The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), a nationwide amateur league, has accepted Bateaux FC as a new member club for 2023.
Dan Hunt, Club President, offered his thoughts: “It’s my honor and responsibility to serve as the President of Eau Claire Bateaux FC and to lead this growing organization to its next challenge: expansion. The successes our Club has had in WPASL cannot be understated; expansion is the next logical step for us. We are thankful to the Eau Claire community for their support thus far, and we look forward to seeing them cheer us on during our 2023 campaigns in both UPSL and WPASL.” “Today is a big day for our Club and for soccer in Eau Claire. Joining UPSL makes sense for us given our recent on-field success and sustained off-field growth,” said Josh Ranft, the Club’s General Manager. “Those two elements combined with our geographic location make UPSL a great fit for us to continue developing players in western Wisconsin. We are grateful to everyone that gives their time to Bateaux: the coaches and players, our supporters and sponsors, and all of our volunteers. This is for them. We are so excited to begin this journey.”
Head Coach Nick Noskowiak will lead the team again in 2023. “It is exciting to see Eau Claire take another step towards being a serious soccer city,” said Coach Noskowiak. “What our Club has done and will be able to do for this community is what drives us. The competition we expect to meet will challenge us to grow in ways that have not been possible which is another reason to be excited.”
The Club will compete in the Midwest-West Division and will start in Division 1. A successful first season can lead to promotion to the Premier Division. Bollinger Fields will be our home venue in 2023. Player announcements for both UPSL and WPASL squads will begin in the coming days.
Bateaux FC is a volunteer-run club based in Eau Claire, WI. Our goal is to aid our community through soccer. Our Club works with other area soccer programs to provide paths to continued development for area players.