About Us

Minnesota's largest* soccer club, and we're LGBTQ and Allied too. 2019 IGLFA WORLD CHAMPIONS. 2018 Gay Games Bronze Medalists!

The Gray Ducks build and place teams in multiple leagues and formats in Minnesota. We have over 10 teams year round across 5 days of the week serving more than 300 community athletes.

We have teams who are highly competitive, and some that are moderate oriented. Leagues by nature are competitive in focus, few beginner level spots open each year. Let us know your preference!
In Financial Need and Want to Play? We provide scholarship opportunities.
Want to give back? We have non-player opportunities to manage, coach, or otherwise support through volunteer time or monetary contribution.

*Compared to the other LGBT club in Minnesota, Gray Ducks soccer is 8x the size (they have 22 roster spots as of May 2018, Gray Ducks has 177 roster spots as of May 2018). The Gray Ducks have also deployed independent teams to LGBT tournaments in Las Vegas, Chicago and Paris in 2018, where as the other club partnered with another club to send a team to one tournament.

Gray Ducks Soccer is ...

... an organization in Minnesota that plays soccer in a variety of experience levels, formats and leagues. We match players with teams based on their interest and experience. We are more than a soccer club. We are a community of Minnesotans and beyond who are finding strength in numbers to spread fitness, education and cheer. We come to play soccer at all levels and stay for the friendships.

We are a mentoring club with member helping member on and off the field. There are relationships and friendships that blossom as our teams often are comprised of an eclectic grouping of persons. While some have known each other for decades, others are transplants to the Twin Cities. Our programs help our players in need and those of theirs in need. We provide opportunities and promote adult soccer affordably without regard to age, level of experience, skill level, race, national origin, sexual orientation, religion and socio-economic status. We are unique, and that is what makes us a strong and exciting adult activity group.

Our Mission

We believe the benefits of organized soccer are numerous and it is our mission to provide adults with quality soccer opportunities that:

Promote fun, entertainment and satisfaction for all participants
Promote health and fitness through physical activity
Provide a safe environment for LGBT and minority persons through a spirit of fair play, sportsmanship and acceptance.
Provide coaches, parents, spectators and soccer enthusiasts with venues to play the game
Offer friendly competition at various levels
Develop soccer skills and interest in the game
Encourage teamwork, camaraderie and friendship

Gray Ducks Soccer strives to be an all inclusive soccer club, which reaches players across a broad spectrum, including those new to soccer, former youth players, weekend warriors, and the most advanced competitors. Our program is built around quality with experienced leadership, responsible leagues and superb fields. We anticipate all of our members will encounter a rewarding and satisfying experience for many seasons to come.

History

The Gray Ducks history extends well beyond it's February 2017 launch. The club is founded by Ryan Adams, a veteran club organizer, who lead Minnesota's original LGBT soccer club to extreme heights from 2013 - 2017, from near extinction prior 2013. JB Becker and friends started LGBT Soccer in 2009 to rally the community around this great sport, though JB has long passed, his vision of LGBT soccer is kept alive and flourishing in our club. Adams was also the founder of the legendary LGBT community group, The Lake Calhoun Boys, which produced curricular activities and charity activations from 2008-2011. The Gray Ducks hatched from the visionary direction of Ryan Adams, the vision is laid out above in the club information and mission.

The Gray Ducks roots are in the LGBT community, and Allies of the LGBT community have always been and continue to be a vital part of the Gray Ducks. The Ducks continue an emphasis on promoting equality for gender, racial, and sexual orientation. The Gray Ducks hold sporting organizations in Minnesota accountable and strive to educate them to have welcoming environments for LGBT persons.

The Gray Ducks are built on a for-profit operation model, though there are no paid personnel, the model of the Gray Ducks is fiscal responsibility and sustainability. Through private leadership of the organization, there is a 100% say-do ratio among the leadership team. Providing diverse opportunities is significant reason the Gray Ducks launched and have been successful as a club. The LGBT soccer community has long been let down by poor leadership at the international level, as well as locally. It is with great honor, and privilege that the Gray Ducks are Minnesota's largest LGBT and Allied soccer club*.

*The Gray Ducks have the most league teams (10 indoor and 13 outdoor), have sent more LGBT tournament teams out of state each year (3), and active community athletes (316) within Minnesota since January 2017. Most recently, the Gray Ducks earned a Bronze Medal at the Paris Gay Games.

In The News

MN United Pride Night 2018

The MN Gray Ducks play an influential role in MN United Pride Night celebration. This year's was extra special as Collin Martin chose to come out that day too, making him the only out professional male athlete between the MLS, NHL, MLB, NBA, and the NFL. We recieved coverage by:
Kare 11 News - Video

Lavendar Magazine

Compete Magazine

Compete magazine covered the launch of US LGBT Soccer back in 2017. It's since warped into a 501c3 and been refocused and renamed as North American Gay Soccer Association (NAGSA) in hopes of serving a larger team base and rallying associations together to do more good for LGBT persons interested in various capacities of the game.
Read the 2017 article here

Read the 2018 article here
Fore more information, you can visit www.nagaysoccer.com

Media Inquiries

We're always available for press and media inquiries at info@grayduckssoccercom or via the contact us feature of our site. We weigh in on LGBT persons in sporting news, LGBT sporting policy, our organization activities, and more.

Press Release

1/24/19 - MN Gray Ducks earn IGLFA Indoor World Championship Title

Meet Our Leader

Ryan Adams

The Gray Ducks is proudly managed by Ryan Adams, a 6 year veteran organizer of community soccer and LGBT Athletics. By trade Ryan is an event producer of corporate events and brand activations, and by ambition he organizes LGBT and Allied athletics on a local and national scale. The dedication of 500 plus hours annually has led Gray Ducks soccer to tremendous heights and success since it's inception in early 2017. Ryan would like to acknowledge all of the Allies to the LGBT community who make this organization possible as together the club is able to field more teams at a variety of levels of play across different leagues and days of the week.

The mission of our club is simple, to promote equality and inclusion for all through the game of soccer. Thank you for being a member of this epic soccer community.

Recognition, Awards, and Accolades:

Certified Sports Diversity Leader (SDL) by SDLC

Founder - North American Gay Soccer Association

Best Goalie - Sin City Classic

Pictured: (left) David Zimmerman (right) Ryan Adams, Partners of 5 years.

Get Connected

We are stronger united, as allies and LGBTQ+ working together. Please share within your social network some of the great work being done to advance LGBT acceptance in sport through combating homophobia, redefining masculinity to celebrate diversity and inclusion, and growing sport within the LGBTQ+ community.

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