important to Castaneda and his family. And he received a scholarship opportunity to attend Tampa Preparatory School, a top private school in the area. But MLS Next had a rule that players were not allowed to play high school ball.

“It was a very tough pathway for me,” Castaneda told Soccer America. “Growing up, all I thought about was a professional career. But when I was 15, I transferred to Florida Premier. It was sad because I’m leaving MLS Next, which they say is the best league in the American system. For my parents, education was a huge thing. It was a big decision that started my whole process of thinking differently about school and playing professionally. But honestly, that was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. If I didn’t attend that school, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”
“It was a private, top-tier school,” he continued. “With MLS Next or when it was called the DA Development Academy — at the time it was getting very serious, and I was starting to get a little bit — like the love for the game wasn’t as strong. Once I was playing high school soccer, I tell everyone
it was just fun. There’s no pressure. You’re just playing for fun and you’re playing with the guys that you have classes with. It is not the best level of soccer, but it brought joy back to the game for me.”

The results could be seen on the field. In his junior year, Tampa Prep won the state championship with a 21-0 record and Castaneda was a top player.

In 2022, he joined the Rowdies academy and kept his eligibility for college. That fall, he participated in a U.S. Open Cup game for the Rowdies and later made his USL Championship debut in a win over Pittsburgh.

From an early age, Castaneda and his older brother were involved in the sport. He is the son of two parents from Colombia. His father, Carlos Castaneda, is from Medellin and was a former professional player in the Colombian leagues. His mother is from Cali and is a big supporter of
America de Cali.

While he dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps as a professional player, by late 2022 the opportunity to get a college education was becoming a priority. His success for his club and high school saw him earn an offer to play for the University of Michigan.

Shortly after verbally accepting that offer from Michigan, he was also given the opportunity through Capelli Sport to be part of a Talent ID squad to play games in Denmark. It was there where he caught the attention of MSV Duisburg, a 1. Bundesliga regular in a bygone era that had been in
Germany’s third tier since 2019.

He was offered a week-long trial at Duisburg that led to a contract offer. With an opportunity to play for Michigan also on the table, he had to make a choice.
“It was a tough week,” Castaneda said of his Duisburg trial. “It’s the third division, but the level and the pace were completely different. But I was able to integrate myself well. The fourth day in, they brought me into the office and told me that they wanted to offer me a contract. It was something
incredible. Obviously, I had already planned for my future with Michigan, but then I get this offer. I told them I needed time to think about what I really want to do.”

Ultimately, Castaneda accepted the offer after long discussions with his family. His first professional season in the third tier was a positive experience for him on a personal level. He played 2,339 minutes in league play while making 27 starts in 31 appearances, and scoring two goals. On the negative side, the team struggled and was relegated to the Regionalliga.

But given his youth and quick adaptation to the professional game in Germany, clubs were monitoring his progress. During the first third of the season, SC Paderborn was already scouting him. By midseason, the interest became serious. Shortly after Duisburg’s season ended, Castaneda was able to make the move.

Paderborn is a smaller club in Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Despite its size, the club has enjoyed some success over the past decade.

During the 2014-15 season, Paderborn earned an unlikely promotion to the Bundesliga but was eventually relegated. Having fallen to the third tier in and nearly relegated into the Regionalliga, Paderborn earned consecutive promotions and was back in the Bundesliga during 2019-20 again
for just one season.

The club is back on the front foot with a very young roster. A strong start to the 2024-25 campaign has seen Paderborn earn two wins and two draws from four games. Castaneda has started all four games of league play along with the first round of the DFB Cup where Paderborn defeated Bremen
SV and Castaneda scored the team’s second goal.

German Second Division: Top 5 Attendance Avg. Leaders

1. FC Schalke 04 61,079
2. Hamburger SV 57,000
3. FC Köln 50,000
4. Hertha BSC 45,473
5. FC Kaiserslautern 45,120

• Leaguewide: 31,000
• Paderborn: 15th (12,479) in 18-team league.

Paderborn: 15th (12,479) in 18-team league.

Castaneda is in an excellent place in his career while still shy of his 20th birthday.

“I don’t think it’s a very huge club,” Castaneda said of his first games at Paderborn. “If you look at Schalke, or Hertha Berlin or Cologne, that pulls off a little pressure on us. Those types of clubs have a little bit more pressure than us to get promoted. For us, half the team is new and we’re a very young team. The ambition to win each weekend is there -— not just the players but from the coaching staff and the club in general. Everyone is close. Every time we go out to play, we realize we’re playing for a family. We’ve grown to see each other as family and brothers. As the season goes on, things will get better, and things will start to click even more so.”

The life of a young professional player can change very quickly. Just two years ago, Castaneda was set to play college soccer in Michigan, with no set path after that.

These days he is dreaming bigger. His recent success came too late for him to get the attention of the U.S. Olympic team (and he’s six weeks too old for the current U.S. U-20 team). But he now holds out dreams of a national team call-up and hopes that the U.S. team under a South American coach
in Mauricio Pochettino could become a possibility if he continues to play well.

“My whole life I’ve also wanted to be called up for the national team and be able to represent either the USA or Colombia,” Castaneda said. “When I was in the third division my goal was to get into a better team and I was able to accomplish that.

“The next goal right now is to get called up for the national team. Obviously, we have players already playing in the MLS and some are already playing in Europe. So, that’s something I need to compete for. It’s a motivation for me.”

Written by Brian Sciaretta