North American Soccer Expo Kicks Off

North American Soccer Expo Kicks Off
by Garrett Pog
August 5, 2025

The North American Soccer Expo took place on August 1-3, 2025 in Novi, MI, and is expected to be the first of an annual event towards gathering coaches, administrators and others together to collaborate, network and share experiences throughout their soccer journey.

Speakers were all chosen carefully and thoughtfully with lessons that can apply to every level of the game, including many speakers who are well-known in the Midwest region, as well as some that are very successful at the national level.

In my conversations with many people at the event, it was a rousing success.

“For those that work a 9-to-5 and don’t have the resources to travel to big conventions, we thought there was an appetite for coaching and education, and eventually, soccer for everybody,” Paul Tinnion, Executive Director of the North American Soccer Expo. Tinnion described how he would take ideas he learned at the United Coaches Convention and apply that to his own teams that he coaches, as well as the value he saw in being able to network with peers each year. He was one of many directors who took those principles, and wanted to provide that on a larger scale for anyone that works within the soccer industry.

From Friday through Sunday afternoon, there were four classroom sessions each hour as well as on-field demonstrations all throughout the weekend. Depending on who you chose to listen to, you could’ve built an entire novel’s worth of insights and tips, as well as plenty of stories to reflect on. Some of those speakers include Alexi Lalas from Fox Sports, John Hackworth from St. Louis City SC, as well as Peter Vermes, formerly at Sporting Kansas City.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony to kick off the event on Friday, Tinnion told the audience how especially important it was to bring Lalas in for the expo.

“We thought that it was very important that we brought somebody back to Michigan who’s had such a big impact, not only here in Michigan but all over the country,” Tinnion said.

Lalas graduated from Cranbrook Upper School in 1987, roughly 30 minutes away from the expo in Metro Detroit. Lalas then went on to become a star player for Rutgers University, followed by a pivotal run on the United States National team throughout the 90s.

The Mayor of Novi, Justin Fischer, came out to show support for the newly annual event.

“The thing about soccer is that it brings people together, no matter what your background is,” he said. He mentioned how important it is for people of different cultures to be in the same community, considering Novi is host to one of the largest Asian Indian populations in the state of Michigan.

Both Friday and Saturday hosted networking socials, including a Happy Hour across the street with live music and plenty of food. It was a great way to get to know some of the personalities that were presenting, as well as some others who may be working the exact same job, just in a different region.

For many people attending the event, they were able to get much more than they imagined prior to signing up. I talked to a few people who felt their expectations were met or exceeded.

“There’s a bunch of winners here, and you get to see how their mind works,” said a young trainer, looking to gain more experience in the tactical side of training. “The database is what I came for, and you can pull something from each winning individual.”

He mentioned many of the presentations he listened to, he was able to obtain pieces of advice or information about developing players, the state of the game in the US, among other things. He was sold on the weekend as a networking event, and received much more than that.

An experienced youth coach said, “They had a real variety of topics and subjects I was interested in…I was really looking forward to the demonstrations and technical training [on the field]. It was kind of neat to sit in the classroom sessions as well with the MLS programs.”

Members from Chicago Fire FC, Columbus Crew, as well as Sporting KC were teaching programs that would earn you a certificate from MLS Next Pro. “It was really a wide variety of good information…My expectations were met.”

It was very clear and obvious that the vision for the NASE was achieved, regardless of the attendance. Twenty-five states were represented at the event, though there was certainly room to grow looking into the future.

“The financial implications weren’t as important as the foundation and the quality of what we’re doing. If we do it right, then more people will come and it will be sustainable. The feedback’s been amazing…and part of being a coach is that we’re never satisfied, we keep wanting to do better,” Tinnion said. He mentioned how full the field looked on Friday, especially for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

Two big members who put this event together were the Michigan Jaguars, as well as Adidas. The former could be considered the biggest club in Metro Detroit, which may have put this event at odds with other major clubs in the area. Tinnion wants to break past that tribalism.

“Soccer in this country is very exclusive, and I want this event to be inclusive,” he said. “I think this weekend was great, and it’s only going to get better. If you want to go down the street and see a few impactful people that can help you learn and have a great time socially, I think this is the place to be.”

These are the first steps in creating a new annual event for soccer professionals to be a part of, and if you asked me, it’s a fantastic way to begin.

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