MINT HILL, NC – The Mint Hill Athletic Association, a non-profit organization in Mint Hill, has provided essential athletic opportunities for the children of Mint Hill and the surrounding communities for soccer, softball, baseball, and tennis since 1972. The organization aims to encourage children in recreational and competitive sports with a supportive environment of dedicated volunteers.
After seeing a dip in registrations due to the Covid pandemic, the Mint Hill Athletic Association is proud to announce that numbers are rebounding as more families in the community discover the fantastic opportunities the organization offers. Lowell Windon, DPT, Vice President of Sponsorship and Fundraising, says exciting things are happening. He was elected to the position to help initiate improvements to the 17-acre facility and guide the direction of the program’s visibility in the community of Mint Hill. “Many people don’t realize that we have an athletic association here in Mint Hill,” Windon remarked. “We have built a solid foundation and are eager to grow our organization to provide quality athletics opportunities for our community’s children.”
In addition to recreational leagues, the Mint Hill Athletic Association also has competitive leagues. Recreational soccer starts at age 3. Their new Soccer Academy (NETSA)will celebrate its first anniversary this fall. The soccer academy has four teams (U8 boys, U10 girls, U10 boys, and U13 boys) showing fantastic progress. The U9 girl’s team won their bracket in the Union County soccer tournament in the Fall of 2022, and the U9 boys were finalists in their pre-season tournament this past February. In addition, the MHAA Soccer Academy (NETSA) is exploring the idea of offering summer camps, with details soon to follow on the MHAA website.
Mint Hill has its own United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) called Mint Hill FC. They are a semi-pro team, with most players from the local Mint Hill and Charlotte Metro Area. The Mint Hill Athletic Association Soccer Academy program has partnered with Mint Hill FC, and the MHAA Academy players can follow a pathway that may lead to a spot on the Mint Hill FC team. Coaches from the MHAA Soccer Academy constantly communicate with Mint Hill FC coaches about potential players.
MHAA’s softball and baseball programs are also rapidly growing. Their softball teams start at age four and are listed as two of the twelve most competitive leagues in two different age groups. The softball U14 and U8 teams were championship winners of the CharMeck Challenge Tournament this year. Baseball teams start at age 5 and are making exceptional progress. Both the softball and baseball teams will offer summer camps, with details soon to be posted on the MHAA website.
The MHAA aims to teach the fundamentals of baseball, softball, soccer, and tennis while encouraging the development of good sportsmanship and empowering children through being involved in a team sports environment. It is essential to the association that the children are having fun while they are learning, and their goal is to create balanced teams allowing for the highest level of fair competition for each age group. Ultimately, the MHAA teams aim to win enough games each season that players feel good about their experience.
The MHAA would like to thank Mint Hill, their tireless volunteers, parents, and the local businesses of the surrounding communities for their continued support. They are working hard to provide the best athletic experience possible for children with outstanding leadership that constantly works towards improving daily. They always welcome new sponsors, as evident in the signage at and around the MHAA sports complex.
If you are interested in registering your child for a recreational or competitive league, or if you wish to become a sponsor of this fantastic organization that is creating exceptional opportunities for the youth of our community, please visit their website at mhaa.us. In addition, you can follow their academy soccer program on Facebook as “MHAA NETSA” and Instagram @mhaanetsa.
