Tell us the origin story of DeKalb County United - when was it founded? By whom and what is its mission?
DeKalb County United’s story really began around 2015 and 2016 through our founder, John Hall. John grew up in the area, played locally at Kishwaukee College, and coached youth soccer here for years. Around that time, semi-pro adult soccer was starting to pop up across the Midwest, and John noticed something frustrating: top-tier local players from DeKalb, Sycamore, and surrounding towns were driving out to other cities just to try out for their clubs. His realization was simple: Why are we exporting our local talent when the passion and skill are right here in our backyards?

He also recognized that to build something sustainable, it couldn't just be a 'DeKalb team' or a 'Sycamore team.' Surrounded by a 'moat of cornfields,' as John likes to say, our communities share a unique regional identity. We needed the entire county’s population to come together under one banner.

In late 2016, John opened a blank Google Doc to outline the vision, leading to late nights around his dining room table and endless brainstorming sessions with a core founding group of five volunteers. It was a true grassroots startup effort.

It wasn't without its hurdles. A semi-pro baseball team in the area, the DeKalb County Liners, had folded a year or two earlier, so local business owners were naturally skeptical. They kept asking, 'Why is this soccer club going to be any different?' That challenge forced the founders to sharpen their vision. Their answer was clear: DKCU wouldn't rely on a wealthy benefactor. It would be bootstrapped, completely community-supported, and run entirely by passionate volunteers.

We spent 2016 and 2017 laying the groundwork: building our non-profit structure, establishing our brand, and choosing our iconic green and yellow colors—deliberately avoiding local high school or university colors so every town in the county felt represented.

Nearly eight months passed before we even kicked a soccer ball. When over 100 players showed up for our very first men's tryout, it was a huge emotional milestone for the founders. We officially kicked off our inaugural season in 2018, initially running the entire operation right out of John’s basement!

From day one, structuring as a non-profit was a deliberate choice. Soccer has given all of us so much, and the club was created purely to give back. Inspired by European football tradition where the club sits at the heart of the community, our mission is to bring local towns together, inspire the next generation of young players, and give families an affordable, fun weekend outing close to home.

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to the community?
Every detail of the badge was chosen with a very specific, intentional purpose for DeKalb County.

When we were starting out, the visual identity was a massive decision. One of the first things we knew right off the bat was what colors we didn't want to use. We didn't want red and black because of NIU, and didn't want the high school colors of Sycamore, DeKalb, Genoa, or Indian Creek. If we used one of those, it would immediately feel like we were taking sides with one specific town or school.

We chose green and yellow because nobody else in the area was using that combination. DeKalb County is kind of surrounded by this 'moat of cornfields,' so green and yellow felt like a natural, authentic nod to our agricultural roots, but more importantly, it gave us an exclusive color identity. Green and yellow belongs strictly to DeKalb County United; it's common ground.

As for the crest itself, the guy who designed it for us absolutely hit a home run right out of the gate. We wanted something that was characteristically DeKalb, and he nailed it.

So the core design has actually remained unchanged since day one. The badge and colors have been the one constant anchor of our identity. What's really cool, though, is how the perception of it has evolved. In the early days, it was just a new logo on a fresh shirt in my basement. Today, that green and yellow crest is recognizable all across lower-league American soccer, on social media, and all over the Midwest. It’s grown from a local startup logo into a true symbol of civic pride for our entire community.

What league or leagues does your club participate in and why did you choose those to join?
On the men's side, our First Team plays in the Midwest Premier League, the MWPL. That one's actually really special to us because back in 2020, we realized we needed a league that truly understood the Midwest. So a group of club founders got together and actually co-founded the MWPL as a nonprofit. It was built by people running clubs for people running clubs, so the focus is entirely on sustainability, collaboration, and high-level regional competition.

Our Women's First Team competes in United Women's Soccer, the UWS. We made that jump in 2025 because we wanted to give our women's players a national-level platform. The level of play is fantastic, and it really pushes our athletes while giving them the exposure they deserve.

We also Reserve Teams for both our men and women’s set-ups. The men play in a competitive Chicago-area U-23 league, where they've actually won back-to-back titles, and our women's reserves play in the Illinois Women's Soccer League.

We chose to build out those reserve programs because player development is huge for us. We wanted a clear pathway for 17, 18, and 19-year-olds from DeKalb, Sycamore, Elburn, Rochelle, and all around the county to get quality minutes, test themselves against top talent, and earn their way up to the First Team without having to leave the area.

How does the club cover its costs, and how can people support you?
We’re a non-profit, so keeping the lights on is a total team effort and a never-ending operation! We don't have a wealthy owner sitting back writing big checks to cover our league fees, field rentals, or athletic trainers, so we rely on a whole mix of things to keep the club running.

Sponsorships from local businesses are huge for us. We go out into the community and build real partnerships with local owners who want to support what we're doing. There really is no better approach than boots on the ground, building relationships, and making eye contact.

Then, of course, there’s ticket sales, merch like scarves, hats, and replica kits, and also as many local collaborations as we can organize, like custom craft beers or coffee blends with local businesses. There is no avenue we won’t explore.

If someone wants to support us, the absolute best thing they can do is just come out to a game! Bring your family, grab a ticket, buy a hot dog, and enjoy a summer evening at the stadium.

If you own a local business, reach out about becoming a sponsor; we love highlighting local companies.

And if you want to get involved personally, come volunteer! We're a volunteer-run club, whether that's taking tickets at the gate, running game-day ops, or helping out with media. I always joke that if anyone comes up to us at a game and asks how they can help, we drag 'em in and never let 'em go!

Even if you’re miles away, or on the other side of the world, you can still play a massive role in supporting what we’re building! Lower-league, community soccer relies heavily on digital engagement and remote support.

First off, tune into our matches! We live stream our home games, so you can watch us live, jump into the YouTube chat, and cheer on the players from wherever you are. We like to call our play-by-play guy, Brien Martin, the best in the business, and he really deserves a wider audience. For the longest time we have struggled to give him the platform he deserves, technologically, but this season I think we nailed it. So bring it on!

Second, check out our online store! Buying a shirt, a hat, or a scarf and wearing green and yellow in your own hometown does two huge things. Every penny goes right back into funding our operations, and you’re helping spread the DKCU name to a brand-new audience.

You can also engage with us on social media. Liking, commenting, or sharing our posts is still a massive win, no matter what the people who run those platforms try to do. You could also subscribe to our podcast, Build It, which isn’t strictly speaking DKCU-focused, but does what it can to help people like us trying to create something from the ground up. It was actually on hiatus for a while, but we’re working on getting it back as we speak, so be an early re-adopter!

Honestly, it doesn’t matter where you are, just share our story! Tell people about this grass-roots, community-owned, non-profit club out in DeKalb County. That word-of-mouth support from soccer fans outside our area means more to us than you think.

How did you finish last year and what are your goals for next season?
Defensively, 2026 was the absolute best season we've ever had in club history. Obviously you have to caveat that with the fact we were playing in the second division of ther MWPL after our relegation last season. But equally you can only perform against who turns up to play, right?

Honestly, our backline and midfield were just remarkable. We posted six total clean sheets on the year, including five in the league, and set all-time club records for the fewest goals allowed both in league play (just 10 goals in 10 games) and across all competitions (only 16 goals total). We even posted back-to-back-to-back shutouts twice during the season. We made a record-equalling run to the Illinois State Cup semifinals (one day we’ll take that extra step!), and we finished our Midwest Premier League season on a seven-game unbeaten streak. Luke Knotts was our Golden Boot with six goals.

We ended up finishing third in the division despite all those records though, with 18 points from five wins, three draws, and two losses (our two opening games, as it happens). We battled hard, but ultimately RKC Third Coast edged us out for the single promotion spot into Division I.

As for our goals moving into 2027, on the pitch, we want to bring back as much of this incredible roster as possible, improve on that defensive record, and build on that late-season momentum. Off the pitch, our biggest goal is to get even more of our community out into the stands. We know there are hundreds of passionate soccer fans across DeKalb County, and we want to pack the NIU Soccer Stadium, get those cowbells ringing, and keep building the best, most affordable family matchday experience in the region!

How does DeKalb County United participate in or give back to their community?
Giving back isn't just something we tag onto what we do. It’s literally the entire reason we built DeKalb County United in the first place. Since day one, we set up as a non-profit because soccer gave all of us so much growing up, and we wanted to use the sport as a tool to serve the area.

First and foremost, we provide an affordable, family-friendly summer night out right in people’s backyard. You can bring your kids, let them run around on the grass, get some food, watch high-level athletes, and feel part of a real community event without breaking the bank.

We also focus heavily on local player development. We joined up with a couple of local academies a few years back under the DKCU Academy umbrella, with the intention of giving local players a way to keep playing once they have “aged out” of the US system. This year, we had actually had players in the first team who had grown up watching some of their teammates. That felt incredible! But we don’t want to perpetuate the same-old shortcomings of US sport, where people just stop playing once they are out of college, so we have an idea to build some sort of “veterans” team too. Not sure what that will look like yet, but it is definitely in the works.

The season is so short, we have to stay active in the community year-round if we want to be relevant in the few weeks of summer we’re active. We run initiatives like our Community Cleat Closet, where we collect and redistribute soccer gear to youth players who need it so cost never keeps a kid from playing. We work closely with local charities, school districts, and the Chamber of Commerce, and we host events that support great local causes, like an annual bar crawl benefiting the Sycamore Education Foundation, or raising awareness for athlete mental health through Kylie Ryder’s 'Bench the Stigma' campaign.

At the end of the day, our goal is to be a true hometown/community club, where the soccer team isn't just a business, but the heartbeat of everything. More Than A Soccer Club, if you like.

Follow DeKalb County United on Instagram HERE