Toys for Tots: Neon-yellow unis bring positive “shock” for FC Milan
By Charles Boehm
Their name might evoke thoughts of the “Rossoneri,” or red and black, of their namesake, Italian superclub AC Milan, and fledgling Northern Virginia youth club FC Milan does indeed wear a uniform featuring those colors.
Yet it was the Stafford, Va.-based outfit’s alternate kits – a luminous neon-yellow ensemble coach Joe DiStefano calls “shock yellow” – which turned many more heads at the 2012 PWSI Toys for Tots Tournament in Prince William County, Va. over the past two weekends.
“Every team in the club wears the same jersey,” explained DiStefano, who spoke to Soccer Wire after his Under-12 Girls team defeated NVSC Jr. Majestics 00 White 7-4 in Toys for Tots group play on Saturday, August 25. “We have the shock yellow, which sticks out, and then little more subdued in the red and black. Jerseys and socks, too. But it works out well, they really like them.”
FC Milan’s U-12 girls embraced the day-glow shade, and even added more of it to their kit, which was originally finished with white shorts and socks.
“They love them. Actually, they were part of the process,” said DiStefano. “The shock yellow jersey, we picked, and then the players actually started showing up with matching yellow socks, and we went with them as part of our uniform. So it worked out pretty well. They had a little bit of ownership in their own club, and decisions on the uniforms that they wear.”
The retina-burning shade would probably polarize opinions among fashionistas, but it serves some valuable practical purposes for a new club like FC Milan. Founded by DiStefano and Tony Rogers, both of whom previously worked with the Stafford Area Soccer Association, FCM is pursuing an unusual philosophy which emphasizes technical and fitness training, with some of its six member teams not even registered for league competition, instead playing in tournaments and occasional friendly matches.
“We’re all about development, and regardless of the leagues that we play in, we’re looking for clubs and teams that just give us good matchups, and allow us to develop the players,” said DiStefano. “We had some fields that we have on our own and we just decided that we wanted to take training to a different level. Mostly we started with an older age group, U-14 players who we felt needed some speed and agility and fitness worked into the soccer development.
“We decided that we’d fold it in and do our own thing. We grew pretty quickly from 30 players to about 70, and that’s where we want to be.”
And in the crowded market that is the Washington, D.C. area soccer scene, any unique or distinguishing features can go a long way – including extremely bright uniforms.
“They know where to go,” laughed DiStefano in reference to the shock yellow making it easy for parents and players to pick out their team at crowded fields. “That’s always good.”
