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Mizzou Men’s Club Soccer –the 2023 National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association Super Regional Champions – is made up of 26 dues-paying members. The club provides athletes with an opportunity to play competitively, while also fostering connections.
Many of the players previously competed on highly competitive high school or club teams and weren’t ready to give up the sport when they came to college. Club soccer provides that opportunity while still allowing them to focus on academics and campus life.
“I kind of joined just because I had heard from friends and family, like, Mizzou is a really good opportunity to kind of play soccer in college,” senior club president Jackson Adamec said. “I really didn’t know anybody on the team, and I kind of just wanted to get a different sense of people I could be friends with.”
The Tigers compete in the Upper Midwest Collegiate Soccer League, a division that includes club teams from universities across the region. The league structure allows teams to travel and compete against schools they traditionally wouldn’t face.
During the fall semester, the team traveled to nationals and regionals, where they competed against programs from schools such as Baylor University, the University of Connecticut and other large universities. These trips usually last several days and allow the team to spend time together off the field as well.
Some of the team’s biggest competitors are San Diego State University, the University of Kansas and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They played against all three during the 2025 fall semester.
During the spring, the team shifts its focus to training, holding practices with the Mizzou Women’s Club Soccer Team to condition and maintain fitness.
Unlike NCAA-sanctioned teams, club programs are largely student-run. Team officers handle responsibilities such as social media, team organization and logistics throughout the season in various leadership roles.
Practice sessions often include possession drills, small-sided games, defensive work and set pieces such as free kicks and penalty kicks.
Each year, the club hosts open tryouts for students interested in joining the team. These tryouts typically attract a large number of participants. According to club member AJ Perez, around 60 to 80 students often show up during the first day. Over several days, the group is gradually narrowed down through scrimmages and mini games.
Since club teams don’t receive the same funding as NCAA programs, players pay annual dues to cover costs such as travel, league fees and equipment.
Their dues were about $450 this last year, partly because the team purchased new uniforms. In years without uniform purchases, the cost is usually lower, around $100.
To help offset those costs, the team organizes several fundraising events throughout the year.
One of the biggest is a golf tournament held in St. Louis over the summer, where players invite friends and supporters to participate. The event helps raise money for team expenses during the season.
“We do a fundraising event to raise money for what we spend for the rest of the year, ” club member Landin Hoyle said. “It’s in St Louis, there’s, like, a bunch of teams, and it’s a blast.”
The Tigers also run smaller fundraising efforts, such as Super Bowl square boards leading up to the NFL championship game.
Off the field, team bonding often happens outside of practice through group dinners, hanging out at teammates’ apartments and spending time together during away tournaments. Traveling together for games strengthens the team dynamic, with players often sharing hotel rooms and spending several days together during competitions.
“I’d say Austin, Texas, is always a good time, just because we all get an Airbnb, we all kind of hang out, have a good time, play some soccer and then just kind of bond with each other,” Adamec said.
Soccer is a sport that requires learning how to control one’s concentration. These players must learn how to control their emotions and quickly rebound from their mistakes. For the Tigers, that challenge extends beyond the field, as they work to balance the club with their academic responsibilities.
“You’re not an actual D1 athlete, you’re not on scholarship and stuff like that, so showing up to this stuff takes time away from personal time to come out here,” said vice president Tanner Jones, junior. “Balancing it when you’re new to college is definitely a thing.”
Some of the first years on the club soccer team joined to continue staying active and to find a group on campus where they can continue their enjoyment of soccer. The next three years of their university experience, the first-year members plan on continuing with the club.
“I didn’t want to go into college and just give up soccer, having not, like, gone somewhere to play,” first-year Finny Buckley said. “So it’s kind of like a good medium in between going for just soccer and also having a life outside of it.”
Club soccer allows men from a variety of different backgrounds and grade levels to take a break from academics while continuing to be competitive in a recreational environment.
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Mizzou men’s club soccer kicks their way to competition year-round – The Maneater
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