Every year, Minnesota United co-hosts an expanding list of camps and clinics all over the Twin Cities — and across the Upper Midwest — to spread the reach of the game. In partnership with a variety of local nonprofits, soccer organizations, and presenting sponsor Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the club’s free clinics have become a staple of the yearly programming, enabling MNUFC to bring together parts of the community through the game we all love. These clinics were designed to increase opportunities for kids around the region to have access not only to soccer itself, but to instruction from MNUFC coaches as well.
In partnership with organizations like CommonBond Housing, Karen FA, Brooklyn Park and Champlin Park Athletic Associations, Mi Casa, Indigenous People Task Force, and the Sanneh Foundation, this arm of Minnesota United pairs with the already impactful work of incredible people making change in our community. One unique highlight from this past year was the club’s first clinic hosted at Highwood Hills, where participants played on a pitch MNUFC helped build just last year. This full circle moment wouldn't have been possible without the help of the good people at Toro, who the club has rebuilt multiple pitches with to give wider access to soccer around the Twin Cities.
From Champlin to the Midway, these free clinics offer an hour and a half of engaging soccer to an average of about 100 kids per clinic, though the numbers have swelled to as many as 400 at a single time. With so many players in need of instruction and coaching, MNUFC’s Head of Youth Camps and Clinics Scott Macleod had to call on some capable reinforcements to make sure everyone had the attention they deserved. Enter MNUFC Academy players.
If they weren’t traveling for games of their own, players from both the U16 and U18 teams — the ones old enough to drive — made it a point of emphasis to come out to the BCBS clinics this season. Across the year, they made over 60 appearances at these clinics, taking groups of kids through various games and jumping in to play with them whenever the chance arose.
“They were always on time or early, they stayed later when needed, and they were always willing to jump in and play with the kids,” Macleod said of his Academy helpers. “The participants really looked up to them.”
Between the drive, setup, and implementation of the clinic, each event ended up being a three to four hour commitment for these young athletes, whose busy schedules already include national travel, school, and training. They aren’t paid to help at these clinics, nor are they required to show up. It’s purely a choice, and they consistently made it when they were given the opportunity.
Across all of the clinics, MNUFC provided free soccer opportunities to around 1,500 children in 2025, with hopes of seeing that number continue to grow in the years to come. Between a list of community-minded sponsors and a roster of young athletes excited to make a difference, these clinics have turned into one of the club’s most effective methods of accomplishing its mission statement:
To promote soccer, the world’s game, and through it, inspire and unite our community.
