Club History
WOLVES-HAWKS ORIGIN:
The Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club was conceived in 1974 with the support of the Livonia Family YMCA. Initiators of the soccer movement within the YMCA were Shirley Ritter, Executive Director of the YMCA, and Paul Scicluna, Head Soccer Coach. We are thankful for their courage, wisdom, and vision; it has allowed this soccer club to become one of the most successful soccer clubs in the country. The Club registers its teams through the Western Suburban Soccer League and is a longtime member in good standing with the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association. The club has grown from four teams in 1974 to thirty teams in 2006. Our boys' teams use the Wolves name, while the girls' teams are called the Hawks.
OUR PROGRAM:
For the very youngest soccer players, the club offers the Wolves-Hawks Youth Soccer Academy. This ideal starting point is lead by club coaches, Doug Landefeld and Lars Richters. The program is intended to introduce children under the age of eight to the world's most beautiful game. Further, the Club offers age group teams for both girls and boys from under-9 through under-18. The under-9 through under-12 teams participate in the WSSL Select developmental program and the Michigan Champions League. Boys and girls in the under-13 age group (and a few additional teams) participate in the Michigan State Premier Soccer Program (MSPSP). The under-14 through under-18 age groups compete in the Midwest Regional League, the exclusive league for the elite teams in our state and region.
Our youth development program is a vital factor in our club's growing success. As coaches and educators, we are well aware of the importance of providing a solid foundation for young players. The future development and success of a young player depends on receiving correct and relevant information at an early age. We have designed a curriculum that emphasizes age-specific technical skills combined with tactical decision-making to ensure the right information is received at the appropriate age level. In the coming season, we have strengthened our coaching staff to make certain our club leads the state in this essential area of player development. In addition to team practices, the club runs weekly technical training sessions and goalkeeping practices.
The Michigan-Wolves-Hawks are part of the exciting future of soccer in the United States at the very highest level. The club is a long time member of the Super-Y League, the most exclusive league in the country, designed and structured for the elite soccer player. The league feeds directly to MLS, the W-League, and other pro leagues. It is the only league with a special scouting and evaluation system, which provides another opportunity for aspiring ODP Regional and National players, and another venue for college exposure. Finally, in 2006, the club purchased a franchise in the W-League and will be competing as the Michigan Hawks Women. This completes the continuum for our young players, as they will have the chance to perform in the top women's soccer league in the United States and the #3 most competitive women's soccer league in the world.
WOLVES-HAWKS LEADERSHIP:
The Director of Coaching is Brian Doyle, who has 22 years of Division 1 college experience. He is currently on the ODP State and Regional staff, and he is one of the most well-known and respected coaches in our country. The club has an outstanding cadre of coaches, carefully selected according to the club's philosophy to achieve success in every area of player and team development. Lastly, the club is led by a board of directors, which has always been comprised of coaches, club parents, and at-large community members.
OUR SUCCESS:
The Wolves-Hawks organization has demonstrated tremendous success in recent years. The club has had teams in the national finals for the last seven years and has won seven overall USYSA National Championships (in '89, '90, '91, '01, '03, '04 and '07). There have been 22 Regional Championship Winners, one Super-Y League North American Champion, and dozens of National Indoor Champions. Two former Hawks, Lindsay Tarpley and Kate Sobrero-Markgraff, are members of the US Women's National Team. The club has numerous current National, Regional, and State Olympic Development Program players, and 18 Mr. and/or Miss Soccer winners have come from Wolves/Hawks teams. Year after year, the Wolves-Hawks teams have demonstrated the desire and ability to compete with the best teams in the country by winning numerous tournaments in their travels.
The club has always made a strong commitment to placing student-athletes at top universities around the country and in assisting their search for college scholarships. Over the past decade, we have witnessed an inordinate number of college scholarships being awarded to our players. Our older players have shown the ability to combine athletics with academics and character. College coaches, on the other hand, recognize our young men and women as people who can both perform at the highest level of competitive soccer and excel in the classroom. This is truly a winning combination: student-athletes who are skillful, disciplined, and balanced.
THE WOLVES-HAWKS MISSION:
The Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club has 30 years of experience developing Michigan teams and players to achieve superior results. We instill a love for the game in our young players and cultivate that passion as each athlete matures. We build pride in our individuals, our teams, and our club. We foster an environment that allows each player to experience the thrill of competition and participation, and the challenge of improvement. The Wolves-Hawks take pride in the growth of club members as athletes, students, and responsible young men and women.