Chad Ransom

Strikers was the first competitive soccer club I played for. My time with the club really helped to lay the groundwork for my extended soccer career through college, and developing my passion for the game.

After my youth soccer days at Strikers, I played for a successful St. Charles East program and went on to Gustavus Adolphus, which was a nationally recognized D3 soccer program. We won the MIAC Conference title and tournament twice, and appeared in the National tournament in both my junior and senior years. In my senior season, we advanced to the quarterfinals and finished the year ranked 6th in the country.

I learned quite a bit while at Strikers — overcoming adversity, winning and losing with grace, and developing relationships. I've carried those lessons with me throughout my high school and college soccer career, and I’ve often been able to apply those lessons to my profession in technology sales, as well.

Strikers has also offered me the opportunity, through coaching, to stay connected to soccer as an adult. I've had the great honor of coming back to Strikers as a coach for the last 14-plus years, and working hard to instill those same traits I learned at Strikers with the boys I now coach. I get a lot of joy watching our players develop, seeing concepts click – and how that translates to their success on and off the field.

Participating in youth sports can be challenging. You may not always make the team you want or get the playing time you think you deserve. But there are lessons to be learned in that, and opportunities to grow if you stay focused and committed to the process.

I continue to play for the Strikers Over 40s team with some of my fellow Strikers coaches, where we should have a great shot to win our “old man” league in fall!

– Chad Ransom