Naptown United, a recently established club in Indianapolis, has their first official kit thanks to relationships rooted in the local soccer community.
Megan Viklund, president of American Outlaws Indianapolis, heard about Naptown United’s need for uniforms at an adult rec game. The American Outlaws chapter had been regularly discussing how they could give back locally. Once Viklund brought the idea of purchasing Naptown’s kits to the table, the group didn’t hesitate to get the ball rolling on the project.
“It’s about more than just watching soccer together,” said Viklund. “We really want to support the soccer community in bigger ways.”
Once the connection had been made between Viklund and Naptown representatives, they moved quickly to turn the idea into a reality.
Austin Chen owns and operates Equipt Studios in the circle city. The company, launched in the midst of the pandemic, has roots in designing logos and uniforms for local youth teams. Often providing the service for free, Chen and Equipt began building a reputation for quality and unique designs.
The company found unique footing when they won a design competition for Maharlika Manila FC, a professional club in the Philippines. Chen later negotiated a deal to become the official kit supplier of the team.
Also a member of adult soccer leagues in Indy, the connections Chen has made through the beautiful game ultimately landed the Naptown project on his desk.
“We strive to make an impact on the soccer landscape and help teams find their image and brand,” said Chen. “Many teams want something unique and just don’t know where to find that. We want to make something they can be proud of.”
Given Naptown’s unique strategy in making soccer accessible within Indianapolis, the relationship with Equipt was a no-brainer. Naptown strives to provide sporting opportunities to youth in the inner-city, with a focus on immigrant, refugee, and underserved communities.
“Much like Naptown is trying to make soccer accessible to all, Equipt Studios is trying to make good design accessible to all in the sport,” said Chen.
The unique design of the kits include features such as the Indianapolis flag prominently featured, the club logo within the numbers, and a custom slogan inside the collar that reads, “Naptown Gets Down.”
“It was a beautiful thing to see multiple groups come together quickly and center the kids as the focal point,” said Justin Becht, Indiana Futsal director and long-time member of the Indianapolis soccer community.
You can learn and see more about Equipt Studios and the Naptown jerseys at facebook.com/equiptstudios. And stay tuned to facebook.com/IndyAOUnite as the group has some exciting plans for the upcoming World Cup.