Cultivating Community in Carver County: Josh Wackerfuss’s Full-Circle Journey with CC United
- Aug 1, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
For Coach Josh Wackerfuss, CC United Soccer Club has been the backdrop for nearly his entire life. Entering the program as a recreational player at just five years old, Wackerfuss spent the vast majority of his youth soccer career developing within the club until age 17. Now a recent college graduate, his deep connection to the organization has brought him right back to the sidelines.
From coaching teams and running tryouts to speaking on the club’s college panels, Josh is dedicated to giving back to the community that shaped him. Recently, he shared his favorite youth memories, the club's extensive facility network, and why CC United’s commitment to personalized development keeps local families highly involved for decades.
From Trading Pins to Local Rivalries: A Youth Career Filled with Milestones
Spending his formative years with CC United provided Wackerfuss with a rich collection of memories, ranging from early childhood training sessions to high-stakes high school matchups. For Josh, the club offered the perfect balance of exciting travel milestones and meaningful local competition.
"When I was younger, I would always go and train with my own team, but also my brother's team. 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," Wackerfuss recalls. "As I got older, some of my favorite experiences were being able to travel with the team... those away tournaments to 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. But I would say one of the coolest moments I had was my senior year of high school when we played Chan [Chanhassen]. It was pretty much my entire U13-U14 team on the field at one time, playing in the same game. That was definitely a super cool moment."
What makes CC United Soccer Club’s player development environment special?
Finding the right youth sports ecosystem is vital for an athlete’s long-term growth. Wackerfuss emphasizes that CC United sets itself apart by prioritizing individual growth and fostering an enduring, lifelong love for the game above everything else.
Wackerfuss highlights the core elements of the club's development philosophy:
A Highly Personalized Approach: The club takes a tailored, individual interest in each athlete's progress, a commitment felt by players across all age groups and skill tiers.
Flexible Cross-Team Training: Young athletes are encouraged to find extra playing opportunities and train with different squads on the weekends to accelerate their skill sets.
Development Over Winning: Across every single operational level—from the youngest players in Rec soccer and United in Development up to the U19 competitive ranks—the personal growth of the player always comes first.
Affordability and Accessibility: The organization purposefully keeps high-level competitive sports financially accessible, ensuring all children in the area have an opportunity to play.
"Finding the right club and the right environment goes an incredibly far way 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," Wackerfuss explains. "Even from the youngest levels in Rec or in United in Development, the player's personal development always comes first above all else. That's what is most important, and that's how the club develops its players and what makes it special."
Where do CC United Soccer Club teams train and play?
A major logistical benefit for local families is the sheer variety and reach of the club’s training infrastructure. Rather than limiting teams to a single location, CC United opens up extensive resources across the region to facilitate year-round play.
"I always found it cool how many different facilities CC United had access to around just the Carver County area," notes Wackerfuss. "Whether it was summer or winter, there's always places to play and go play extra and train with different teams, which I always thought to be super beneficial for my own development as a youth player."
Why Choose CC United Soccer Club?
Having viewed the organization as a five-year-old beginner, an elite high school competitor, and now an active staff member, Wackerfuss enthusiastically recommends CC United to parents and players alike. He notes that in the modern era of youth sports, it is rare to find an organization that pairs elite, multi-level competitive opportunities with a true, budget-friendly community focus. Today, his greatest joy is helping the younger generation navigate that very same pathway — watching them build skills, forge lifelong friendships, and fall in love with soccer just as he did.
Editor's Note: This post has been updated for accuracy and current best practices.
