Q&A with NFPL commissioner Ubusuku Abukusumo
Photo credit: NFPL
A brand-new amateur futsal league has arrived in the U.S., the National Futsal Premier League (NFPL). Set to take the court in January 2019, the league plans to reach six or eight teams for its inaugural season, but officially launched with four founding clubs: the Ann Arbor Mudpuppies, Lansing City Futsal, ABK Futsal and FC Tryzub.
Former Columbus Crew defender Ubusuku Abukusumo will serve as the NFPL’s first commissioner. Soc Takes caught up with Abukusumo to find out more about the league and his role within it.
Kevin Johnston: Who came up with the idea for the NFPL and what was the timeline for turning the idea into a reality?
Ubusuku Abukusumo: Bilal (Saeed), Drew (Ducker) and I started the idea for the NFPL about two years ago. It really wasn’t intentional as much as it was born out of a few discussions we had about soccer in the U.S. Although we took different paths in soccer, all three of us are super passionate about it. So, we were having these discussions about our youth system, college soccer, semipro and professional leagues, basically the landscape of American soccer. As a huge proponent of futsal, Drew shared his ideas on how he thought futsal was going to fit within this landscape. He shared how futsal is a natural partner to soccer and their symbiotic nature. We realized, through these discussions, there was an opportunity for us to do more than just talk about improving the landscape and the NFPL was born.
KJ: What are some of your responsibilities as the league’s first-ever commissioner?
UA: My main responsibility as the league commissioner will be handling all matters of discipline for both players and clubs. Basically, making sure everyone follows the rules and standards we set forth and enforcing those when necessary. Along with that, I see my job as building and maintaining a high-quality product both on and off the court, while also helping to build the clubs and communities which we serve.
KJ: What’s the process like for vetting new clubs when they reach out to express interest in joining the league?
UA: When a club expresses interest in joining the league we first provide them an overview of the league which provides more detail on the vision of the league and our sustainability outlook. Once on board with that, we ask clubs to submit plans and budgets on how they will run their club including game-day operations, marketing, public relations and player development, among others. During this phase of the process we have multiple conversations and meetings with the interested clubs regarding league policies and minimum standards. We want to make sure all clubs meet or exceed our standards and are positioned to provide value to the league and their communities.
KJ: Is the league open to eventually expanding beyond the Michigan/Great Lakes area, or would you like to keep it mostly based in that region to reduce travel costs, etc.?
UA: Sustainability is one of the league’s highest priorities. We believe the best opportunity to create an environment conducive to a sustainable league and its clubs is by starting the league with a regional, Midwest focus. This allows the league and its clubs to maximize resources and operate more efficiently. This also allows us to position ourselves as the dominate player in a sizable portion of the U.S. futsal market. This is our focus and is in our one- to five-year plans. If, however, an opportunity arises to expand beyond our Midwest region that allows us to continue our vision and maintain sustainability, then we would look at it closely.
KJ: Any other thoughts you’d like to add about the NFPL?
UA: Futsal is a fantastic game that we believe will appeal to a majority of U.S. sports fans. We’re honored to be a part of its growth and we’re excited to showcase this highly entertaining product in the Midwest!
Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.
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