Letter from the Director: Looking back through 2023
2023 was a landmark year for Capital Futbol Club. From celebrating 30 years of Salem soccer to serving nearly 5,000 area youth, our soccer community has made great strides to further our mission of developing better soccer, better people, and a stronger community - both on and off the field.
On the Field :
This year, I’m proud of our club for what we’ve done to improve the level of soccer in Salem. We advanced our boys academy program by entering the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL-RL), giving our players and our state better competition and expanded national and regional exposure opportunities. We also continued to develop the girls side of the game by successfully completing our first Girls Academy season, as well as launching the USL W League with Capital FC Atletica to provide a complete Path to Pro pathway for our female athletes.
Alongside league development, our 2012 Boys and Girls teams were crowned State Champions in 2023! We were the only club in the State to have both a boys and girls team from the same age group win the State Cup. Across all tournaments - Capital Cup, Founders Cup, and Presidents Cup tournaments, we had many teams bring home Championship and Finalist medals. I’m very proud of each group of players, parents, and coaches who have worked so hard on and off the field to achieve their goals and continue the pursuit of constant improvement.
We also saw our numbers as a Club increase this year to serve nearly 5,000 youth. This happened through expanding our Recreational program to offer year-round play, increasing our participating GRASSP (Grass Roots After School Soccer Program) programs to reach 20 Title I schools in the Salem-Keizer school district, and by partnering with Salem for Refugees to grow the game for our new neighbors.
Our Youth Referee Academy continues to serve not just the game itself but also provide job and mentorship opportunities for our young players, teaching valuable lessons that translate into all aspects of life.
Off the Field :
It was an honor to celebrate CFC’s 30 years of history this past year. The club has a rich history that has helped inform our vision and values, and as we looked back this year to honor club founders, keystone teams, and club milestones, we also received a better sense of our club identity and where we are heading to serve our community through soccer in the next chapters of our story.
A special moment was our 30th Anniversary Celebration in June. It was an honor to have past board members, directors, coaches, and volunteers gather around our USL Matches in June, wearing the club’s original purple jerseys. It is a testament to the legacy and impact of the club to see so many of these members come out for this day. Click here to watch our 30th anniversary recap.
A big part of what we do is offer scholarships to players and families who need financial assistance. This year, we have given nearly $200,000 in scholarships to keep athletes engaged both on and off the field. We are able to do this thanks to the generosity of individual donors, grants, and our local business partners. It’s truly impossible without the support of our community!
What’s Coming in 2024 :
As we look back on the pathway that’s been forged over the last 30 years, it helps us understand where we are heading.
We will continue to relentlessly pursue our vision to be more than a soccer club for Salem and the mid-Willamette Valley, offering pathways for players of all skill and commitment levels from recreational to Academy and beyond. At the same time, we will continue to utilize soccer as a vehicle for enriching kids’ lives.
One thing I believe will have the greatest impact in 2024 is the beginning of construction on our new building. A sports-fueled community center, the 25,000 square foot building will be the capstone on club development to date, allowing for indoor soccer programming, community space and team meeting areas, as well as providing space for CFC’s administration onsite.
If you’d like to partner with us on this project, please reach out. We know from looking back that success and progress is a community effort.
Thank you to all of you for the part you play in our soccer community. Reflecting on the past, we are reloaded to take on whatever 2024 may bring for all of us…our strength is in our togetherness.
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Collin Box
Executive Director collin@cfcsalem.com
