Semiprofessional soccer in Benton? You’d better believe it!
December 2-8, 2024
By Ethan C. Nobles
BENTON – Arkansas Wolves SC has been around since 2018 and has developed into a program that attracts ambitious players from around the world and is currently at the top of its division in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL).
The team’s founder said the program – over the past six years – has grown into an enterprise that trains youths and competes with skilled teams with its stable of international players.
“I get emails all the time,” said Dr. Sean Paul Jones, president and general manager of the Arkansas Wolves. “A lot of people want to be part of what we have here.”
Jones – a South Africa native who played soccer both there and in England – is a clinical psychologist who founded Livestrong, PLLC, a behavioral health services organization with offices in Alexander and Malvern.
Jones said he noticed upon arriving in central Arkansas that the area was lacking in terms of soccer development programs. In order to meet that need, he started the Arkansas Wolves with the mission of fielding competitive teams and helping area youth develop into skilled players. Utilizing his contacts in England, Jones has been able to utilize a cooperative association with the Wolverhampton Wanderers, a Premier League which competes in the top tier of English football.
The result of that association has resulted in the Wolves adopting the logo and default yellow and gold home colors of Wolverhampton, as well as a feature that Jones said isn’t available elsewhere – training camps for local players featuring players throughout various levels of the English team. Moreover, the Arkansas Wolves offers a direct pipeline for players wanting to train and play in the Wolverhampton system.
Jones said some players that have worked through the Wolves’ system have successfully moved on to Wolverhampton, and that is one of the things that attract players from around the world to central Arkansas to develop their skills.
Jones said those international players become a part of the local community, holding down jobs around central Arkansas, staying with volunteers who want to do their part to support the Wolves and generally making themselves at home in the area.
The Wolves currently field men’s semiprofessional teams in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and United Premier Soccer League (UPSL); and women’s teams in the United Women’s Soccer (UWS) and Midwest Premier League (MWPL). Currently, the Arkansas Wolves are hosting the OK-AR divisional UPSL tournament, having tied for first place in that seven-team division.
While the Arkansas Wolves have called C.W. Lewis Stadium – the former home of the Benton Panthers High School football team – home for the past few seasons, the team has been asked by the UPSL to move on to a facility more suited for soccer.
Jones explained that the field at C.W. Lewis is too narrow for soccer, meaning the team is hosting the current tournament – featuring teams from Arkansas and Oklahoma – at Burns Park Soccer Complex in North Little Rock.
Jones said the move to Burns Park is only for the tournaments, and he hopes the team will find a local facility that is suitable for the team in the seasons to come.
“We really want to stay in Benton,” he said.
Meanwhile, the divisional tournament is in full swing. Find out more information and how to stream games at www.arkansaswolves.com or by visiting the team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arkwolvesfc.
Photo Caption:
1. The Arkansas Wolves huddle up for a game against Springdale’s Arkansas Comets on Oct. 26 at C.W. Lewis Stadium in Benton. The top-ranked Wolves won on their home field against the sixth-place comets on their way to securing home field advantage in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) OK-AR divisional playoffs
