Not sure if I'm in the right forum, but I was wondering about soccer in Alaska. I know there are some men's adult leagues. I don't think there are any NCAA programs in the state. I guess there are a few Alaskans on BS.
Some of the cities aren't even connected by road. The UPSL Last Frontier Division has 3 teams that play each other twice for 4 games each total.
In 2017-18 39 high schools played soccer with 951 boys participating. By comparison 30 high schools played ice hockey, 32 played baseball, 31 played 11 player football and 146 schools played basketball. https://www.nfhs.org/sports-resource-content/high-school-participation-survey-archive/
I can't find any soccer players that hail from Alaska. Josh Phelps has the highest number of home runs in MLB for an Alaskan with 64. Former pitcher and Nazi memorabilia collector Curt Schilling is also from Alaska.
No current pros that I know of, but there have been a few. The most prominent were Liviu Bird (former pro GK and soccer journalist, now on the Columbus Crew coaching staff as a video analyst) and Ely Allen (LA Galaxy '08, career unfortunately ended when he was hit by a truck while jogging). Seth Spidahl played in the indoor leagues in the 90s and is currently coaching Pacific Lutheran in NCAA D3. Steve Simmons, Oregon State men's soccer head coach from 2009 to 2017, and on the MLS payroll as a Professional Match Evaluator, is from Alaska. (But he never played professionally.)
There is a current pro from Alaska! Benjamin Machini, on the books of Hammarby IF in Sweden, currently on loan at IK Frej in the third division. There's one more ex-pro: Bryan Chud, who played for Loughgall in Northern Ireland's top division in the 2000s.
BTW, the only US state that has never (to my knowledge) produced a pro soccer player is North Dakota.
Another Alaskan who appeared in a professional game this year: Portland Timbers academy goalkeeper Hunter Sulte made a USL appearance for T2 in March.
Joe Larson is a native North Dakotan that played through HS in North Dakota and started as an A-League GK. There are others as well, especially if you're only counting born in the state.
Thanks! A little early to be on my radar; I was aware of Spidahl mostly because I watched a lot of indoor soccer in the 90s. I'm surprised to not know of any North Dakotan pros, because I did notice several good college players from there. IIRC, the Syracuse team that went to the NCAA Final Four a few years ago had several North Dakotans including a co-captain and at least two starters.
The Sounders have an 05 in their academy from Alaska, Obed Vargas. He was one of 3 Soundets academy players who attended a USYNT camp in early March. Ive heard he is quite good but a long way to go to be a pro.
I doubt it but it's not a necessity, turf fields, indoor fields. kids play on dirt fields around the world. I know Greenland has a league but it's basic.
Since this thread has been brought back I'd like to say my scouting report of Obed Vargas and it being a long way to go to be a pro was way way off. He's now started all three Sounders matches this season.
they had one way back in the day. there is currently no realistic place to play in hawaii. anchorage had a cba team way way back in the day. they would make super long road trips to the lower 48 and come back for long home stands. there is a reason neither non-contiguous state has pro sports and it is not because leagues have something against the residents of either.
The Waipi'o Soccer Stadium (currently used by the University of Hawai'i women's soccer team and amateur leagues) seats 5,000 and would probably be a decent USL venue if it were in the continental US. Unfortunately, the travel costs are likely prohibitive at USL level. It would likely have to be MLS or nothing, and Honolulu's metro population is less than half that of the smallest MLS city.
The old Hawaii Tsunami played in the USISL. Future MLS GK Mark Dougherty played for them. I don't know if subsidies were in play for them and their opponents, like in the NCAA.
As was posted earlier, there is a league in Alaska that is part of UPSL Division 1. They play May to August. They only play within their conference. The teams in the Alaska Conference: https://division1.upsl.com/teams/?state=false&division=false&conference=48 1. Pioneer United FC (Anchorage) 2. Arctic Rush (Anchorage) 3. Fairbanks SC 4. Timbers Alaska (Anchorage) 5. Cook Inlet SC (Anchorage) 6. Mat-Su United FC (Wasilla) UPSL Division 1 is the 2nd level of UPSL. It is amateur.