Soccer in Vermont has landed on the national stage in the last couple years - from NCAA Champions to USL League Two Champions. Vermont Clover FC looks to help fill a role in that soccer ecosystem by providing a needed step in the development pathway. We were caught by the brilliant colors of their kits and badge, wanted to know more, so we reached out to co-founder and general manager Chris George for some answers.

Tell us the origin story of Vermont Clover FC - when was it founded? By whom and what was its mission?
In Vermont, there was a massive pathway gap for top players. In the spring and summer, the highest level playing opportunity for Vermont's best players is a local men's amateur league.

Last July, Trey Bosworth, a former player at a top college soccer program was kicking around at a local field with another friend. They were talking about that gap and wanting a team to play with. Trey called Chris George, his former HS Coach. After a few sessions sitting on the deck and talking through what a club could be, they decided to do it. Chris went off to coach his college team, Trey went back to school in Minnesota. In November, with some deadlines approaching, they decided to go all in. Chris pulled in Brian Buczek and Chane Bufano to help with the coaching and the day to day operations....and away we went!

Vermont Clover's mission is to provide high level playing opportunities for Vermont's top players. There are a lot of good players in Vermont, and we believe Vermonters have the ability to compete at high levels. We only register players who are grown here, settled here, or settling here after playing at a Vermont college program. It's a model proven at the highest level (look up Atletic Bilbao).

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to the community?
The Red Clover is Vermont's State Flower. It reflects everything great about Vermont, our soccer players, and our club. You can find it in any field. It improves and nourishes the soil, provides nectar for bees to make some of the best honey. It is a very hearty, resilient, and beneficial plant. The flowers are beautiful. It's not some high minded idea, it's a flower. You can pick one and give it to someone to show them you care, you can hunt around and find one with four leaves and feel like the luckiest person alive. The mighty clover is a tangible expression of what it means to be a Vermonter. Our primary kit is a pink top with green bottoms, just like a flower. When we change, it is into a white shirt because clover can be almost white at times, too. Pink is a part of our core identity.

What league or leagues does your club participate in and why did you choose those to join?
We play in the UPSL Northeast Conference, New England Division. UPSL is a great place for us because of the low barriers to entry and the level is exactly what we are looking for. They were quite welcoming when we came in. Everybody loves Vermont.

How does the club stay funded and how can our readers support you?
We sell tickets to games, of course. We also sell t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and hats. Next year once we get our custom kit design, we will sell those. We've got scarves in the hopper for next season also. Our pink hooded sweatshirts are a big hit. They're a light pink and have the logo on the chest. We're working hard to recruit more sponsors.

There are a couple of ways to support us besides coming to games or watching our livestreams. You can buy something from our online store, or you can sign on as a sponsor. You can also buy season tickets. If you can't make the games, we're happy to pass them along to another local family. You also get a cool limited edition pink shirt that we only give to season ticket holders.
Here is a link to our online store: https://vermont-clover-fc.myshopify.com/

How’s your season going so far; what are your goals as a team?
This is our first season. We're currently in 2nd with a nice goal difference.
We're in Division 1 now, we want to earn promotion to play in Premier Division next spring. Next spring, after we get promoted, we want to make a push to finish well enough to advance in the playoffs and then win enough playoff games to get outside the New England Conference. The playoff structure is one of the great things about the UPSL.

How does Vermont Clover FC participate in or give back to their community?
We do a lot of work with Vermont Soccer Association supporting their initiates like the Vermont State Cup and Vermont Soccer Festival. We also have local clubs do a walkout each game. We work with the Vermont Lions Club to get our guys out and serve the local community. We also play in exhibition games against other top local teams. One of the most important things we do is community outreach.

If there were one or two teams, within a 100 miles of you, to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
Northern Vermont is it's own little island! There aren't many clubs within 100 miles.
Vermont Green is a few miles away and play in USL2. They've had a lot of success since they started a few years ago and won the USL2 Championship last year. I think playing against them would be a fun event for the whole Vermont soccer community.

I don't know the landscape well, but I think it could be fun to play against a team at a similar level from Montreal. That could also be a great cultural exchange experience for both of the teams.

Follow Vermont Clover FC and give them a follow on Instagram HERE