A Storied Career: Juan Hernandez and The Next Step

By: Sebastian Johnson Juan Hernandez has accomplished things few men have. Over his 126 games played for Chattanooga FC (CFC), the second most ever played for the club, he became their sixth-leading scorer of all-time and their all-time leader in assists. Now, as Hernandez looks to the future, he prepares to take the next step in his storied career – and it’s a step he’s been preparing for since he was ...

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Family, Community, Soccer

by Sebastian Johnson It’s hard to imagine the work that goes into running a professional sports team. It’s a tall task to be sure - one that could leave even the most die-hard of fans feeling that they bit off more than they could chew. Suffice it to say, running a sports team is not a job for the faint of heart, and few know that better than Bronwyn Capriotti. Capriotti was ...

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Kevin Gonzalez Is The Perfect Man For The Job

By Sebastian Johnson It takes a special type of person to be a goalkeeper. A goalkeeper isn’t just another element of a team’s defense - far from it, in fact. The goalkeeper is the final defensive measure a team has, tasked with possibly the most crucial job on the pitch. Professional soccer players can send a ball towards the goal at speeds up to 80 miles per hour. It takes a unique ...

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For Shinya Kadono, No Distance Is Too Far To Close Through Understanding

By Sebastian Johnson The distance from Kobe, Japan, to Irvine, Calif., is 9,262 kilometers. In imperial units that’s just over 5,755 miles - a measure so great as to be nearly abstract. The average person can hardly visualize 10 miles; 5,755 miles is close to being rendered without meaning in its expanse. That is, unless you’re Shinya Kadono. Despite moving nearly 6,000 miles at age seven, the understanding he was met with ...

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Experience Shapes Actions for Shaun Russell

By Sebastian Johnson Shaun Russell didn’t realize the athlete he was becoming until he was 14 years old. “I realized I was good when I got my first college letter,” he says. It wasn’t much longer after that he got his first college call - a moment that cemented into his mind the fact that he just might be an above average soccer player. Even though Russell doesn’t remember the school that sent ...

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Difference Makers in the Game of Soccer: An Interview with Stumptown AC Head Coach Rod Underwood

By Alexa Doebler Heading into Week 4 of our 2021 Spring Season, our Game of the Week comes to you from Matthews Sportsplex, the stadium of NISA’s newest team, Stumptown AC. They will be lacing up to take on Cal United Strikers FC this Saturday, May 22nd. And while this club is young- 7 games and about 2 months since initial tryouts- they are taking to the pitch in an impressive showing ...

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What is the Independent Cup?

What is the NISA Independent Cup? By NISA Nation Staff   The “I” in NISA stands for independent. It is a guiding principle for everyone working in NISA that our clubs represent the top tier of independent clubs and represent growing an open system.  But what about clubs that may not meet mandated standards yet to compete in that top tier – do we represent them as well?  Many of these clubs ...

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NISA Nation: Looking Forward to Spring 2020

  NISA 2020: Ten Things We're Looking Forward To This Spring Season By NISA Nation Staff   There is a lot going on in the NISA Nation behind the scenes as clubs get ready for their Spring Season Openers at the end of this week. Ten things we at the NISA Nation are looking forward to most just before we kickoff our Spring 2020 campaign.   (1.) More matches like the West Coast Championship between Los ...

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Spring 2020: Previewing the Home Openers

  Previewing the Home Openers By NISA Nation Staff Last month, the National Independent Soccer Association announced the spring home openers for our eight clubs beginning play in the Spring 2020 Season.  NISA also announced that club owners decided to proceed in Spring with a single table and each club playing home-and-away against every other club.  The winter break is almost over.  Let’s get to the matches.   February 28 – LA Force – Detroit ...

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East Coast Championship Preview: Miami FC vs Stumptown Athletic

Stumptown Athletic And Miami FC Tangle for A Title By Justin Hanover, Communications Director Atlanta SC   The top two teams in the Eastern Conference, Stumptown Athletic and Miami FC, will battle on Saturday, November 9th at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami for the NISA Eastern Conference Championship and an automatic berth into next season's playoffs. Stumptown Athletic is a club in its first year of existence led by USL Hall of Fame Coach, Mark Steffens. The ...

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