Throughout Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, soccer fields in town will be bustling with youth players wearing cleats and shin pads running around and having fun, all the while displaying their competitive edge. The Newtown Nighthawks Soccer Club's annual Memorial Day Tournament will feature nearly 91 teams, ranging from U9 to U14, from throughout the state. Among them will be 14 from Newtown.4newtownsoccer@gmail.com.newtownsoccerclub.org.

The tournament has been a tradition in Newtown for more than three decades. Entering its 35th year, it remains a fixture in town, but there are significant changes within the soccer club itself. One of the changes to the club is noticeable right off the bat, in its name. Formerly the Newtown Soccer Club, the Nighthawk name has been implemented as a way to create unity across the board for all ages of soccer players in town, creating a tie-in between the club and the Newtown High School program many of these girls and boys potentially will be a part of in years to come.

Richard Muir took over as the organization's president this past winter, and is looking forward to leading the way with development of up-and-coming players as they make strides toward bringing their games to the high school level, if that is what they choose.

Muir, 51, resides in Newtown with his wife, Tara, and their soccer-playing children Connor, 11, and Olivia, 9.

He is the regional vice president for the Chevrolet agency of record in Danbury. A former British Commando, Muir strives to continue to set and achieve goals, and his approach in the soccer club is to bring a high level of communication both within the club and between the club parents of players and club officials. This, ultimately, will help encourage young soccer players to stay in Newtown and thus result in more success among youth teams in town.

Young athletes have had the chance both to stay in town and venture outside of Newtown for travel programs. Likewise, while a bulk of Newtown soccer players who play at the high school level do so in town, the opportunity is there to attend private high school and play out of town. Muir is working to keep players - beginning with the beginners and continuing on through high school - in Newtown.

"One of our key goals is to create a Newtown-style soccer curriculum designed, built, and executed by none other than the best of the best - our very own Newtown High School coach Nick Booth, in unison with Fairfield prep high school coach Ryan Lyddy and coordinated by Keith Miller. As Nick and Ryan form a passionate and experienced internationally talented coaching staff, what will be equally critical is that we have a staff who care about our kids in Newtown and that they are the priority. We will be vetting them and setting very specific expectations," said Muir.

"There's nothing like playing in town with your friends," said Nick Booth, the club's coaching director, and new head boys' soccer coach at Newtown High, who succeeds longtime Coach Brian Neumeyer. "There's nothing like playing for your high school team, there's nothing like playing for your town. You feel a sense of community."

Booth, who lives in Guilford, commended the job Neumeyer did at Newtown High, and soccer at the youth level in town. He helped Neumeyer with his preseason training and has been around the high school program for a decade.

"Brian Neumeyer did an absolutely amazing job in this town, from the high school to working with the town travel program," Booth said. "I'm excited to continue the tradition that has been created at the high school."

Although Booth's involvement with the high school program is separate from that of the youth program, his involvement in both helps create a connection between the two. Another change within the club is in the naming of the levels of soccer, part of what Muir refers to as a "development pathway" from the new-to-soccer participants on up to the high school age players.

The club, which has close to 500 players, offers a Mini Academy for U4 to U6 players, a Pre-Travel Academy (formerly referred to as recreation, for U6 to U19 athletes), and a Travel Academy for U9 to U19 players.

"We're trying to offer the full package here to keep people from needing to go elsewhere," said Booth, adding that the goal is to provide an opportunity for every soccer player in Newtown to be in position to try out for the high school team if they choose to bring their game to that level.

Booth is eagerly looking forward to the Memorial Day tourney, during which each team will play four games on fields located at the high school, as well as at Fairfield Hills, Reed School, and Treadwell Park.

"It gets pretty competitive. It really is a fun day. Kids love it, parents love it," said Booth, 48, who won two national championships at Southern Connecticut State University before graduating in 1992, then moving on to coach at various levels, including at the University of Bridgeport.

Both Muir and Booth have soccer in their blood. They are both from England, both grew up playing the game, and admit to being biased. They are soccer guys. That said, they recognize young sports-playing enthusiasts may not want to focus on soccer alone.

"We understand children want to play different sports," said Muir, adding that the club is supportive of multisport athletes. For the soccer-only enthusiast, however, soccer is offered pretty much year-round through the club, with winter indoor training to go along with the spring and fall seasons.

"We're really excited about the coaching staff, and parents in town should be too," Booth said.

Muir is hopeful parents will commit to having their children stay in town.

"We've got to have buy-in from everybody. If we're in it for the long haul, we hope the parents are, too," Muir said.

Sponsors are needed for the club, and those interested may contact Muir via e-mail at

Prospective travel players for the fall season are invited to attend club tryouts at Treadwell on Monday, June 5, and Thursday, June 8. Tryout schedule information and other details are available on the club's website,