The First Coast may be in the throes of an athletic renaissance of sorts. A grassroots movement is opening a myriad of doors of economic opportunity as it fosters a sense of community and collaboration. When you think of our region in terms of sporting events, which games come to mind? Soccer should be high on the list.

There are initiatives underway to further place the First Coast on the map as a robust soccer community. JAXUSL is a company developing professional United Soccer League franchises in Northeast Florida. Among their founding owners is Steve Livingstone. He gave Evolve Magazine a peek at how JAXUSL is engaging with growing local soccer enthusiasm. This endeavor is hardly Livingstone’s first rodeo. In his native Glasgow, Scotland, he worked as a soccer writer, producer, and editor. Livingstone covered the NFL, Champions League and Scottish and English Premier Leagues from 1990-1996. By age 32, he was the youngest managing director in the NFL. Fiscally speaking, Livingstone has a track record that inspires confidence. During his eight seasons (2005-2013) overseeing sales, marketing, and business development, Jacksonville’s NFL franchise enjoyed annual ticket sale revenues exceeding $50 million.

Establishing a regional soccer club has the power to showcase the First Coast globally. The club would also open opportunities for economic growth. Prior Jacksonville franchises functioned under multi-million-dollar operating budgets, which helped fund municipal negotiations and sponsorships. As Livingstone notes, “There is a vibrant soccer community here in Northeast Florida with great youth soccer being played across the region, and great enthusiasm and interest in the sport.” This strong community support makes our market well-poised to be more firmly placed on the world map. Nielsen estimates paint a noteworthy picture. Livingstone references stats that indicate upwards of 160,000 viewers tuned in to Channel 47 (local CBS/FOX affiliate) for the 2022 Qatar World Cup match between the US and England. This captive audience, coupled with the building of world-class facilities on the First Coast, opens countless avenues for new partnerships and a higher-tier experience around the sport.

One such opportunity involves a recent milestone whereby JAXUSL joined the USL Super League. Says Livingstone, “We’re delighted to make this historic announcement for women’s sports and soccer for Northeast Florida. With the USL Super League, we will be bringing major league women’s professional soccer to the First Coast for the first time, creating an unbroken pathway to professional soccer for girls and women in our region.”

It is not lost on Livingstone that the upcoming generation of soccer enthusiasts stand to benefit, too. “There’s also a tremendous opportunity for us to create better youth soccer and other sports facilities to attract the big youth tournament events to Northeast Florida while at the same time providing pathways to professional play for our local youth soccer players here in our own market, which doesn’t currently exist.”

The market is primed for such a pathway. For example, since 1990, the Flagler County Youth Soccer Association has been making recreational soccer available to children aged 4 to 16. Their fall and spring seasons last for ten weeks each. Though the association is self-sustaining, they enjoy the support of their local Board of County Commissioners, the Parks & Recreation Department, and various area business partners.

James Hirst is the Parks & Recreation Department Director for the City of Palm Coast. He, too, knows first-hand that local soccer fanfare is on the rise. Hirst relates, “Over the last couple of years, we have seen a big uptick in participation numbers for our local organizations that utilize our fields for soccer. When asked for his take on how soccer draws a wider diversity of visitors to the First Coast, Hirst notes that “it is pretty common to encounter international visitors. Some of our organizations have had clubs from the English Premier League do training sessions for players.”

Meanwhile, JAXUSL is working with local authorities to procure the site of a 15,000-capacity stadium and training facility. “We’ve narrowed down our search to several outstanding possible site locations, and hope to make an announcement on which site will become our home in the coming months. Stay tuned!” shares Livingstone. The new site has the potential to draw live music, festivals, and national youth tournaments. “These will bring new families and visitors to our region that currently are going elsewhere for these types of events,” relates former Jacksonville University men’s soccer coach Mauricio Ruiz. Earlier this year, Ruiz signed on with JAXUSL to assist with business development and technical direction.

It will be a thrill to see what the future holds as our region continues to emerge on the global scene as a bonafide soccer hub.