From the NAIA to the Professional Pitch: Fort Wayne Football Club Players Reflect on Their Path

For four former NAIA men’s soccer student-athletes, the path to professional soccer has continued with Fort Wayne Football Club. Their journeys reflect a connection between the NAIA and the professional game, one that Keelan Barker understands firsthand. A former head coach at the NAIA level, Barker now works as an assistant coach with Fort Wayne FC, where he looks to identify and develop young players capable of progressing to the professional ranks.

Beginning in 2026, Fort Wayne FC joined USL League One with an emphasis on developing younger players and helping them reach their potential at the professional level. Barker, who spent four years coaching at the NAIA level with Eastern Oregon and Indiana Tech, sees the association as a valuable recruiting resource.

“As a club at Fort Wayne FC, we pride ourselves on the development of younger players and trusting them to succeed at the professional level,” Barker said. “Having coached at the NAIA level for four years, I have firsthand witnessed the amount of talent that is across the league.”

Barker believes his experience coaching in the NAIA gives him insight into the talent emerging from the association. Having watched players develop over multiple seasons, he understands the competitive environments and coaching that can prepare student-athletes for the next level.

“I feel the top teams in the NAIA compete at the highest level of college soccer, and we can only benefit by knowing and connecting with these teams and players to see if any are a potential fit for us,” Barker said.

Max Rose, the goalkeeper coach for Fort Wayne FC, also brings experience coaching and playing at the NAIA level. That background has shaped how he evaluates players and recognizes the talent coming from the association.

“I take a very open minded approach to evaluating players because of my experience in the NAIA,” noted Rose. “Having a strong background or resume does not always tell the full story. It’s important to fully understand the players themselves and not just where they have played or club they have been at.”

Beyond their ability on the field, Barker sees the demands of being an NAIA student-athlete as valuable preparation for professional soccer. Balancing athletics with academics- and at times work- requires discipline and commitment that can carry into a professional career.

“Professional soccer is a grind, and having players that have had to balance the life of being an athlete at a high level, studies and sometimes work only sets them up for success,” Barker said.

Emerson Nieto is one example of that pathway. An NAIA All-American at Indiana Tech, Nieto played two seasons under Barker before earning a professional contract with Fort Wayne FC during the team’s preseason.

“Emerson showed a lot of persistence in our preseason, and I feel his experience at the NAIA level only helped him during that,” Barker said.

For Nieto, the value of his college experience extended well beyond soccer. His time as a student-athlete helped him develop the discipline, accountability and teamwork needed to navigate the next stage of his career.

“What made my experience as an NAIA student-athlete meaningful was the opportunity to grow both on and off the field,” Nieto said. “It taught me discipline, accountability, and how to work with different people toward a common goal. The relationships I built with my teammates and coaches also made a lasting impact on me. Looking back, it was about more than just soccer. It helped shape the person I am today.”

Jack Thomas, a former NAIA Player of the Year, also credited the daily demands of college soccer with helping him adjust to the professional schedule. The opportunity to train and compete consistently at a high level made the transition more familiar, even as he adapted to new teammates and experienced professionals.

“When Jack came in for his trial he was competing against top D1 and even professional players, this didn’t change the way we evaluated him,” said Rose. “He outperformed all of them and was rewarded with a contract due to his hard work.”

“Playing every day in college kind of sets you up for the pro game,” Thomas said. “Coming here, I was used to the schedule, so it was just about adapting to playing with other top college players and seasoned pros.”

Thomas also recognizes the role the NAIA played in helping him pursue his childhood dream of playing professionally.

“I always hoped I would have the opportunity to keep playing after I graduate, and I’m thankful playing in the NAIA allowed me to do so,” Thomas said. “It was always a dream of mine to play professional football, so being on a platform like the NAIA for the last three years definitely allowed me to fulfil my childhood dream.”

For Michael Rempel, the NAIA provided an opportunity to pursue academics and soccer in the United States while preparing for the future. Coming from another country, he valued the environment and the people who helped him grow both as a player and a person.

“Being from another country and getting to know and experiencing this beautiful environment where I can combine my academics with soccer has been a huge blessing,” Rempel said.

The lessons he learned from his college coaches continue to shape how he approaches the professional game.

“Hard work always pays off, and most importantly, I learned from my coaches at college that I have to be a role model, on and off the pitch,” Rempel said.

Tiago Dias also reflected on how competing in the NAIA helped him mature while pursuing his goal of playing professionally. Away from home, he learned the importance of responsibility, hard work and surrounding himself with people who support his development.

“Being far from home taught me a lot about life, responsibility, and the importance of having good people around me,” Dias said.

Those experiences reflect what Barker values when evaluating young players. He believes the development taking place within NAIA programs, from the demands of daily competition to the guidance of experienced coaches, can help prepare student-athletes for the professional environment.

The connection between the NAIA and Fort Wayne FC extends beyond individual playing careers. It reflects The Right Way To Play, highlighting the opportunities the association provides for student-athletes to develop as competitors, teammates and people while pursuing goals beyond college.

For current NAIA student-athletes who hope to continue playing after graduation, Thomas encourages them to keep working toward that opportunity.

“Keep working and believing and that anything is possible after college,” Thomas said. “I think our story here at FWFC showcases this, as there’s a handful of us who all made the step up from the NAIA to the USL.”

Through the experiences of these four former NAIA student-athletes and Barker’s and Rose’s continued connection to the association, Fort Wayne FC illustrates how the NAIA can serve as a pathway to professional soccer. Their journeys show that the end of college competition does not have to mean the end of a playing career, and that the development taking place throughout the NAIA can open doors to opportunities at the next level.