We have seen the beautiful game grow exponentially in the past few years, and it is only going to continue as we get closer to the World Cup in 2026. While there has been a huge growth, there is still a lot that can be done to help communities in growing the game at the grassroot level. That’s exactly what Real Lansing is trying to do.
Real Lansing Football Club, a community-driven soccer club based in Lansing, Michigan. They were founded in 2024 and their purpose – to provide high-quality, no-cost soccer programs to Lansing School District students.
“It was the brainchild of our founder, Paul Chatfield. Paul is a teacher in the Lansing School District. He's a passionate soccer fan, and he wanted to see if he could give back to the community by starting this youth soccer club,” said Real Lansing’s president Rufus Isaacs. “ He'd been talking to a lot of the kids in his school. They're very passionate about soccer, and so he thought, well, maybe we can put a club together.”
Even though it is a young club, the community of Lansing is made up of passionate soccer fans that came together to rally behind this club. People have bought into what Real Lansing FC is striving to do, which is allow for kids in the Lansing School Districts to be able to play the sport they love without the costs that it can sometimes come with.
“A part of the vision for this is to break down that pay to play model, try and do fundraising, bring the community together around this idea, and then provide the opportunity for these kids, many of whom love the game, but haven't had a structured way to play it,” said Isaacs.
This idea didn’t come together as quickly as it seems. There were a few challenges that the club faced to get people investing in Real Lansing. One of the biggest challenges was selling the vision to people.
“Paul [Chatfield] has done an amazing job of bringing people together that had the same kind of idea or supported that idea. That was the beginning, was getting more than Paul [Chatfield], and he put a huge amount of time in. He brought a group together, and we now have a board that's formed. It took some of the weight off his shoulders, brought new skills together and then started recruiting coaches as well,” said Isaacs.
“Last year, we had a group of coaches that ran the teams and we're building that. That was just a challenge to bring the right people together, but I think we're there now. Of course, starting any operation like this, you need to have fundraising, so that's been a big focus as well, and the community's definitely stepped up and helped us with that.”
With the community’s help as well as the sponsors, the club was able to help get equipment like cleats and shin guards for their players. Real Lansing also started a GoFundme that is now 50% closer to their goal of $20K.
”It's essential for us to succeed. Those partnerships have been fantastic. We have a really great soccer community here in Lansing. There's just a lot of love for the game. There's the local Lansing Common FC, and there's a whole group of supporters that have come together around that club who all have stepped up and helped us,” said Isaac. “I think being part of a community where that club's more on the adult side, so they're semi pro players in their 20s. They have a different mission, but they really support what we've done and can see the value of having this youth team. Of course, a lot of the local schools, they're really supportive as well.”
One big step that will help Real Lansing continue to grow in 2025 is the Early Bird Grant. RLFC was awarded Lansing Common FC’s first Early Bird Grant of 2025, recognizing the soccer club’s dedication to providing free, high-quality sports programs and academic support to Lansing School District students back on Feb. 6.
“It was fantastic. We put one of the applications in and we didn't know what would happen. We didn't know if they'd select us,” said Isaacs on receiving the Early Bird Grant. “We're proud to be one of the first to get that funding this year.”
The Early Bird Grant was launched by Lansing Common FC, a semi-professional club that plays in the Midwest Premier League, in partnership with Strange Matter Coffee. The grant supports organizations making a meaningful impact in the Lansing community.
Real Lansing FC was honored for its dedication to empowering local youth through soccer, providing opportunities for growth and success on and off the field. As a recipient, RLFC will receive a $517 grant from the Early Bird Fund, which is funded through sales of Strange Matter Coffee’s Early Bird Fund and community donations. For every bag sold, a portion of the proceeds goes to Lansing Common FC, which distributes funds to local nonprofits throughout the year.
When asked about a specific moment with Real Lansing that makes it all worth it, Rufus Isaacs said that there were a lot, but one specifically comes to mind.
“I was helping to coach a team last summer, a U12 team, and they started off very disorganized. We were teaching people how to do throw-ins, got to have those two feet on the ground (laughs) because they hadn't done organized soccer before, and hadn't had a referee, hadn't had things timed and all of those things,” said Isaacs.
“To see that team develop under Aaron Chatfield, who was the coach, was amazing. Then to see them get to the point where things that they were taught in midweek training actually showed up on the field on Saturday and worked and they scored, it was just amazing to see that excitement that they have when they see it all come together. They just had a lot of fun and got to visit areas around the city that maybe they hadn't visited before. Just seeing the teams gel and bond together was great.”
If you want to help support Real Lansing FC and are able, please use the link below to help them reach their goal!
You can also check out the full interview with Real Lansing FC’s president Rufus Isaacs down below to learn more about the club.
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