For 31 years, Maggie Strader has been a familiar face on the east side of Madison — from growing up in the area, teaching in elementary school classrooms and coaching East High School’s women’s varsity soccer team.

Strader, now the vice president of the Millennium Soccer Club, has helped bring the game home to Warner Park on Madison’s east side — a long-awaited step toward opening more opportunities for the community she has called home.

Since its founding in 2001, Millennium has rooted its soccer program primarily in Madison’s south and west sides.

According to Strader, her role in teaching on the east side inspired her to pick Warner Park as the final club location. She began by using her connections through coaching and teaching to contact people about how Millennium could expand its presence on the east side.
Behind Warner Park, there are two soccer fields near the community center, which serves as a convenient space for families to gather.
Depending on the number of children participating, the club typically sets up two or three fields side by side.

The club’s teams laced up for their first official season at Warner Park this fall, allowing new opportunities for more than 40 children attending the elementary schools on the east side to play soccer.
“I’ve seen so many kids that are looking for extracurricular opportunities, but they’re hard to find because they don’t have access to transportation or funds,” Strader said. “It means everything to me that we could get this site on the east side. Kids love soccer, and it’s amazing to have the sport accessible for them.”

The club chose Warner Park for not only its ideal location, but also for its community feel, safety and accessibility.

“Location is important. I grew up with sports being around and accessible for everyone, and that had died down in the east side of Madison,” said Antonio Cruz-Rodriguez, the current site manager at Warner Park. “Now, with Warner Park, kids can take pathways from different areas.”

According to Haley Brisky, president of Millennium Soccer Club, the Warner Park location has already made a difference, especially for the immigrant communities the club serves. With approximately 50% of the club’s players identifying as Hispanic or Latino, the new east side location offers these families a more accessible option to participate in a sport that holds cultural significance for many.

“Soccer plays a huge role in so many people’s lives, especially in the international community,” Brisky said.

“It’s special to the international parents to bring their kids out; it’s a great way to have that family connection, feel included and return to.”

The new site allows for practices and scrimmages for elementary schoolers and coaching opportunities for east side high schoolers, allowing older students to give back to their community while gaining valuable leadership experience.

“We want our young people to be able to see themselves reflected in places of success, to connect with people who don’t look like them,” Brisky said. “We want our young players to see our older volunteers and see themselves reflected in race, community neighborhoods and locations.”

Following the club’s initial success at Warner Park, the club is looking to expand to other neighboring areas and schools in Madison by guaranteeing revenue streams, growing sponsorships and hiring more executive team members.

“I almost have to slow myself down because I would love to see our fields grow and be everywhere,” Brisky said. “We want to ensure we’re growing for another 20 years and can help another generation or two.”