DeKalb County United will not be playing in the Midwest Premier League in 2020. On Friday the league announced the decision to cancel the season, a decision that I was involved with in the member-run league.
I’m extremely disappointed in this situation but health and safety remain our priority. We made the right decision in the best interests of all of our clubs. The challenges presented by trying to wait and make a decision down the road for a shortened season are just too difficult to pull together for clubs run by volunteers and DKCU is no different. Players will be contacted directly in the next few weeks to discuss the next steps. We may have some alternative options later this year but we won’t know until things become a little clearer. We know you were excited about the 2020 season and we know you may have done a lot of personal work to prepare. Thank you for your efforts.
At this point our two u23 team’s leagues are still hopeful of operating this summer, so we’ll continue to be in contact with them and keep those players and coaches informed of changes.
Season ticket holders who committed for the 2020 season: we’d ask that you extend your support for the club and allow us to apply your tickets purchased for the 2021 season. A member of our staff will be reaching out to discuss this with you.
Sponsors: Thank you to the wonderful organizations who committed to support DKCU for the upcoming season. If you will allow us we would like to carry-over your support for the 2021 season as well. We’ll be reaching out to each of you to discuss the next steps.
Staff: So many hours have gone into preparing for the season and it’s hard to imagine a summer we don’t get to spend together. Thanks for all you’ve done...we will get through it!
Unfortunately this also means we will not be able to schedule youth events, camps, tournaments, etc until things settle down. But we’ll be busy planning some great things for our return to action.
Without question, the financial impact to the club will be felt. However, we are reacting as wisely as we can to ensure long term sustainability, success for our players, our coaches, our supporters and our staff so that we can accomplish our never ending mission of uniting our community.
I know what you are probably thinking...did the people of Cedar Rapids and Dubuque set this in motion to stop DKCU from defeating them on the field again? In my heart of hearts I can not accept that as a possibility. In these times, we are united with them and we’re eager to return to the pitch and resume dominance over our western foe.
Even with this unprecedented set back, we are committed to our mission and our values and we will be back in 2021. No one is untouched by this situation and we will do all we can to help others deal with their own challenges during that time. If there’s something we can do to support members of our community, please feel free to reach out to us.
John Hall
President
DeKalb County United