It's an odd man rush. You're on the SDH network. It's a two v one where we have two folks to let us know everything that's going on with Ambassador's Football in the three three oh and it's really cool where we can catch up with Bob and Ryan Dean where Bob is Grand Exalted Pooba. Officially he is the Grand Exalted PUBA director of Global Development and Ryan is head Coaching technical director for what you see when it comes to Ambassador's sc in the NPSL. Guys, thanks for
dropping by for an odd man rush. I really appreciate it.
Thanks John, Yeah, thanks, Jean, appreciate it.
So, all right, so who won the toss? Who's going to answer the first question?
It depends on what it's about, I guess.
All right, So it's about the why why the NPSL. Who wants to answer that one?
It's all you, Bob.
Yeah. So the why is pretty simple, and that is that when we started this venture in twenty twenty one, what we were attempting to do was to replicate what has been done on the women's side with Ambassador's FC, and that is to provide a pathway for our homegrown players and our local players to be able to compete at the highest possible level in pre professional football in
the United States. Our women's program, their reputation precedes themselves, their reputation in the WPSL what they've been able to do. I mean, the names are you know, it sounds like you're just name dropping when you're talking about players who played, you know, Katerina Macario, Naomi Germa.
I mean, the list just goes on and on, and.
We just wanted to try to do something like that. We knew that it wasn't going to be at that level immediately, but we also knew that probably the only attainable level to be able to do that on the pre professional level was going to be through the NPSL.
So literally in year one we started on that process of contacting them, and there was just a financial entry barrier for us to be able to do it and to do it the way that we want to do it, and that meant that we wanted to provide not only that opportunity for our players, but also an opportunity for the ministry to be on a national platform. I don't know, John, how aware you are of the past history with ambassadors
and professional football in the United States. But back in the early two thousands, two thousand and eight nine to ten USL franchise known as the Cleveland City Stars that occupied that space great success in USL two won USL two in terms of a national championship, and then there was a lot of pressure to jump up to USL one full professional and it was a decision that did not go very well for the ministry. It put them in great debt, and at that point, the Global Ministry
decided that no more professional football with ambassadors. That the highest platform we want to get to is that pre professional level. So attaining that and getting that opportunity for our young men to go through became something that we were very, very focused on. And I have to give incredible kudos to the NPSL in terms of their professionalism, their grace, their willingness to work with us, and to
provide us with this opportunity. So, you know, people use that expression of breaking through the glass ceiling, whatever it might be, Well, well, for us, there is there is no glass ceiling. It's stainless steel. We're not breaking through this ceiling. But what we're trying to do is look at that ceiling like it's the Sistine Chapel, and that is we're not going to go through it, but we would like to paint the ambassador's picture on that platform
and on that ceiling and the best way possible. The kind of the the functional part of it as well is of course it's attractive to the highest level players that you know, are looking for that national platform, the opportunity to play in US Open Cup, you know, to get to get exposure nationally and potentially to have other places for them to go. And I think the other thing that it does is it helps our partners and sponsors to get their businesses and their their they're messaging
out on a national platform as well. So so yeah, that that's really the why. I don't know if Ryan and you want to fill in any blanks there.
But no, I mean that was great. That's a pretty thorough explanation of why we're doing what we're doing.
So what's it been like, Ryan, to assemble a roster with your phone blowing up? I don't know if it's been text or phone calls or WhatsApp or emails. What's it been like having to assemble this on the fly to get ready for this season?
Yeah, I mean, the the good thing about it is is that our men's programs existed now since twenty twenty one. So the core of our players, in terms of what our roster looks like this here, have already been around.
So we knew that we were.
Going to have to make some some some signatures and some additions to the squad that were able to help us compete in the NPSL, Guys that you know, had professional experience, NCAA Division one experience and NPSL or USL two experience as well to go with it. But the good thing was that the core of our our team is already already there. So there there's really kind of three prototypes of kind of what what we're looking for
in terms of bringing players into the team. So the first one that the Bo've already mentioned is players that have have come through our own player pathway.
One of those.
As an example, as a as a young kid by the name of a Mere Spratt, he grew up part of his youth career playing the Ambassadors. As a young player, he ended up going to a local college. Now as a young man, he plays plays up front for US. I believe he is one of, if not the leading scorers so far this year in the conference. He scored a hat trick in our first match, So that's kind of one type is local guys that played for the
club and have done that. The second one is guys that are from from other local clubs that maybe don't have that, that go to colleges in the area that we've brought in. So our captain, a guy named Omar Najar, played at University of Mount Union, had a really successful career there as well. He's a He's a super talented
player and plays a big role for us. That's kind of the second one of those two are already in place and lots of guys like them, and so the vast majority of our roster was made up of guys like that. And then kind of what we've looked at this year is how do we bring in guys that don't fit one of those two groups that help kind of augment what we're doing. So, h there's two guys that I'll highlight this year that we went after pretty heavily. So one of them is a guy named Audrey and
Nunias Kiros. He played at the University of North Florida and Clemson university for a few years as well as professionally in his home country of.
Costa Rica, so we brought him in.
He's been incredible for us, both as a player and a leader, you know, and and and has done a really good job. The other one I'll bring up is a guy who's currently now working and coaching on our women's side.
That's Joni Sorokin.
He's a former Israeli national and moved over here to play soccer. He played at the University of Central Florida for four years before finishing his that you're at UCLA again.
A really talented guy. But I think what is similar.
Between those last two individuals is that they both are the highest character guys. So we have these kind of three groups of different types of players that make up our team. But what everybody has in common is we're looking for the best people who kind of fit the
ethos of what we're trying to do. Guys who are are willing to sacrifice, buy into the organization and see the bigger picture of Hey, it's not just about winning on the weekend, but it's about winning on the weekend in a way that brings glory to what we're doing.
As an organization.
We just had, you know, a group of kids up from Mexico, from our club down there, that were able to come up and train with us in ball boy for our games. And the way those guys looked up to some of the older players that are really talented in our team is ultimately what means the most to me that we're able to provide an example for the frankly thousands of kids around the world that play for the Worldwide Ministry.
So Bob and Randean dropping by to let us know what's going on with ambassadors f see Ohio in the Great Lakes Conference. First year in the NPSL. Here this go around in twenty twenty five. So Bob, let me ask you when it comes to the off the field stuff. I know that there is and this is a question that I ask everybody. So I don't know if you if you listen to any of our other interviews within PSL first year franchises, I always ask there's the to do list? Where is that to do list? Is it
on like a BlackBerry? Is it in a legal pad? Is it in a Google doc? Is it on like a six by eight foot white board that's got a lot of squiggles and PDFs and directions and we got to do this, this, this, this, and this where is that to do list? And how long did it take to cross everything off of it so you could hit the ground running on the field in twenty twenty five.
Well, that's a good question, John, that's a good question.
It's it's in all those places. I don't have a whiteboard that I carry around, but it's definitely in all of those places. So yeah, we're we're still checking things off, you know, as best we can. And and a lot of that has to do with the graciousness of our partners.
You know, we play our home matches at Malone University in the city of Canton, and we're literally a hop, skip and a jump from the Professional Football Hall of Fame and UH and our our lead partner, UH Forever Long Sports Grass UH, who their turf is, what we play on their turf is in Tom Benson Stadium at Hall of Fame Stadium and in the Hall of Fame Village Complex. That's that's one of the things that we're trying to do is to attract people to our venue
on campus UH and too. In order to do that, we're basically having to transform it from you know, a primarily functioned, functioning UH soccer lacrosse complex for a small Division two university into a pre professional at sphere and uh uh and there's there was a lot to do as a part of it, certainly the to do list having to do with the NPSL and the transition into uh just just the guidelines and UH the minimum standards. We didn't want to be at the minimum standards to start.
We wanted to be above that. And so we've worked very very hard to do that again with help of our partners and and volunteers and many other people that have been able to do that. But again, I great thanks go to the league, and to to Cindy and to Robin, and to UH and and to Jeff and to everybody on that crew who really set you up with mentors and with people who you can just reach out to. We're all in the same boat, you know,
and a rising tide raises all ships. And just some of the conversations that I've had with guys who are owners and managers around the country, it's it's been, honestly, it's been unlike anything that I've experienced in my professional life.
With the exception of my role in substance abuse prevention in in my primary work before I was working for the ministry and before I was working in athletic development, where you're sharing all of the good, good resources and all the things that are going to make people healthy and successful. That's what I feel that this league has been all about. And they really do a great job providing you with that to do list, in that checklist.
So yeah, but definitely exhausting, but you know what, it absolutely fully worth it, fully worth it.
Ryan, You're in a conference that has Flower City, Rochester and YFC and we talked to We talked to them nine grade, eighteen twelve, Erie Commodores. They're a stalwart in this particular part of the planet. Cleveland, c Syracuse and Buffalo Stallions. They're back into the mix as well. I go back in the black and white television where I remember the Buffalo Stallions at the Odd playing Indoor. That's how far back I go with that.
Man.
I grew up in Buffalo, John so I know that too.
Right there with Blaisdell Furniture, and I know you know all of those folks that went in there and shopped for Buffalo bills, and so I go back there with all of my friends as well, so I know exactly what we're talking about with the Stallions. So Ryan, when it comes to the on the field stuff, out of the blocks, you've hit each column once, one to one and one from the time that you hit the ground with a group preseason, getting ready, getting acclimated. Season starts
three matches in. What do you think the club has learned about itself on the field and off? From your perspective, and Bob gets to listen to this answer and not repeat it, what do you think you've learned about yourselves in this process of assemblage and now getting out there to play where you've got the win, the loss, and the draw to start things off.
Yeah, I mean the biggest thing I think is just that we belong right When whenever you step into a into a new environment like this, there always is that degree of uncertainty. As much as we try to hide and we try to avoid those things, It's like, have we bitten off more than we can chew?
Right?
What if we step into this and you just get you know, hambered in the first match or whatever it is, or your your players or your system or your style of players aren't equipped for what we're trying to do. So over the course of these three games, I think what we have found out really really quickly is that we we do belong.
So it's it's funny.
That our most recent match one one at home against Cleveland SC. So we started the program back in twenty twenty one, so five seasons ago. It was our first year, our first ever game as a men's program, the first time that Ambassador's FC put out men's football wearing Ambassadors FC jerseys. We actually played Cleveland SC in a friendly.
We just I think I DM them on Instagram and asked if they wanted to play, and they were willing to and it was like beyond embarrassing, Like I think they played their third team outshot us like thirty to one, and it was like a comfortable three nil win for them, and that three nil really flattered us. And so it's been a long way back after five years, and we've brought in some incredible players that have made certainly made
my job easier. Now we do belong, right, Like it's four points in three games, although it is not the end of the world. Ultimately we're not satisfied and we do feel like we belong and like we're able to compete. So that's the biggest thing I've learned. Every day is
a school day. I get the privilege to coach college soccer as well, at a very high level and with very good coaches around me, and so I've learned a lot over the last few years of coaching, and certainly this year has been no different.
So all right, Bob, without stealing any of Ryan's answer, what else have you learned? Independently?
I think you have to be adaptable. I just think back to years ago when I used to lead youth soccer tours all over Europe with a for profit company here in Northeast from Ohio, and one of the things that we would tell kids and parents immediately is that, hey, this isn't gonna be perfect. You know, you've got this great trip plan, you're investing a lot of money into it. You can step off the plane and step off off a bus, and you need to be ready to adapt.
And we've already had to adapt. We lost two essentially key players in match one and two to a career or not career gosh, God forbid their career ending there, but season ending injuries and.
So it.
I always, I always feel very strong and when people say next man up, that that kind of belittles the process of the people that have you know, prepared to be stepped over in that situation because it's it's a heartache for those guys and very very difficult. But you have to adapt, and can our system adapt. I'm really confident in our coaching staff being able to do that. I'm really confident in our players being able to do that.
But that has to do with the fact that one of the things that Ryan didn't mention, you know, is the overused term of culture. And it goes back to what he said in regards to the three the three boxes that we need to pull our players from. The common commonality with all of those is that they have to fit into that culture. When they fit into that culture, that adaptation process is much easier.
And going down the road, all right, I'm gonna I'm gonna go snake draft here when it comes to my next question, and I want to go back to you, Bob and ask about the ministry for those that don't know the deeper meaning that is attached to the franchise and what you are trying to accomplish both on the field and off the field with the ministry and its message for those that don't know, go for it.
Yeah.
So, Ambassadors Football has actually been in existence since nineteen ninety. We're a worldwide football mission. We have mission plants in thirty five countries around the world, and you really can think of it as almost like a franchise in that anyone can start in a bachelor is mission in regards to the work that they're doing in terms of missionary work and Christian outreach to spread the Gospel through the
game of football. And obviously there are core tenants that they would have to ascribe to, but that history is incredible. John Ortlip, our founder and president, is still at the Helm. He is one of the most gracious inspired men of God that I've ever met, and he's a visionary and his vision is to is to just share the Gospel
through football. Our tagline is Football, Faith, and Future and they go in that order because football is the door that opens young people, old people, families, whomever it might be. It opens the door to a conversation about faith that we can have through the through the pathway in football. If it's street football, community football, if it's a men's program, it's a formal program, it's a it's an after school program,
it's a Saturday soccer program, whatever it might be. It allows us to have that conversation about faith with the ultimate being that we're trying to influence the future and and further, you know, God's kingdom here on earth and to bring him the glory in doing that. I would cite one thing, and that is there are differentiating factors around all ministries and and mission outreach programs. Might be one of the things that that separates us is we
actually have the most incredible curriculum. And I know a lot of people that are listening to this are probably familiar with the Sunday school model that's been around for the longest time, and a lot of our programs, our youth programs follow the same sort of thing, but it's more of a Saturday school model in that around the world we have literally thousands of kids who spend you know, an hour and fifteen minutes, an hour and a half on a Saturday being trained, football training and small side
of games, whatever it might be, through a trained volunteer and ambassador's trained volunteer who is attached to a church that we're in partnership with, and then for thirty minutes then they are exposed to a gospel teaching curriculum that was designed by the brother of our international coaching director, who is a service veteran in Great Britain, one of the most incredible preachers and theologians that I've ever met.
And this curriculum, called Toward the Goal, uses little youth soccer players cartoon characters to walk kids through Bible lessons literally from Genesis to Revelations, and it is it blows the door off of any Sunday school purchase online, spend a whole lot of money type of curriculum that you could ever see and for us, we give it away for free. If you want to use it, you can
use it. It's brilliant. And we're actually preparing an entire curriculum around the twenty twenty six World Cup that will focus on the Good Samaritan by answering the question that the Gospel provides, and that is who's your neighbor. The entire world is coming to North America next summer and the question is who's your neighbor? So yeah, it's that that's our history. That's where we are and that's what our bigger picture is all about.
Ambassadors Football dot org to find out more information about it all. Right, let me go back onto the pitch here for my final question, Ryan, when do you leave for Niagara University to take on Niagara eighteen twelve. What has study hall been like for Ambassadors getting ready for this one? As you hit match week number four in the conference this season? What are you anticipating in that trek to Niagara University.
Yeah, so we're leaving tomorrow morning, thankfully, And this is just going back to how grateful Bob and I both are to be in the position that we're in. We get to travel there on about the nicest bus anyone has ever seen, So our great partners at Pint Your Trails have provided us these amazing charter buses to go to these away matches in So we'll pack the guys in there at our facilit that we own in Macedonia, Ohio around noon or a little bit earlier on Saturday.
And we'll take off.
Is a good percentage of our team that has never seen Niagara Falls at Niagara Falls as a landmark, and so we're gonna try if we can get there early enough to take the guys over and show them that and maybe the wonder and the awe of the natural wonder. We'll provide our guys some inspiration for the match. But no, we're we're feeling good about the match going into it. Obviously the results have been a mixed bag early on, but I feel like we've been competitive in every match.
In every single game we've played, we've held a lead at least going through the first half, and so we we definitely feel strong about getting out to a fast start. But we look at the situation in front of us and say, Okay, we have seven matches remaining, what do we need to do in that time to get where we where we where we want to be in the season. It starts on Saturday, so we do take things one game at a time. I feel good about the squad
we have going into the match. Like Bob said, we have had to weather they're kind of a storm of injuries, but we certainly believe in the guys that we're bringing on Saturday.
So absolutely cool. Ambassador's FC Ohio traveling to take on niagar eighteen twelve seven o'clock at Niagri University on Saturday, and it was a two v one odd modman rush with Bob and Ryan Dean letting us know everything going on there at Ambassadors. Gentlemen, thanks for dropping by for two v one and for the education. We're going to be keeping an eye on things in the NPSL this season and everything going forward. Thanks for dropping by.
Thanks John, Thanks John,