LANSING, Mich — A Lansing soccer club that started with about 40 kids is now serving more than 500 players a year and leaders say the rapid growth is a sign of just how many local kids want to play but haven’t had an affordable way in.
WATCH: REAL LANSING FC GROWS TO 500 KIDS, LAUNCHES NEW LEAGUE TO EXPAND ACCESS
Real Lansing FC held tryouts Tuesday as it prepares for another jump: launching its own in-house league later this year.
Co-founder and coach Paul Chatfield said the club began as a way to remove cost barriers and give kids a place to play, especially students from immigrant and refugee families who already loved the game.
“I didn’t know how many kids in Lansing truly love soccer and play it all the time on their own, but don’t have access to a team,” Chatfield said.
Chatfield attributed the club’s growth to community support including donations, fundraisers and partnerships with the school district and local organizations, and said the goal is to build a sustainable model that can keep expanding.
“Our goal is we want to serve a thousand kids in the Lansing School District because I think that is the number of kids who would play soccer if they were given the opportunity,” he said.
At the tryout, that demand was evident. Players competed for spots on teams, and Chatfield said the club’s culture is built around kids being competitive and learning by playing.
“Competitiveness drives this club,” Chatfield said. “It is competitive and they love to play… it’s that love of the game, it’s that competitiveness that really allows them to grow.”
This season, Real Lansing FC is offering four elite boys teams: U10, U12, U13 and U14. Chatfield expects to bring back high school teams once the school season ends.
Beyond travel and elite teams, Chatfield said the club is expanding so more kids can participate locally.
He said the club decided to run its own league because the number of players outgrew what it could manage through traditional travel schedules and fees, especially when it came to finding enough coaches, transportation and referees for games across the region.
“We just have so many kids trying to play,” Chatfield said, adding that building an in-house structure helps keep the sport accessible.
The club is also expanding opportunities for girls. Chatfield said after announcing teams, interest surged immediately and the plan is to add multiple girls teams and an elite girls team that will play in tournaments.
Chatfield said soccer is only part of the mission. He describes Real Lansing FC as an after-school program and safe place for kids focused on keeping students engaged, supported and in positive environments.
“We want them out of trouble. We want them to be in a safe environment where they can grow on the field, but grow as people too, can grow in the classroom,” Chatfield said.
Gardner International Magnet School multi-language teacher Katie Schafer said the program started with Gardner students, but interest has spread across Lansing.
“We’re able to spread to more schools in Lansing, so now we have kids coming from other schools finding ways to be a part of the program,” Schafer said.
Chatfield said he hopes the momentum around the World Cup, and conversations about the “pay-to-play” model in American soccer, will bring more attention to local efforts like Real Lansing FC.
He said the long-term vision is simple: if kids want to play, there should be a clear, affordable path from their neighborhood to organized soccer and eventually to higher levels for those who want it.
“Hopefully Lansing can be that starting ground where it’s like, ‘Hey, this is the model that works,’ and hopefully people will copy that and we can grow the sport,” Chatfield said.
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