For the first time in club history, two teams from the Madison United Soccer Association (MUSA)
Flyers brought home championship trophies from the Kentucky Youth Soccer Association’s
Presidents Cup. As part of MUSA’s select soccer program, the Flyers 2010 Girls team and the
2010 Boys Blue team both battled through two weekends of tournament play, against other
select soccer teams from across Kentucky. The tournament’s preliminary weekend took place
May 17-18 in Lexington, with finals weekend taking place in Owensboro May 24-25. Kentucky’s
Presidents Cup, part of the United States Youth Soccer’s Presidents Cup competition, provides
a progressive, competitive experience that highlights competition, camaraderie, and community
from the state to regional to national levels of US Youth Soccer. As state Presidents Cup
champions, both teams now have the opportunity to represent Kentucky at the upcoming
regional tournament in St. Louis.
The girls, coached by Nelu Stefan and Jason Karsner, emerged on top of a very competitive
field of 10 teams from across Kentucky. In finals weekend, they played with no subs and were
down a player for half of Saturday’s match due to injury. Their determination and teamwork were
unwavering, and they persevered to win all of their tournament games, only ceding one goal.
They sealed their championship status with a 1-0 victory over Fusion FC NKY Black.
The boys, coached by Andrew Lunsford, Sammy Lee, Matt Jackson, and Jonathan Johnson,
also had an impressive tournament run in a tough field of 16 teams. With a late season
goalkeeper change due to injury, and a slew of in-game injuries during preliminaries weekend,
the boys pulled together and dug deep, winning all of their tournament games and only ceding
one goal. Their final game, against neighboring Lexington Sporting Club Performance Gray,
included a 30 minute thunder delay followed by a thrilling final 12 minutes of play before
claiming their well-earned trophy with a 1-0 win..
Many of these players have been connected since their earliest days—some having been in
daycare together, others sharing classrooms since kindergarten. Most grew up on the fields of
MUSA, learning to love the game together before they were even old enough to tie their cleats.
Along the way, a dedicated network of volunteer rec coaches and Flyers coaches has guided,
mentored, and cheered them on through every stage of their soccer journeys. Their families
have been a steady presence along the way, volunteering countless hours, organizing,
carpooling, cheering from the sidelines, and doing whatever it took to keep the team moving
forward. The players hail from all corners of Madison County, with a few even traveling in from
neighboring counties. Though they represent different schools—and often face each other as
rivals in middle and high school matches—they come together as one when they put on their
Flyers jerseys. If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s this: 2010 was a banner year for raising
soccer talent in Madison County.
For more information about MUSA rec and select programs, visit www.musasoccer.com
For more information about the Kentucky Youth Soccer Association and the Presidents Cup,
visit www.kysoccer.net
