Who: First Flight League
What: Men’s adult development league
When: (tentatively) Beginning in Spring 2021
Where: All of North Carolina; 10 teams in 9 cities currently
Why: Link from the youth tiers to college and beyond
State 38 Football is taking a look at the new amateur circuit, the First Flight League. They are based in the state of North Carolina and are looking to kick-off their journey in Spring 2021. They are affiliated with the North Carolina Adult Soccer Association (NCASA) who are affiliated with the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), United States Soccer, and FIFA.
State 38 had a chat with League Commissioner Zac Hines.
S38: The initial start was last September, were you another victim of CoViD—there have been many—or were there other issues?
ZH: The Fall 2020 start was a lofty early goal and we quickly realized that it would be better if we delayed the launch of the league for multiple reasons. Covid-19 was a major factor, even now the pandemic continues to rage and we’re keeping a close eye on how that will affect our planned Spring launch. The Fall instead was used for friendlies as a lead up to the North Carolina State Cup that happened in December. We also wanted to make more of an effort to recruit clubs under our wing to have a more impactful launch for our inaugural season.
S38: Why have you chosen a non-profit model? What makes it a better model than for-profit?
ZH: We went with the non-profit model for the First Flight League as it aligns with our core values. The league was created by current club owners here in the state with the goal of every club having a voice in how the league operates and grows. Our board of directors and league commissioner are all volunteers and do not draw a salary. We believe this is a better model than a for-profit as it builds the foundational structure of a league that can outlive those of us that are currently involved and be something for the state of North Carolina for a long time.
S38: North Carolina is a crowded market in places (Charlotte, Raleigh/Cary), do you feel there is a sufficient player base available? Is this the link to the youth clubs?
ZH: North Carolina is a booming soccer state with a massively untapped player base. One of the main segments of that player base we are looking to highlight are the players who slip through the cracks of development and linking our league to existing youth clubs is part of that. We want to not only recruit current and post-college players, but also the players that may have stayed locally after graduating from their high school or youth club and have not been able to continue their development. We believe our platform can be used to give those players another opportunity to continue to develop at a high level.
S38: I’ve seen it mentioned that the western part of the state is lacking a team currently; where are your ideal expansion markets, outside of Asheville?
ZH: Asheville of course is a location that everyone always asks us about. It is an idyllic location for an away-day with a booming soccer culture. For 2022 we are looking to push west of the Triangle as much as possible. We currently only have one representing the Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point) and the Charlotte metro. Our goal is to be actively recruiting in those regions to reduce travel times as much as possible. The towns and cities get more spaced out the further west from there and that makes it hard to have established clubs to recruit. Two potential markets that far west could include Boone and Morganton with the right ownership groups.
S38: Are there any plans to affiliate with a regional league someday? Perhaps with NISA Nation?
ZH: We have had initial conversations with NISA about their affiliation program but no agreements have been made. We currently have no plans to affiliate with any existing regional leagues and have not been contacted to discuss any affiliation. We would like to see other states in the southeast follow our lead and form independent state leagues so that USASA Region III could build up to our own regional league with a solid foundation.
S38: Will teams be streaming games themselves or will the league be using a platform like MyCujoo?
ZH: Clubs will be streaming the games themselves. Unfortunately with the infrastructure that many of the venues across the state streaming can be a barrier for entry so we are not requiring it. However, it is our plan to standardize recording every match by the end of the 2021 season to be uploaded on services like YouTube and MyCujoo the following day. We believe this broadcasting model will work best for newer clubs and those without WiFi at their venues.
You can find First Flight League at https://www.firstflightleague.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FirstFlight_NC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstflightleague
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstflight_nc
State 38 wishes everyone participating in the First Flight League much success in 2021! Stay tuned for information on each of the teams in the coming days.
Teams List
- Atletico Fayetteville SC – Fayetteville
- Atletico Olanchano – Rose Hill
- Bragg FC – Fayetteville
- Goldsboro Strike Eagles FC – Goldsboro
- Greensboro International FC – Greensboro
- Greenville United – Greenville
- Lazers SC – Garner
- Union FC – Monroe
- United FC – Jacksonville
- Wilson Wolves – Wilson
