
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that High Desert Elite FC (Adelanto, CA) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will begin competition in the West Region’s Southwest Conference in 2019.
“We continue to see incredible growth in California, one of the hotbeds of the American game,”NPSL Managing Director Cindy Spera said. “We are excited to see the Southwest Conference expand with the addition of such a quality organization. We have high expectations for High Desert Elite and are looking to their contributions on and off the field.”
The leadership of High Desert Elite includes Majority Partner Brad Eckenweiler, Director of Marketing and Matchday Operations Darrell Courtney, Director of Soccer Operations Fidel Gonzales, and Director of Facilities and Stadium Operations Aaron Korn.
Gonzales pairs a lifetime of soccer experience with an impressive resume in the media industry.He spent time with the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Santa Clarita Valley Signal before joining Off-Road.com.
“Though we’re a new club, the business acumen and relationships of the leadership, the nationally-accomplished technical staff, and the player talent pool we’re assembling from withinour region is slated to deliver a strong showing,” Gonzales said. “Adding an energized fan base to a robust group of business supporters, we’re aiming to challenge some stiff competition and shoot toward a top-half finish in the NPSL Southwest Conference.”
Courtney has produced events in the High Desert for over 10 years. He is best known for his work resurrecting the Adelanto Grand Prix. Partnering with the City of Adelanto, Courtney’s events also include the city’s rodeo, mud runs, and holiday festivals.
“We’re grateful to be welcomed into the family of NPSL business partners,” Courtney said.“ With the NPSL, great value is placed on professionalism and individual program success. Indeed, NPSL partners are fierce competitors for 90 minutes on the pitch, but they are strategic business partners always. This was evident from our first conversations with league representatives. The library of knowledge and mentoring available through each partner is like gold to the growth of our program. Nowhere in the world of soccer, at least here in the United States, have we found such a tight-knit community that is equally vested in your success.” Korn partnered with Courtney to resurrect the historic Adelanto Grand Prix. His involvement with Adelanto Stadium and the now-defunct High Desert Mavericks prompted the City of Adelanto to engage him directly to manage and market the city-owned stadium.
Home matches for High Desert Elite will be played at Adelanto Stadium, which has been home to the High Desert Mavericks and the High Desert Yardbirds. The stadium boasts 3,808 permanent stadium seats. The facility features two separate concessions, a VIP cocktail deck, a conference center, two locker rooms and shower rooms for the full roster of home and away teams, a locker room for game officials, coaching staff offices, a room and amenities for physical trainers, and administrative offices. The stadium has become a favored venue for major events in Southern California’s Victor Valley, hosting car shows, festivals, concerts, rodeos, and off-road races.
More information about the club can be found at HighDesertELITE.com or by following the club on Facebook (@HighDesertELITE), Instagram (@HighDesertELITE), and Twitter (@HighDesertELITE).