ABOUT US

Mission, vision & story

Our Mission

Our mission is to play our role in the US Soccer development pyramid by always putting the player first, to ensure each and every player gets to play at their level to enhance their opportunity to develop, even if that means sending them to another program.

We strive to think differently and to consistently improve our program, ensuring we play our part in the player development pathway set out by US Soccer.

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Our Vision

Our vision is to have long term player development at the forefront of everything we do.

To this end, our goal is to have 75% of our College Prep Phase players (U16-U19), to have been with the club at some point in the Foundation Phase U9-U12.

Furthermore, we want to continue to have our First Teams comprised of 50% homegrown players year-over-year.

We're the first club in Pittsburgh to offer a full development pathway.

With two established histories in the Pittsburgh soccer community as Pittsburgh Hotspurs SC and Arsenal FC of Pittsburgh, we came together as Steel City FC and continue to be leaders who push the game forward in the Pittsburgh area.

Our collaboration, which began in 2021, marked the start of a stronger, unified path—one that gives players from youth through adult an arena in which to showcase their skills at the highest levels in their own community.

We believe in teaching and playing a sustainable, attractive style of soccer.

Our approach fosters good long-term habits from an early age and yields consistent results in latter years.

We empower players to express themselves by encouraging positive attacking play, providing tools for defensive solidity and instilling a comfortability with team tactical concepts.

We always strive to think outside the box and our goal is to constantly evolve and to drive the game forward locally.

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Our Club's Journey

1985 - Hotspurs SC founded

Hotspurs was one of the founding teams of the PA West Classic League.

Hotspurs has always been focused on the players, only forming a single team at a time for over 11 years. Because it was only formed when the Coach, Leo Moss, determined it had enough quality to compete, these teams often earned the title of State Champs and competed at the National Level. 

1990s - Hotspurs SC launches girls teams

Coach Dan Grant and Ron Hitchens approached Moss to take over the club name.

PA West's Classic League required specific numbers of teams to compete at the club level. Hotspurs welcomed coaches/teams as members of Hotspurs while still functioning independently as long as they had a focus on the club philosophy: to have fun, teach and develop players, have a positive team experience valued more than winning championships, and keep the costs affordable for families.

2002 - Hotspurs SC expands to 5-6 teams

Under the leadership of Grant and Hitchens, the club now spanned multiple age groups.

Two of the teams earned recognition as National Indoor Champs, under Coach Grant.

2015 - Tommo Ovenden joins Hotspurs SC

Hotspurs continued to grow to meet the required number of teams needed to be recognized as a club.

Coach Tom ‘Tommo’ Ovenden joined Hotspurs as the Academy Director with a vision to grow as a club, define a true club culture, and establish a dedicated long-term player development model.

2019 - Hotspurs SC launches First Team

With the club sitting at 450 athletes from 9-19 years old, the plan to launch men’s and women’s adult teams by 2023 was accelerated when an opportunity was secured to represent Pittsburgh in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

The club launched their own Men's First Team.

2020 - Men's First Team Wins First Trophy

During the pandemic, the Men's First Team won the NPSL Member's Cup, a 4-team regional tournament.

2021 - Men's Team Qualifies for First NPSL Playoffs

The club also launched its Women's First Team to a successful inaugural season.

2023 - Men's Team Wins Conference Title

During the debut season as Steel City FC, the Men's First Team win their conference and fall just short of an appearance in the NPSL National Finals, losing in the Regional Final.

The Women's First Team makes their first playoff appearance in the UWS.

How will the future look?

Player

We will develop a homegrown player who will compete at the professional level.

Team

Our First Teams will be comprised of at least 50% homegrown talent.

Club

We will own our own training ground and match facility.

Game

We will help top players to come play in Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh players to play internationally.