Dearborn Stars Soccer Club
Tax status: unknown (EIN not confirmed for the Dearborn Stars entity; a related “Dearborn Soccer Club” EIN 38-3492091 exists — relationship unclear)
Overview
Dearborn Stars Soccer Club is an amateur soccer organization founded in 1982 by Haidar Bazzi in Dearborn, Michigan. The club was established to serve the Arab-American community of Dearborn — a city with one of the largest concentrations of Arab Americans in the United States, anchored by significant Lebanese, Yemeni, Iraqi, and Palestinian populations. The club’s founding mission centered on cultural integration and social cohesion through soccer, providing organized competition for youth and adult players in the Wayne County area.
For most of its history, the Dearborn Stars operated at the adult recreational and amateur competitive level in regional leagues including the Michigan Premier Soccer League (MPSL). The club is best known nationally for qualifying for the first round of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup — a rare achievement for a community-based amateur club, elevating its profile beyond local recognition.
In more recent years, the club’s competitive senior arm evolved through a rebranding: the formation of Cedars FC marked a new chapter, with the club entering the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) for four years starting in 2021, competing in the Midwest Conference and hosting matches at Fordson High School in Dearborn. The club then moved to the Midwest Premier League (MWPL) Premier Division, where it won the 2024 MWPL Great Lakes Conference championship — its highest competitive achievement in the adult game to date.
The youth program associated with the Dearborn Stars name has operated at recreational and entry-level travel soccer levels, serving the local Arab-American youth population. The club is not affiliated with ECNL, MLS NEXT, or Girls Academy; its competitive home is in MSYSA/MSPSP or recreational league play.
Financials
No ProPublica 990 record has been found specifically for the Dearborn Stars Soccer Club entity. A separate entity — “Dearborn Soccer Club” (EIN: 38-3492091) — appears in GuideStar records; the relationship between this entity and the Dearborn Stars brand is unclear. Tax status for the Dearborn Stars organization itself remains unverified.
Tax status unverified — EIN not confirmed. May file under "Dearborn Soccer Club" (EIN 38-3492091) or a different entity name. Requires direct lookup to resolve.
Teams & Players
The Dearborn Stars youth program serves boys and girls at recreational through entry-level travel tiers. Specific team counts and player enrollment are not publicly documented. The senior competitive arm (now branded Cedars FC/MWPL) is distinct from the youth club operations, though they share organizational roots under Haidar Bazzi’s founding vision.
League Affiliations
- MSYSA (Michigan State Youth Soccer Association) — likely primary youth sanctioning body
- MSPSP (Michigan State Premier Soccer Program) — possible at competitive level; not confirmed
- MWPL (Midwest Premier League, via Cedars FC / senior team) — adult competitive arm
- UPSL (United Premier Soccer League) — senior team competed 2021–2025 before MWPL transition
Not affiliated with ECNL, MLS NEXT, Girls Academy, or other elite youth pathways.
Facilities
Training and match locations are not publicly detailed. The senior competitive team (Cedars FC) has hosted matches at Fordson High School, Dearborn — suggesting shared-use arrangements with Dearborn Public Schools. Youth programs likely train at local parks and school fields in the Dearborn/Dearborn Heights area.
Leadership
- Haidar Bazzi — Founder (founded 1982; continues as organizational figurehead)
Additional coaching and administrative staff for current youth operations are not identified in public sources.
Competitive Position
The Dearborn Stars/Cedars FC operates in an unusual dual role: as a community-rooted youth program serving Arab-American families in Wayne County, and as a semi-competitive adult club pursuing regional championships. The 2013 U.S. Open Cup appearance and 2024 MWPL conference championship are the club’s most visible competitive credentials — both on the adult side rather than youth.
Within the Wayne County youth soccer ecosystem, Dearborn-area clubs serve a distinct demographic that is underrepresented in the elite pathway clubs (ECNL, MLS NEXT). The Michigan Jaguars Dearborn program is the primary elite travel club serving Wayne County, while Dearborn Stars/Cedars FC serves the recreational and community market.
The club’s cultural significance in the Dearborn Arab-American community exceeds its competitive profile. It functions as a community institution, not primarily as a player development pipeline to college or professional soccer.
Industry Context
Dearborn is one of the most important Arab-American cultural centers in the United States. The city’s soccer culture reflects that heritage — with a high density of informal and semi-organized play, strong adult amateur leagues, and community clubs that serve social as much as competitive functions. The Dearborn Stars represents this grassroots tradition, predating the rise of pay-to-play travel soccer in Michigan.
As elite youth soccer has become more expensive and selective, community-based clubs like Dearborn Stars occupy an increasingly distinct niche: accessible soccer for families who cannot or choose not to invest in elite travel programs. The Arab-American community in Dearborn includes a wide economic range, and the club’s role in keeping soccer accessible for families across that spectrum is a meaningful social function.
The MWPL competitive trajectory suggests the adult side of the organization remains ambitious, even as the youth side likely has limited resources relative to premier-level clubs. Understanding this club is useful context for the broader Wayne County market — particularly for understanding demand patterns and community soccer infrastructure in Dearborn’s dense urban neighborhoods.
Open Questions
- Is “Dearborn Soccer Club” (EIN 38-3492091) the same legal entity as Dearborn Stars Soccer Club?
- Current state of the youth program — active, dormant, or primarily adult-focused?
- Relationship between the Dearborn Stars youth arm and Cedars FC adult arm — same organization or functionally separate?
- Player count and team count for youth programs
- Haidar Bazzi’s current active role vs. honorary founder status
- Any formal or informal connections with Michigan Jaguars, Dearborn Soccer Club, or other Wayne County clubs