Bloomington FC Joins Indy Eleven Youth Soccer Program

BFC becomes 14th member of Eleven’s Grass Roots Program Supporting Rec Soccer Programs Across Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS/BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Friday, April 7, 2023) – Indy Eleven today welcomed Bloomington Football Club as the newest member of the Indy Eleven Youth Soccer Program.

The Indy Eleven Youth Soccer Program is designed to increase accessibility to soccer in communities and encourage players, coaches, referees, and parents to grow their passion for the sport by supporting the recreational soccer programs at member clubs.

Bloomington Football Club is now the 14^th club to join Indy Eleven’s grass roots initiative that will continue to grow annually and support more than 15,000 young players at the recreational level across the State of Indiana.

“On behalf of Indy Eleven and our Youth Soccer Program, we are proud to welcome Bloomington Football Club into our growing family,” said Greg Stremlaw, Indy Eleven President and Chief Executive Officer. “At Indy Eleven, we continue to be focused on expanding our footprint across Indiana and investing in the game at all levels in 2023. We sincerely thank BFC for their membership and helping the club grow the reach of the Youth Soccer Program further into South Central Indiana.”

Since 2016, BFC has provided a player’s first approach to player development in Bloomington, which currently involves over 250 players and their families. BFC offers both Recreational and Competitive opportunities and strives to develop its players on and off the field to be good teammates and valuable members of the community.  With very limited soccer resources available in the City of Bloomington, BFC players train on baseball fields, basketball courts, and parking lots, yet still manage to develop and compete against clubs with larger player pools and more resources.  BFC is proudly grassroots to the core, with a strong club ethic and passion for the game. 

“Bloomington Football Club is honored to partner with Indy Eleven to support the USL and professional soccer in the State of Indiana. It is important for young players to experience the game in person at a higher level and Indy Eleven provides these opportunities to our community and many others across Indiana,” said Jeremy Sweet, Founder, Director, and Coach at Bloomington FC. “We are excited for this partnership and will utilize the resources that Indy Eleven provides to improve what we offer to our BFC families through collaborative Summer Camps, Recreational Program development and an affordable and accessible professional soccer experience.  This relationship will enhance our development as a club and help build exposure for our players and the community through the love of the game!”

BFC coaches are licensed through US Soccer & United Soccer Coaches and are SafeSport certified to ensure a safe, supportive and challenging environment for each stage of development. The club also offers youth mentoring programs to provide high school age players opportunities to get involved in the game as coaches and mentors. For more information about BFC, visit bloomingtonfootballclub.com and follow on Instagram @bloomingtonfootballclub.

As part of the program, each registered recreational player will represent Indiana’s Team by wearing variations of Indy Eleven jerseys at their respective clubs and receive tickets to an Indy Eleven match.

Further assets available to member clubs includes but is not limited to: technical coaching expertise via the Indy Eleven Technical Staff and Youth Development Program Staff; access to additional educational resources for players, parents, coaches, and referees; the creation of revenue-generating partnership opportunities; and an Indy Eleven Soccer Festival event at Youth Soccer Program clubs that brings their rec soccer communities together in celebration of the sport.

Clubs interested in learning more or becoming the newest member of the Indy Eleven Youth Soccer Rec Program can visit indyeleven.com/youth-soccer-program or contact Brad Hauter, Indy Eleven Vice President, Marketing & Club Growth, at bhauter@indyeleven.com for more details.