How long have you been a part of CC United Soccer Club? What attracted you to the club?

We moved to Chaska in 02/2005, and when my daughter turned five in 02/2008, she started playing in the rec soccer program, and I worked as a coach there.

One of my favorite things about CC United, even at the early rec age, was the director of coaching, Jonathan Tudor, [he] was so friendly and welcoming, and he offered tips. I had been coaching, as a high school coach and also at some other clubs, and he offered advice to those of us that were experienced coaches, also to those who had never coached before. He provided me with some new things that I had never tried before and he's always learning and helping coaches learn, allowing me to learn and become a better coach. And that was kinda one of the first things...the welcoming nature of a community club and being able to play right here where we live.

What has been your favorite experience at CC United Soccer Club?

We've been with the club for seventeen years now. There are a lot of favorite experiences I've had from watching my kids win big games and championships. Just last year, my son won the USA Cup for CC United in the 19 age group.

But also just developing a friendship amongst... there's a community, not only of just parents and players, but of coaches. I played in an adult league with a bunch of coaches, and we had a ton of fun there. But just primarily watching my kids develop friendships with the people that they have grown up playing with throughout the years, and being able to stick together as a team has probably been my favorite experience

How has CC United Club impacted your son/daughter? Share an example.

So I have four kids that have been in the program. I have two that have already graduated out and two that are still playing now. And the impact that it's had on my kids, my son is still playing club soccer and he and his friends who just finished up their U19 year last year have already gotten together to create a men's league team so that they can continue playing together because they weren't quite ready for it to end. And I think, for me, that's what has been the most fun.

I was not prepared when my daughter, who is oldest, for the emotional response that she had when it was all over. I don't know why I wasn't prepared for it, but it was hard when it all ended. And the amazing thing about it is to see a response like that, you know that it meant so much and that she's had so much fun playing soccer.

And my next son is a u17, and I hope that I'm a little bit more emotionally prepared. I don't know how emotionally prepared I'll be when my U12 kid is done and we have my last CC United game as a family. But just the lifelong friendships and the fact that the people that they have been playing with for years and years are still their friends. The coaches have meant so much to them growing up, and they've still maintained connections with those other coaches. It really has just been a major part of our life and something that we've really enjoyed every summer.

What do you like about the facilities used by CC United Soccer Club?

I can't say enough about how much the creation of the new District 112 dome has meant to our program. When I first started, a lot of our winter practices were on hardwood floors in school gymnasiums, but now having the District 112 dome allows us to play games, have scrimmages, and have actual play on turf all winter long.

In addition, it's obviously great to be a community club and have all of your home games be so close to home, and we have fields for all age groups now just conveniently located. So many small age group fields now that we're actually hosting a tournament, which is relatively new in my time here.

Would you recommend CC United Soccer Club to a friend or colleague? Why?

So I have been with CC United for seventeen years. I have put four kids into the program. I have been a coach of at least one of those kids' teams for each of the last seventeen years. I have really appreciated the coaching support that's helped me develop and become a better coach. My kids have loved playing with their friends and developed lifelong friendships.

As a family, we have developed friendships. Some of our closest friends are other soccer parents that we get to hang out with at all the games. For my wife, it's almost like date night means that we're going to one of the games to watch some of our kids play and hang out with our friends on the sideline. So I have absolutely loved the support that we've had all around, and CC United has been like a family member to us.

I'm not gonna lie. There was a time when we were looking to see if we could find a different team that maybe would play at a higher level when my son was hoping to move up a different level. But even going to those tryouts and meeting with the other teams, we always came back to CC United. We never left. We searched around for a little bit, but it never seemed to be as good as what we had here. So for me, CC United has been everything that we could ask for. It has been a fantastic part of my kids' childhood, and I don't think I could recommend it any higher than I have. I'm very happy with it, and I hope you can come and join us too."

How long have you been a part of CC United Soccer Club? What attracted you to the club?

I've been a part of CC United for over 20 years now. All five of my kids have gone through the competitive program from U9 to U19. I was attracted to CC United for a number of reasons. I think, first off, well, the fact that it's a competitive program and offers so many different opportunities for the kids to compete and develop. I like the fact that it's a community club. It's not focused on attracting people beyond the community, and there's a lot of opportunities for the coaches to develop too, for those that really wanna be a part of the game. And I have been so impressed by the commitment of the leadership of the club.

What has been your favorite experience at CC United Soccer Club?

Having been with CC United for so long, it's really impossible to pick a single favorite experience. My mind immediately kinda goes to, obviously,  the great successes for the teams when they are fortunate enough to make it to the state tournament. Those are always, you know, incredibly exciting and fraught with a lot of triumphs and tribulations. And this particular, there was one, we made it to fall state one year. We actually won it, but our first game, we played in a snow-covered field. So that was pretty crazy. 

But traveling to away tournaments are always great chances to get to know players and parents away from the field. And I'll always enjoy the gatherings outside of the field just to get to know so many people from across our large community. And, you know, one specific experience was when my son's team at U12, they were really successful. And over the years, they kind of went different directions, but they all came together at U19 for our reunion season. It was really a special experience to be a part of that. 

Our first training session in our new dome was awesome. And then just in general, seeing the kids gain a sense of confidence in their play and have a sense of belonging with their team and really grow an appreciation for this wonderful game is really what I really enjoyed so much.

How has CC United Club impacted your son/daughter? Share an example.

As I mentioned in my favorite experiences, kind of one of the key impacts for my kids has been, you know, the confidence they gained on the field by playing the sport, the friendships they developed along the way, and the lifelong appreciation for soccer or football, which is just such a wonderful sport. 

For example, my oldest who probably played the least, he actually became a referee and was really good at that. And now he lives in Europe, and he plays in an adult league on occasion, and he takes in an occasional professional game. And it's just great to see that kind of appreciation of the sport. And there are countless memories from my kids, you know, talking about the friendships they made, the games they won or lost, and just general discussions at the table about our favorite professional clubs and how they're doing.

What do you like about the facilities used by CC United Soccer Club?

What I like about the facilities used by CC United. Well, I think, first off, I'm really proud and excited that we have a dome, our own dome after having had to travel so many years to other domes in neighboring communities. So I think that's a fantastic resource. And then just the number of outdoor turf fields we have that help out during the spring season, when grass can be tough to get on. And then just the number of fields that we have across our broad community that give us a range of spaces. And I kind of enjoy seeing the different parts of our geographic area. I think we have a lot of good resources available to the club.

Would you recommend CC United Soccer Club to a friend or colleague? Why?

I would definitely recommend CC United to any player, family, or person considering getting involved with the sport of soccer. It really starts with the commitment to development, specifically player development through their practices such as its open-door training policy and the year-round training opportunities they have. Also, I think the key to their development is the opportunities that they provide for coaches. Those opportunities have been great for me. I've been able to learn and grow my understanding of the game, and through that have been able to grow the understanding and the experience for the players. I think that's been incredibly rewarding and effective. 

And just in general, they offer so many opportunities to players at all abilities. And I've really just been so impressed at how CC United can offer the breadth of opportunities to players while remaining committed to the community. This is something that seems to be more and more rare in this modern era of competitive sports. So I couldn't be more proud of CC United and to be a part of it, so much so that now that my five kids have aged out, today, for the first time, I am coaching a team of kids which none of whom is my own. I love CC United. I'm very proud of it and wholeheartedly endorse it for anybody. And I’m happy to talk to anybody about our programs. Thanks so much for the opportunity to talk about CC United.

How long have you been a part of CC United Soccer Club? What attracted you to the club?

I have been a part of CC United Soccer Club for about twenty years now. I started out as a player, playing from ages four to 18 in the club and have been coaching ever since then. What initially attracted me to the club was just being able to play with my friends and being able to be a part of a community that really cares about my overall development, both as a player and a person. As a coach, I've been able to feed that same idea into the kids now and I'm able to give back to the community.

What has been your favorite experience at CC United Soccer Club?

Some of my favorite experiences at CC United Soccer Club have been seeing a lot of the individuals who have been coaching over the last couple of years really get involved in our youth coaching program. Just seeing them want to give back to the game, just as I felt the same way in my journey has been really awesome, and just seeing them also grow in confidence as a coach. Another favorite experience of mine was as a player, just being able to play with a core group of girls all the way from U10 to U18 and creating memories with them and still being friends with a lot of them to this day.

What kind of impact can the club have on a player’s development?

I think CC United's variety of programs, giving opportunities to every player, just really helps create a positive impact on players' development. Starting with our rec program and just creating a fun environment where kids can feel free to be kids, learn the game at the same time playing with their friends. Our CC United Development Program really helps provide that bridge, from rec into competitive, and then our competitive program has anywhere from U9 to U19 all the way from cities to NPL, just finding that right fit for every player and meeting them where they're at. 

Our camps and clinics also provide an additional opportunity for kids who want to work on those individual skills that they may look to get better at for the following season. As far as positive impact on players' development as well, seeing a lot of our adult league teams having former players just showing that they still have that love of the game, and that's what we're really trying to drive home.

What do you like about the facilities used by CC United Soccer Club?

What I like about the CC United Soccer Club's facilities is that they're always looking to improve the facilities and make it a better experience for their players, whether it's just making it more safe or a better pitch to play on. They're always looking to improve in that area. Also, just the amount of facilities in the Chan, Chaska, Carver, and Victoria areas really helps ensure that there will be a field that a player can practice on, a player can have their game on, and not worried about overcrowding of the fields and making sure they have the space they need to develop.

Would you recommend CC United Soccer Club to a friend or colleague? Why?

I would recommend CC United Soccer Club for a variety of reasons. First off, just the amount of programs that they offer here, whether it's part of the recreation program, united in development, our competitive program, or with the increase in the camps and clinics. There's camps and clinics offered all summer long and into the winter as well, just helping improve the individual development of each player. I think also just that value of both having a competitive spirit, but also still having fun in a community with your friends is really important to me, and I can see where parents see a lot of value in that.

How long have you been a part of CC United Soccer Club? What attracted you to the club?

I've been a part of CC United Soccer Club since 2021. So this coming season, I'll be coming up on about five years with the organization. I was attracted to CC United the summer before my junior year of high school because I had a dream of playing college soccer. And where I was currently playing soccer was just not the best fit for me to accomplish that dream. So I did some looking, tried out for multiple clubs in the state of Minnesota, and ultimately landed at CC United because of the feeling I got when I walked on the field for tryouts. All the coaches were so excited to meet me. I could tell they truly cared about me, and not just me as a player, but also as a person, which is so important. The other players who were at the tryouts were just so welcoming, and you could tell that they truly wanted the best for me as a player and were excited to welcome me to the program.

What has been your favorite experience at CC United Soccer Club?

My favorite experience with CC United Soccer Club so far would have to be a league game in my final competitive season with the club. At the time, I was coaching a U12 girls team, and they all showed up to the game. They were cheering super loud and had some really fun signs. And the cool thing about this experience for me was seeing how much the younger players within the program look up to the older players because of the example they're setting. And I think this is just so important because younger kids look up to the older kids and that's then how they act. So when kids have a positive example to follow, that's just super amazing to see.

Another fun thing about this experience was when the final whistle blew, and I shook hands with the other team, finished up the team chat, the girls came running onto the field, and gave me a huge hug and wanted to celebrate the win with me. And I think this just showed the impact that I can have on young players, not necessarily always making them the top player on the field, but helping them to have a positive experience, love the game, and love the experience that comes with the game of soccer.

What kind of impact can the club have on a player’s development?

Player development is the center of all that we do here at CC United. And with every single player, we strive to make an impact on their development. Above all, we strive to make an impact on their game of soccer. So we wanna give players every opportunity possible to train. A unique way in which CC United goes about this is through our open-door training policy. This policy enables players to train with multiple teams throughout the whole entire season, even if that's not the team they're rostered on. So if a player is striving to make a higher team throughout the season, as long as they're able to hang in there, they're allowed to come to practices, which gives them the best opportunity at reaching their goals. Additionally, girls can train with boys, boys can train with girls, and younger teens can train with older teens, and this is another great way for players to just continue to get more touches on the ball, as well as expose areas of strength and areas of weakness.

As we seek to develop the player, the more touches on the ball, the better. And so through the open door training policy, we have found a great balance in helping players reach their goals, but also just continue to get more touches on the ball. Another aspect of development that we focus on here at CC United is the whole person. So on the field, we're seeking players to develop integrity and confidence, and hopefully these things will then translate off the field and better serve them in the classroom and then ultimately in college and in the workforce, and beyond.

What do you like about the facilities used by CC United Soccer Club?

At CC United Soccer Club, we pride ourselves in having safe and open fields and facilities. Safety must be present in order for players to focus on the game in front of them. One thing I really appreciate about CC United is the fact that I have always walked onto fields and facilities feeling safe. So I've never once had a second guess about maybe what's happening around me, and this is huge as we seek for players to get every minute of development that they can without focusing on what's happening outside.

Additionally, the openness helps to contribute to the sense of community, which we pride ourselves in at CC United. All the fields are closely connected, enabling players to go to different fields and support other teams, but also enabling us to look across the field and just see the fantastic community that we have built as a program.

I can confidently say that I would recommend CC United Soccer Club to any parent, family, or player looking for a fantastic soccer experience in Minnesota. As a player, CC United has been transformative for me. Prior to coming to CC United, I had the dream of playing in college, but I was nowhere where I needed to be in order to accomplish that dream. After coming to CC United, I was pushed by coaches who believed in me and gave me the confidence that I could achieve my goal of collegiate soccer. Little did I know that less than a year after joining the organization, I would be committing to play college soccer at my dream school. Without the support of the coaches, I would have never reached my goal of college soccer, and I am confident that no matter what your players' goals may be, CC United Soccer Club is here and willing to help your player achieve that goal and have a fantastic experience along the way.

As a coach, I also cannot recommend CC United enough. CC United coaches truly care about the whole player. Whether a player is struggling at home or in school. As coaches, we strive to make a difference in their lives and help the field be a place where they can go and enjoy themselves and develop into fantastic soccer players, but also enjoy the experience that comes with it. Soccer is a game that's meant to be fun and a game that is meant to have a positive impact on players' lives, and I can say without a doubt that the coaches at CC United do everything in their power to foster that experience. Please take a chance and come look at CC United Soccer Club. We would be more than excited to welcome your player and answer any questions that you may have.

How long have you been a part of CC United Soccer Club? What attracted you to the club?

I've been involved with CC United for pretty much as long as I can remember. So I first started in CC United at around age five or six, I was a rec player, and then I continued with CC United until about age 17. So pretty much the majority of my youth soccer playing career was at CC United, and my best memories of my youth career were at CC United. Since then, as a college student and coming back as a recent college graduate, I've tried to stay involved in any roles I can. So helping out with coaching, working tryouts, or even talking on college panels. A couple of things that have kept me and my family highly involved in CC United is, first of all, this sense of community that CC United creates within the Carver County area, its commitment to player and coach development, and also how it strives to create opportunities for all players within the area.

What has been your favorite experience at CC United Soccer Club?

So it's pretty difficult to pick just one favorite experience at CC United because I spent so much time with the club, and as I spent pretty much my entire youth playing career there. But a couple of my favorite experiences were, first of all, when I was younger, I would always go and train with my own team, but also my brother's team. And I remember as a nine or 10-year-old, I would think that was so cool being able to train with so many different teams and being able to play up with my brother. And then kind of as I got older, some of my favorite experiences were being able to travel with the team. Those away tournaments, when Kansas City, for example, the USA Cup was always a great time playing with teams from pretty much around the world and being able to compete and trade pins with them. That was always such a fun time.

But I would say, related to the club, one of the coolest moments I had...I remember my senior year of high school, when we played and we did well, and we played Chan. And it was pretty much my entire U13-U14 on the field at one time, playing in the same game. So that was definitely a super cool moment.

And now coming back and being involved with with the club as a coach, there's been a lot of cool moments, specifically just kind of helping younger generation, younger kids go through that same process that I went through developing as a player, making friends, and just having fun with the game is always such a cool thing to see.

What kind of impact can the club have on a player’s development?

So for me, it goes without saying that finding the right club and the right environment goes an incredibly far away in a player's personal development, not just in their own development as a player in their own skill set, but also developing a deep passion and a lifelong interest for the game, which I believe to be most important.

One of the things that was special to me as a player coming in at five or five or six years old until I graduated high school at 18 was that the club always seemed to take a very personalized interest in my own development as a player, and I felt that throughout the entire club at all levels. So when I was a youth player, I would always find ways to go play with other teams in the weekend and just get extra playing, as was appropriate for me. And the club always had the right things along the path that was set up for me to develop correctly as a player. And that's one of the things I always found be always find to be very striking, even coming back as a coach, that even from the youngest levels in Rec or in United in Development, the player's personal development always comes first above all else. And for me, that's what most important, and that's how the club develops its players and what makes it special.

What do you like about the facilities used by CC United Soccer Club?

I always found it cool how many different facilities CC United had access to around just the Carver County area. Whether it was summer or winter, there's always places to play and go play extra and train and train with different teams, which I always thought to be super beneficial for my own development as a youth player.

Would you recommend CC United Soccer Club to a friend or colleague? Why?

Yeah. I would very highly recommend CC United to any player or any parent. CC United has always held a very special place in my heart. I started with CC United when I was about five or six and continued for the majority of my playing career, and I've kept coming back ever since as a coach. What makes CC United so special is that it has opportunities for players across all levels of youth soccer, and it continues to take into account players' personal developments, whether they are a rec player or in United Development age five or six, or if they're playing at the highest levels of U19. CC United also remains very affordable and accessible to all players, which I think to be super important nowadays in youth soccer. And most of all, CC United makes sure to spur a lifelong interest and passion of the game of soccer within all of its players and coaches.

How long have you been a part of CC United Soccer Club? What attracted you to the club?

I've been a part of the soccer club most of my life. I started as a recreational player in preschool and played for CC United throughout high school. During that time, I was also a youth coach starting in high school and did that until I left for college. Upon returning back to the area, I began coaching again and taking a variety of different teams and different levels as well as coaching in different camps and clinics and helping out in a variety of different ways. One thing that I really value and attracted me to this club was the community feel and aspect. We really try and service all the members of the community and really support soccer development for all players, whether it's kindergarteners all the way to seniors in high school. We really value that while also staying competitive with the high level teams.

What has been your favorite experience at CC United Soccer Club?

My favorite experience while coaching in the club has been the chance to compete and play in the USA Cup in Blaine. Not only is that such a great tournament because you get to play such a wide variety of competition from out-of-state teams to even international teams, but it really allows the players to play at a high level. Seeing them interact with people from all around the country, getting to trade pins, going to the Expo Center and getting the gear, and seeing all there is to see that the tournament has is just super great. The tournament feel also allows me to get to know the families and of my players as well. It's really great for relationship building for the players and the families as well as for me to get to know and understand them better. Tournaments also provide me the chance as the coach to try players out in different positions and really get to see them in competitive aspects outside of just the normal league games.

What kind of impact can the club have on a player’s development?

This club has a huge impact on the player development, starting all the way down at the recreational level, providing high level coaching and opportunities for players of all ages to develop all the way from kindergarten through middle school, as well as we offer the CC United in Development program, which is helpful to transition kids from the recreational program to the competitive program. That offers the chance for players to get a feel for what that competitive aspect might be, a little bit of the travel aspect of competing against players from different clubs, and receiving high levels of coaching.

Then getting into the competitive program, there's a real focus, especially in the last few years, to make sure that we have high-level coaches and are working with those coaches to provide high-level training sessions so that the players can develop. We also have a lot of high-level teams that can push players to play against higher-level teams and with players that have the same goals and aspirations as they do to improve as soccer players.

This club also provides lots of camps and other opportunities for players to develop outside of their own teams. We have winter camps that we are able to use during in our dome, as well as many different summer camps that appeal to all different ages and age groups so that players, whether they are five years old or 15 years old, have the same option to improve and develop when a with a good community club and proper coaching.

What do you like about the facilities used by CC United Soccer Club?

We have some really great facilities that we are able to use. During the spring, summer, and fall, we have a lot of different facilities in a lot of different towns and communities so that it's easy for and accessible for players to get from practice to practice or to where their game might be. We also have the benefit of having our own dome where we have a lot of dome time in the winter so that we are able to maintain that training and that rigor throughout the winter so that players can continue to improve and develop as players.

Would you recommend CC United Soccer Club to a friend or colleague? Why?

I would absolutely recommend CC United to all my friends and colleagues. We're a community-based club, and we really support the development of those players in that community. We have a lot of great options and offer a lot of different opportunities for players, from our recreation program to our CC United in Development program, all the way to our competitive programs ranging from U9 all the way until U19. There's a lot of different levels of play and options for all players to feel successful and to develop as soccer players. We provide the high-level opportunities with sending players to college and high-level programs, as well as providing programs and opportunities for those players who want to play more casually and really build and develop that love for the game. We also provide players opportunities to play with other teams and get that real competitive spirit while also developing great friendships and bonds with their peers that they go to school with.

How long have you been a part of CC United Soccer Club? What attracted you to the club?

We've been part of the CC United family for the past thirteen years. And what attracted us to CC United were really a couple things. One, the focus on the fundamentals of soccer. So the kids learn at an early age the importance of formation, passing, and really the core value of teamwork inside of the CC United family. And then, you know, really the second thing is just the competitiveness of the program. I feel like the program competes with all of the larger programs in the state, competes at a very high level, and that's been a wonderful experience for all of my kids in this program.

What has been your favorite experience at CC United Soccer Club?

My favorite experience with CC United has really been a couple of things. One, you know, watching her [my daughter] skill level improve year over year. So my daughters have embraced the technical training programs within CC United, and you can see the growth every year when they get on the field as they leverage those technical training programs throughout the winter to see their soccer skills improve.

The second thing is she's been able to expand friendships to dozens of kids her own age across the Chaska, Chanhassen area, and that has just been a wonderful experience for her as she goes through high school.

How has the club impacted your son/daughter? Share an example.

CC United had a very positive impact on my daughter over the years. I think about a specific example last year where the team was in an overtime game with a competitive club from our area, and our team won a close game in overtime. My daughter got in the car after the game, and she said, "I am so happy we got that victory as a team". And she said, "I was happy to celebrate with my friends". And I thought what an amazingly positive experience she's having both in the victory of the sport, but also sharing that win with her team. It's been just a wonderful experience in that way.

What do you like about the facilities used by CC United Soccer Club?

CC United has access to some of the best soccer facilities in the state. The teams have access to fields in both Chaska and Chanhassen. They also have the opportunity to play on the soccer field at Chanhassen High School, along with the soccer field at Chaska High School. And then in the winter, they're able to leverage the indoor dome at Chaska Middle School, which allows them to improve their game year-round. And we just had a wonderful experience leveraging all of the fields and capacity that CC United has access to.

Would you recommend CC United Soccer Club to a friend or colleague? Why?

I would highly recommend joining the CC United Soccer Club. In my opinion, CC United provides an elevated experience for both parents and kids because of the focus on the fundamentals of soccer. You know, learning how to play the game the right way, the focus on teamwork and camaraderie. So making sure that all players are involved with the team victories. The third reason, CC United has world-class coaching that will help your child grow in both soccer skills, but also positions, formations, and how to build that team bond. And then lastly, CC United is very competitive. CC United is able to compete with some of the largest programs in the state and win. And it's just been a wonderful experience for all of my daughters as we've gone through this program, and I would highly recommend joining CC United.