Ambassadors FC Ohio join OVPL for 2022
The newest club to commit to playing in the Ohio Valley Premier League (OVPL) is Ambassadors FC Ohio. Founded in 1990, Ambassadors FC began as “Ambassadors In Sport” in Bolton, England.
Ambassadors FC has been a staple women’s program in the WPSL, featuring multiple national team players from various nations including several capped for the USWNT. The decision was made early last year to venture into men’s high-amateur competition in 2021 with participation in the Northern Ohio Soccer League (NOSL) where they finished in 1st place and won the NOSL Cup Final 2:1 over Mansfield Liederkranz. AFC Ohio will maintain a presence in the NOSL as well. Their inaugural campaign featured friendly matches against two NPSL sides, as well as regional competitors in western Pennsylvania.
The 2021 AFC Ohio roster featured collegiate players from Ashland, Malone, Walsh, Bloomsburg, Mount Union, John Carroll, Heidelberg, Calvin, Davidson, and Cleveland State, as well as graduating seniors from Medina, Hudson, Aurora, CVCA, and Nordonia High Schools.
Based in Twinsburg, Ohio, Ambassadors FC Ohio will play their home matches at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in Cuyahoga Falls, and Malone University in Canton…two educational institution partnerships that share the same Christian missional focus as the Ambassadors organization. Both home venues feature lighted synthetic fields, and the new Pioneer Park venue at Malone University is one of the most picturesque soccer parks in the region utilizing northeast Ohio’s own ForeverLawn SportsGrassXP surface. Membership in the Ohio Valley Premier League brings Ambassadors FC Ohio the ability to become US Open Cup eligible.
“We are both honored and excited to join the ranks of membership in the Ohio Valley Premier League,” said Bob Dean, Director of Football for Ambassadors FC Ohio. “We pray that as a club we will be able to contribute to the top-shelf competition and connections that are already on display in the OVPL. We are also grateful to the league leadership for their open arms, as well as their commitment to growing the grass roots of the game for our college-aged players.”
For more information regarding Ambassadors FC Ohio, you can follow them on linktr.ee/afcohio, Instagram, Twitter, or contact them via email.
About Ambassadors FC
In 1990 Ambassadors Football began as Ambassadors In Sport (AIS) in Bolton, England. They continued as AIS until the current name was adopted in 2013. The ministry was founded by a group called Missionary Athletes International focused from the beginning to partner with churches and Christian organizations to develop grass roots football ministry.
To this day the work continues through football camps, clinics, prison ministry, school ministry, men’s and women’s teams, international tours and major event ministries at the World Cup and Olympics Games.
About the OVPL
The Ohio Valley Premier League (OVPL) was created to operate a competitive soccer circuit offering the only adult amateur competition throughout the Ohio Valley (Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) region. Player development is a central focus of the League, as the League strives to promote the region at a national level.
The OVPL seeks to grow the game of soccer in the region by providing a highly competitive soccer league for men, women, boys, and girls of all ages. The League is sanctioned through US Club Soccer and provides access to competing in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the nation’s longest running tournament.
About US Club Soccer
US Club Soccer will foster the growth and development of soccer clubs throughout the United States to create the best possible development environment for players of all ages in every club.