By KELLY HALL
Daily Sports Writer
A teenage YMCA volunteer
crouched in the grass and aimed
her radar gun at a five-year-old girl,
who pumped her arms, lengthened
her stride and bolted through the
agility course.
“Thirteen miles per hour,” the
volunteer told the young AFC Ann
Arbor fan, who squealed with
delight.
It may not have been the main
event at Hollway Field at Pioneer
High School on May 1, but it was
definitely a highlight for the girl’s
father, who high-fived his daughter
after her flat-out sprint and reward-
ed her with a freshly-made donut
from one of the local food trucks.
On the field adjacent to the
YMCA course full of small victo-
ries, Associate Football Club Ann
Arbor’s inaugural game in the Great
Lakes Premier League was set to
begin. The players come from all
different skill levels, and about half
are associated with the University
of Michigan, competing at the club
and varsity level. The other half
comes from all over the nation, and
some from across the world.
To the crowd’s enjoyment, two
skydivers delivered the game ball
from the cloudless blue sky just
before kickoff. Over 2,000 fans
attended
the
inaugural
game,
and the Main Street Hooligans —
AFCAA’s rowdier fans — banged
drums and delivered a bevy of
chants from behind the home bench
as the skydivers descended onto the
field.
The chants projected across the
pitch to the families sitting in the
grandstand, where the bleachers
were littered with green- and blue-
clad fans. Some donned apparel
that boasted the team’s slogan,
“Strength in the Oak.”
Even after the 2-1 loss to San
Marino, fans crowded the tables
where players signed autographs.
All throughout the stadium, it was
clear that the city’s newest team
had planted its roots in the heart of
Ann Arbor.
***
A ragtag group of players make
up the roster. Two play on Michi-
gan’s club team, five compete at the
varsity level and three used to rep-
resent the block ‘M’ in their college
years.
There are 12 Division I soccer
players on the roster, five of which
play for Michigan: redshirt sopho-
more defender Michael Kapitula,
redshirt
sophomore
midfielder
Tyler Anderson, sophomore mid-
fielder Tristan Jacob, junior defend-
er Lars Eckenrode and senior
defender Jack Brown.
Of the five, only Ann Arbor native
Jacob was available for the inaugu-
ral match against San Marino. It
was Jacob’s first day of eligibility,
and also his first time playing with
his new teammates.
Jacob graduated from Pioneer
High School in 2014, but hasn’t
played on Hollway Field in three
years. He didn’t play for Pioneer in
his final two seasons because of his
involvement with the Crew Soc-
cer Academy Wolves, so he feels
that he’s finally getting that missed
experience back.
“It was great,” Jacob said. “My
family was here, and I saw so many
of my friends’ families here. Even
my neighbors came out, and it made
for an amazing atmosphere.”
Jacob is awaiting the arrival of
his Michigan teammates, many of
which went home for a week to visit
with family, and he can’t wait to
practice with them once more.
AFCAA coach David Hebestreit
(pronounced heeb-street) is look-
ing forward to having the rest of his
players for the summer as well.
“We’re waiting for 12 Division I
players to show up, but that doesn’t
mean the players that were here
tonight won’t compete,” Hebestreit
said following the May 1 loss to San
Marino. “I think Lars Eckenrode
will be a huge addition when it
comes to leadership out of the back.
Tonight we had good play out of the
back, but we didn’t have leadership
out of the back, and I think Lars will
bring that.”
There are also players from Col-
gate, Xavier, Stony Brook, Albany
and Liberty. The team boasts more
than just players from all over the
United States though.
“We have players from Switzer-
land, Nigeria, Germany and colleges
all across the United States,” Hebe-
streit said. “It’s not a challenge at all
— I mean it can be challenging (but)
it’s not something I don’t want to do.
“I find it remarkably energizing
to bring all of these people together
and get into a training sessions and
just let everyone be themselves and
see what we can do with it.”
***
This isn’t the first time Hebe-
streit has brought a community
together.
He has been the coach of the
Michigan club soccer team for nine
years, while also teaching creative
writing, composition and literature
at Livonia Public Schools. Now,
he can tack on another title: head
coach of AFC Ann Arbor.
“All three jobs are the same
thing,” Hebestreit said. “All three
jobs are community building, work-
ing with young adults and trying
to help make an impact on their
growth, whether that be in the
classroom or on the field.
“I feel so fortunate, like I stum-
bled and somehow fell into a pot of
honey. The ownership group bal-
looned, and then the community
got involved, and then the players
showed up. It’s really an amazing
thing and I feel so fortunate to be a
part of it.”
Hebestreit keeps in close contact
with Michigan coach Chaka Daley,
updating him on his players’ chal-
lenges and improvements. Unlike
most colleges, where there’s a clear
divide between the club and varsity
level, Hebestreit has maintained a
close relationship with Daley.
The two work together at the
prospective player camp in the sum-
mer, allowing Hebestreit to become
familiar with all of the club and var-
sity players. It made the transition
to minor league soccer easier for
some of the varsity members.
His familiarity with the game
and the community seem to be
working for AFCAA so far.
“I think it’s pretty evident that
the team is important to the com-
munity,” Hebestreit said. “Our first
game, which was just a friendly, had
2,500 people there. It was just won-
derful, the whole event.”
***
While attending a game at Hol-
lway field, there are two different
seating options. The field is simply
laid out, with an east section labeled
“a little rowdier” and a “family seat-
ing” section on the west.
From the get-go, AFCAA’s co-
owners aimed to have both fan
groups. According to co-owner
Adam Lowenstein, both crowds are
necessary for the team’s success.
“I think it will be something that
people really look forward to every
summer,” Lowenstein said. “Some-
thing that is engrained in the fabric
of Ann Arbor, just like Top of the
Park or Sonic Lunch.”
Adam Schmader sat on the oppo-
site side of the field while his two ele-
mentary-aged sons ran around with
friends. He goes to some Michigan
men’s soccer games with his fam-
ily, but was happy to hear that Ann
Arbor would have its own team.
He enjoyed the game while his
children explored. They could have
been down by the fence watching
the game, in the YMCA Kids Skills
Area or listening to live music while
eating snacks from one of the food
trucks.
Fans are accustomed to buying
name-brand foods from large cor-
porations at most sporting events,
but AFCAA’S dining options are
different. The trucks are all owned
by locals, and they serve as a tes-
tament to Hebestreit’s dream of a
soccer club and community inter-
twining.
***
Since May 1, AFCAA has tacked
on another loss with the absence of
the majority of its 12 Division I play-
ers, but it also recorded its first vic-
tory in club history.
In its win against AFC Cleveland,
the connection to the University
was quite evident.
“We had eight or nine players that
had ties to Michigan, so that makes
it a little bit easier, but I thought the
morale and chemistry was pretty
spectacular yesterday,” Hebestreit
said. “Even in those tough moments
when we were up 3-0 and gave up
two goals, there was no yelling at
each other and people were still
supporting one another.”
Its second home game is on May
15 against Oakland United, and Ann
Arbor fans can expect to see their
neighbors, both in the stands and
on the field. They can expect to see
kids running through the YMCA
skills course, trying to break their
previous record.
And most importantly, they can
expect to see their family to grow
from beyond that of the Big House
just across the street. With a pas-
sionate coach and a vibrant com-
munity, the ‘Oak’ can only grow
stronger.
12
Thursday, May 14, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
AFC Ann Arbor has developed as a community-oriented soccer club, and returns to Hollway Field Friday at 7:00.
AFCAA plants its roots in Ann Arbor
ALEXANDRIA BODFISH/Daily