The Louisville Lightning, our local professional soccer team, is making some bold moves as it prepares for its third season at the Mockingbird Valley Sports Arena, where the team draws about a thousand fans a game. The Lightning compete in the Professional Arena Soccer League, and the season starts in November, with the opener just 143 days away.
At a press conference at Molly Malone’s today, the team introduced its new head coach, Kyt Selaidopoulos. A Canadian, with an accent, Selaidopoulos said all the right things, especially with his emphasis on winning. The Lightning, whose founder is architect Wayne Estopinal, have generated a loyal following in their brief existence, partnering with dozens of local businesses on promotions and sponsorships. Both the new coach and new general manager Nick Stover said today that the team’s mission is to grow the sport and affiliate with more local soccer groups.
“The indoor game is exciting, but the best salesman is the players,” said Selaidopoulos, 33.”We are going to build camps, school programs, and a brand here in Louisville.”
He played for the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Indoor Soccer League, a rival soccer league, leading the Wave to the MISL championship last year. He hinted that he might play a bit for the Lightning.
Selaidopoulos played for Canada in World Cup competition in the mid-2000s.