As of March 8th 2016, the Louisiana Premier League is now being recognized as an Elite Amateur Premier League by the United States Adult Soccer Association. The LPL joins the likes of 12 other elite leagues from around the US, such as the EPLWA (Washington) and the UPSL (So Cal). The Elite Amateur Leagues are a part of the USASA Premier League program that also oversees the national amateur leagues, USL-PDL, NPSL and WPSL.
“We have been working hard towards getting this sort of recognition for our league,” said league commissioner Jonathan Rednour. “Our teams have put in a lot of hard work to get us where we are and to be recognized as an equal to some of the top amateur leagues around the country is a big honor.”
The league was acknowledged by the USASA as an Elite Amateur League after two successful seasons of play. “This is a great step towards creating a sustainable top league in our state and region,” said head coach of Pool Boys FC and co-founder of the LPL, Jeremy Poklemba. “Much credit goes to everyone involved, from the team owners to the fans, who make this a possibility.”
“I think it’s an honor to be recognized at that level, and we’re excited to finally have the opportunity to showcase our teams on a higher tier,” said Motagua New Orleans owner/manager Tony Martinez. “We hope it helps open the door with playing some of our NPSL and PDL friends from around the region.”
In its two year existence, the LPL had teams representing the league on both the regional and national level. Motagua New Orleans had a successful year having qualified for the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and are the first Louisiana amateur team to do so in it’s modern era format. In addition, they celebrated a USASA Region III title in the summer of 2015. Both Cajun SC and Pool Boys FC have also represented the league at the USASA Region III Open Cup the last two seasons.
“We are moving into an exciting year,” said Jonathan Rednour. “The future is looking great for us and we’re thrilled to take our league to the next level.”
