The Cup That Built a Legacy

Meet the visionary whose innovations shaped professional arena soccer

The ultimate prize in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) and the thing that the Empire Strykers are chasing is the Ron Newman Cup.  That is the prize that goes to the team that is crowned champion of the MASL at the end of the year.  The man that that championship is named for is considered the founding father of the MASL and with good reason.

Ron Newman was born in England in 1934 and enjoyed a lengthy playing career in his home country before moving to the United States in 1967. He initially starred as the MVP for the Atlanta Chiefs of the National Professional Soccer League, which played outdoor World Cup-style soccer. Newman became a coach and manager after his playing days were over and is best remembered for his dominant run with the San Diego Soccers, who were a legitimate dynasty, winning 10 indoor championships in 11 seasons across the NASL and MISL.

In 1995, Major League Soccer founder Lamar Hunt made Newman the first-ever coach hired in MLS history to helm the Kansas City Wizards. He took them to a Western Conference title in 1997. [1] Newman retired in 1999 with 753 professional victories across various soccer leagues and was later. The trophy bears his name not just because he won, but because he created the tactical identity of the indoor game. Newman looked at the hockey-style boards and arena dimensions and saw a canvas for strategic innovation. He was the first to utilize the tactic of pulling the goalkeeper for an extra field player when trailing late in a game, as is commonplace in hockey, and he was otherwise very aggressive in his approach, using power-play formations to maximize man-advantage situations.

Today, the Major Arena Soccer League represents the absolute pinnacle of professional arena soccer, and teams battle strictly for the right to lift his namesake silver and gold cup. Fittingly, his former team, the San Diego Sockers, won the 2026 Ron Newman Cup over the Milwaukee Wave, adding to the historic championship lineage Newman started decades ago.

If you are looking for things to do in San Bernardino County, San Bernardino County attractions, things to do in San Bernardino County this weekend, or especially family activities in San Bernardino County, look to the Empire Strykers of the Major Arena Soccer League. It is one of the best sports events in San Bernardino County that you will ever attend.  You can find season tickets for the Empire Strykers, individual game tickets for the Empire Strykers, and Empire Strykers fan gear at www.theempirestrykers.com.