Ohio Premier Soccer Club
EIN: 31-1284756 · Tax status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Overview
Ohio Premier Soccer Club is a 30-year-old nonprofit youth soccer organization serving the Columbus metro from offices and training facilities in Plain City, Ohio (8830 N London-Delaware Rd; training at 8820 US-42). Originally identified with Dublin, the club’s operational center is now in Plain City on the western edge of the metro. One of the two dominant independent competitive clubs in Columbus alongside Club Ohio. Member of US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer.
Financials
| Metric | FY2024 (ended May 2024) | FY2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $3,563,130 | $3,125,104 |
| Expenses | $3,820,380 | $3,399,921 |
| Net Income | -$257,250 | -$274,817 |
| Net Assets | $1,094,933 | $1,352,183 |
| Total Assets | $3,659,715 | — |
| Total Liabilities | $2,564,782 | — |
Revenue is 98.3% program services. Salaries & wages totaled approximately $1.27M ($195,500 in officer compensation plus $1,074,240 in other salaries — ~33% of total expenses). The club has now posted operating losses in two consecutive fiscal years, a structural signal worth tracking.
(HIGH confidence — Form 990, ProPublica.)
Teams & Players
Approximately 1,500 boys and girls across U4-U23. Programs span Juniors (early childhood), Academy (developmental), Competitive (state league), and ECNL tiers. Both genders fielded across the age spectrum.
League Affiliations
- ECNL Boys — Ohio Valley Conference
- ECNL Girls — Ohio Valley Conference
- Ohio Valley Premier League (OVPL)
- OSPL / COPL / OCL state league system
- MLS NEXT competitions referenced in club marketing (likely tournament/showcase participation rather than full league membership — to verify)
The club hosts the annual Ohio Premier Invitational as its flagship recruiting/showcase tournament (26th edition ran in 2025).
Facilities
Headquarters and primary training in Plain City (8820 US-42). The club has been on a publicly documented multi-decade quest to develop a dedicated field complex (per BYGA.net coverage), suggesting facility ownership remains an unfulfilled strategic goal. Historical training relationship with Soccer First @ SportsOhio in Dublin. No club-owned competition complex confirmed in public records.
Leadership
Per the club’s About page and FY2024 Form 990 (Part VII):
Executive / Coaching:
- Chris Baer — Executive Director (since 2014; 20+ years with club). FY2024 compensation: $92,000 (listed as President on 990).
- Gus Teren — Sporting Director. Former DC United and Columbus Crew (11 years combined).
- Kevin Dougherty — Girls Formation Director (U13 and below). FY2024 compensation: $61,500.
- Sveti Matejic — Boys Formation Director (U13 and below). FY2024 compensation: $42,000.
- Eric Dutt — Boys Formation Director (U14 and above).
- Chad Prickett — Goalkeeping Director.
Administration:
- Keeley Leising — Director of Marketing & Communications.
- Chris Steuer — Director of Operations.
Board:
- Aly Johnston — Board President (first OP alumna on board; listed as Secretary on 990).
- Dr. Obi Moneme — Vice President (physician; former US U-23 National Team / Columbus Crew inaugural season; listed as Trustee on 990).
- Jonathan Campolo — Treasurer.
- Jason Pohl — At-Large Member (listed as Vice President on 990).
College Placement
Active college recruiting program. The annual Ohio Premier Invitational is positioned as the club’s recruiting showcase and draws teams from across the Midwest.
Competitive Position
One of the two elite-tier independent clubs in Columbus alongside Club Ohio. Ohio Premier holds ECNL franchise rights for both genders, traditionally placing it above Club Ohio in the recruiting-credential hierarchy. However, Club Ohio’s recent promotion to MLS NEXT Homegrown for 2026-27 reshapes the boys side — the credential premium that ECNL once gave Ohio Premier on the boys side may compress.
The club’s 30-year brand history, sporting director MLS pedigree, and tenured executive leadership are durable strengths. Two consecutive years of operating losses combined with the multi-decade absence of an owned facility represent the principal structural pressures.
Industry Context
Ohio Premier illustrates a pattern visible across long-tenured Midwestern nonprofit clubs: a brand and league-rights position that earns top-tier credentials, paired with a thin balance sheet ($1.1M net assets against $2.6M liabilities) and a coaching cost structure that has begun outrunning program revenue. The combination of ECNL dual-gender rights, a 1,500-player base, and a sporting director with MLS staff history is unusual for an independent at this revenue scale — but the recurring operating loss and unmet facility ambition suggest the club is approaching the financial limits of the partner-facility model in a market where field access is a binding constraint.
The 2026-27 MLS NEXT Homegrown promotion of cross-town Club Ohio is the most consequential near-term competitive development; how Ohio Premier responds (boys roster retention, possible counter-credential pursuit, or facility investment) will likely define its trajectory through the late 2020s.
Open Questions
- What is the current status of the field-complex development plan, and is any capital committed?
- What is driving the operating losses — coaching cost inflation, dues compression, or facility-rental escalation?
- Will Ohio Premier respond to Club Ohio’s MLS NEXT Homegrown promotion with its own pathway change, or double down on ECNL?
- Does the Plain City headquarters indicate a long-term move out of Dublin, or are both used in parallel?