HARTLAND — You might know Ian Bennett from his 16 years and counting spent playing for the Milwaukee Wave.
But the professional soccer player’s passion doesn’t stop there.
He is also finishing up a new space in Hartland that will house his youth training academy.
“I think I was born to coach, play, and work with kids in soccer,” Bennett smiled. “It’s all about their success and seeing them grow.”
On top of that, Bennett was also asked to coach and be an owner of a new youth soccer club in Lake Country called Lake Country Football Club(LCFC).
“There was a need for a better type of soccer club in the area,” Jasinowski, a former Pewaukee area soccer club president, said,
“To have someone that is a legend in his own right and wants give back to his community, the place where he lives, is so important.”
Jasinowski is now the president of LCFC and also a parent of three young soccer players. He asked Bennett and Matt Drago to join the team.
“My kids have all asked to come over to join what Matt and Ian are doing,” Jasinowski laughed.
LCFC will practice and train at ib26 Futbol Academy, and because it’s indoor, will allow kids to train year-round.
Registration for LCFCis now open. The season starts in August.
“We need kids to play in Pewaukee. We need soccer in Pewaukee because it’s a big community. We’re going to help them with confidence and motivation,” Bennett said.
He and his team spent countless hours preparing the space with special black turf and pink murals designed by his very own tattoo artist.
Half of the building is an area of turf for practicing soccer. The other half is for ETS Performance, which includes weight racks and equipment.
“It started with a nice phone call and since then we’ve gotten along really well. He’s doing it for the right reasons,” Zechariah Diemert, Director of Operations for ETS performance, said.
Bennett said he envisions kids signing up for sessions at both.
As a father of two girls who love to play soccer, he knows how important the sport is.
“Sometimes I look around and I’m happy. I don’t want to cry but I feel really good the way it panned out,” Bennett smiled.
On May 23, Bennett will be hosting a soft launch for the ib26 Futbol Academy from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the academy.
The event is also a promotional event for Hartland Village President Jeff Pfannerstill who Bennett said has helped him greatly.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
