The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that the Little Rock Rangers Soccer Club (Little Rock, AR) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the league’s South Region.
“We are looking forward to having a team in Little Rock,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “They are a great addition to the South Region, an area that has experienced great success on and off the field over the years.”
The club is led by President Jonathan Wardlaw, Head Coach/General Manager Nathan Hunt, and Associate Head Coach Michael Surtees.
“The southern states take their sports very seriously,” Wardlaw continued. “We hope to grow the awareness of this league and team, not only in Little Rock, but in the state of Arkansas as well. We hope the people of Arkansas embrace us and show us the same passion and support as they do anything else that comes from the city of Little Rock.”
Wardlaw, a local business leader, grew up playing soccer in Little Rock and gives back to the game as a coach with AR Rush. He is currently working on his USSF “D” License.
Hunt is the Director of Operations at AR Rush and on the staff of the AR State Soccer Association. He has earned a USSF “A” License and coaches for both the state Olympic Development Program and the National Rush Select Program.
Surtees is Director of Coaching at AR Rush and has a USSF “C” License. He also coaches within the Rush National Select Program.
Home matches will be held at War Memorial Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium in Little Rock. Built in 1948, the stadium is home to the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes, Catholic High School Rockets, and on occasion the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. The stadium also hosts the Delta Classic and Arkansas Activities Association high school championship games. The facility has undergone numerous renovations and features a FieldTurf playing surface and a capacity of 54,120.
“With everything that the stadium and its surrounding areas can provide, I really feel the sky is the limit for our game atmosphere,” Wardlaw concluded. “We really are going for an experience for our fans rather than simply going to a game or match.”
LR Rangers are a new soccer club and operate as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. They have plans to offer youth soccer scholarships to local clubs in the area.
