Photos From #SaveTheCrew Community Soccer Day

Columbus Eagles FC teamed up with the Save The Crew movement and its organizers to hold a Community Soccer Day on Monday. It was a terrific and fun day, with over 60 young soccer stars showing up to participate in free youth clinics. Resolute Athletic Complex – a great partner of the Eagles since the club’s inception in 2014 – played host to the event.

Eagles players Monique Hanayik, Rachel MacLeod, and 2017 WPSL All-Star Kelly DeNiro helped run the clinics with STC‘s USSF-licensed staff. Kids from ages 6-14 learned dribbling and passing skills and scrimmaged each other throughout the day. The 12-14-year-olds even played against the Eagles players in the game that broke out at the end of their session.

The day capped a great weekend for soccer in Columbus. Sunday, former U.S. men’s national team member Eric Wynalda answered questions at a town hall in the city. Wynalda spoke about the NWSL, women’s soccer, gender pay equality, and about recent news regarding the relocation chances of Columbus Crew SC. Wynalda wore a “Save The Crew” scarf in support of the movement to keep the Crew in Columbus. In addition, the city gained a NPSL team, as FC Columbus announced that it would start matches in May. To top off the weekend, Columbus Futsal was added to the National League of Professional Futsal.

This is also the second straight set of packed youth clinics to be held at Resolute. On Dec. 30, the Eagles hosted more than 30 young girls and boys at a clinic before the team’s win over Cincinnati.

Community Soccer Day was about exactly that: Showing off the strength of the Columbus soccer community. Young girls made up the majority of clinic-goers, a testament to why we at the Eagles believe in including and empowering the girls and women of our community. The event wasÂ held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a way to support Dr. King’s vision of giving and charity.