Seventeen Years of Family and Soccer: Eric on the CC United Soccer Club Experience
- Mar 30, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 8
When Eric and his family moved to Chaska in 2005, they were looking for a welcoming community to raise their children. Three years later, when his oldest daughter turned five, she stepped onto the pitch for the first time with CC United Soccer Club’s recreational program — and Eric stepped up as a volunteer coach. Fast forward 17 years, and Eric has coached at least one of his four children's teams every single summer.
Now, with two children graduated from youth soccer and two still actively playing, the club has woven itself into the fabric of the family's daily life. Eric recently shared his incredible perspective on the club’s leadership mentorship, the transformational shift in local facility access, and why CC United remains irreplaceable to local soccer families.
Celebrating Championships and Lifelong Connections on the Sidelines
With nearly two decades of memories under his belt, Eric has watched his children secure massive victories, including his son winning the prestigious USA Cup championship at the U19 level last year. Yet, when reflecting on his favorite aspects of the club, he points directly to the enduring relationships built right on the Chaska sidelines.
"Developing a friendship amongst — there's a community, not only of parents and players but of coaches," Eric shares. "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. 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."
How does CC United Soccer Club support its youth players and coaches?
A hallmark of CC United is its ability to foster an inclusive, supportive ecosystem where everyone — from a five-year-old taking their first touch to a veteran high school coach — has the resources to grow.
Eric highlights the unique pillars that define the club's culture:
Continuous Coach Education: Director of Coaching Jonathan Tudor established an open, friendly learning culture, offering innovative training tips to brand-new parent volunteers and seasoned tactical coaches alike.
True Local Identity: A community-centric model that allows local children to develop, train, and compete right in the neighborhoods where they live.
A Spark for Post-Youth Longevity: The club builds such a profound love for the game that Eric’s son and his U19 teammates immediately formed their own men's league team this year because they weren't ready for the camaraderie to end.
Deep Emotional Investment: The bonds formed through the club run so deep that the end of a youth career is a major family milestone.
"I was not prepared when my daughter, who is the oldest, for the emotional response that she had when it was all over," Eric admits. "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. 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 our last CC United game as a family."
What facilities does CC United Soccer Club use for winter training?
Sustaining a high-level soccer club in Minnesota requires a massive infrastructure commitment. Over his 17 years, Eric has witnessed a total transformation in the resources and facilities available to CC United athletes.
The District 112 Dome: A game-changing indoor turf center that replaced the early days of running winter training sessions on hard school gymnasium floors.
Convenient Home Fields: A sprawling, organized collection of neighborhood fields tailored for all age brackets.
Tournament Hosting Capabilities: Because of the increase in localized small-sided fields, the club now actively hosts its own competitive tournaments.
"I can't say enough about how much the creation of the new District 112 Dome has meant to our program," Eric notes. "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."
Why Choose CC United Soccer Club?
Having dedicated 17 consecutive years to the program, Eric has an unwavering belief in the club's value. He admits that there was a time when his family explored out-of-district tryouts to see if a different club could offer a higher competitive tier for his son. However, the grass wasn't greener on the other side.
"Even going to those tryouts and meeting with the other teams, we always came back to CC United. We never left," Eric concludes. "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."
Editor's Note: This post has been updated for accuracy and current best practices.
