The Millennium Soccer Association Vardar futbol club is coached and run by Pete Nacovski, left, and his son Vangel, right. The club's U16 boys team, coached by Pete, has advanced to the President's Cup Regional being played this weekend at Overland Park, Kansas. The club's U18 boys team, coached by Vangel, made it to the finals of the Indiana State Cup before losing in overtime.
For your informationFor details about Millennium Soccer Association Vardar, go to WWW.MILLENNIUMSOCCER.ORG or contact Vangel Nacovski at (219) 577-5509 or fodbal@aol.com.
When Pete Nacovski left Macedonia as a young man for "The Land of Opportunity," he may have been turning his back on a professional soccer opportunity.
"At that time, I was getting up there among the top players in the country," Nacovski said. "But I saw no future (economically) in Macedonia other than soccer, and there was no guarantee that I was going to make it as a pro. So I came here."
Soon after, the expatriate watched from afar as more than a handful of his teammates and peers went on to play and coach professionally.
Nacovski's son, Vangel, also had an opportunity to play professionally — here and in Europe.
After setting what seems to be an untouchable Indiana prep record of 162 goals during his career at Merrillville High School and starring for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Vangel was drafted by the Chicago Storm of the Major Indoor Soccer League, which folded before he had a chance to play.
"He also had a chance to play in Macedonia," the elder Nacovski said of his son.
Instead, Vangel stayed home to help his father form the Millennium Soccer Association Vardar futbol club in 2009.
"For the past 20 years, I've been doing this," Pete said of soccer training and coaching in the area. "It's my way of passing on my knowledge of the game, and helping kids succeed."
Passing on knowledge is one thing. Infusing passion is another.
"That's not always easy to do," Vangel said. "When I played, I wanted to stand out and score up to seven goals in a game [which he did with the Pirates].
"It took a lot of dedication, and a lot of practicing all alone."
MSA Vardar had grown to 12 boys and girls teams ranging for Under-8 to U18.
The club's U18 boys team, featuring many of the top graduating high school seniors from the area, advanced to the Indiana State Cup finals in Indianapolis last weekend where it lost in overtime to the Fort Wayne Fever. It was its lone loss of the spring season for the MSA Vardar U18 boys team, which finished 13-1-5.
"The top 12 teams in the state are chosen for Indiana State Cup," said Vangel, who coached the U18 boys team. "The President's Cup is for the teams right after that."
MSA Vardar's U16 boys team, coached by Pete, won its division at the Indiana President's Cup tournament June 2-3 in Indianapolis. Now it's playing in the President's Cup Regional this weekend at Overland Park, Kan. Age-group winners from there advance to the President's Cup Nationals this summer in Sacramento, Calif.
Since its inception, MSA Vardar has fielded four Indiana State Cup finalists, two Indiana President's Cup finalists, one Indiana State Cup champion and one Indiana President's Cup champion.
"But most important, we've had more than 20 players go on to play in college," Vangel said.
