Meet Max Fowler of Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Max Fowler.

Max, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake started as a consequence of and a reaction to both a personal journey of evolution and the socio-political environment that converged in the winter of 2016-17. Essentially, the club as a whole and its raison d’etre is a physical manifestation of the values I hold dear. I was pretty adrift in my early adulthood, I had values and things I believed in, but to be frank, I didn’t have much of a clue about how to pursue them or why I even had them.

But one thing that struck a chord with my soul was when my father, who was a long time school teacher and coach in our little Ohio town, died, the staggering amount of people of all walks of life who turned up for his wake to pay their respects. To be honest, it shook me. These were just everyday people not close family or friends and they all had remarkably similar things to say. My dad, quietly, helped them, treated them with respect even when they may not have deserved it, and by his actions helped shape their moral compass. More concisely, he made a difference in his small sphere of influence. Not driven by ego or a need for praise, simply because he thought it was right.

So I look out at the small section of the world I knew, and asked myself, how have I made the community in which I found myself a better place for having me in it? And that simple question gave me the energy and fearlessness I’d previously been without. So instead of complaining about the fractioning and marginalization of the populous how have I made things better?

I firmly believe in the enlightenment experiment that is our democracy, the idea that being Americans means adherence to an ideal based on rationality and diversity, not where one is born, what economic class they find themselves in, or what skin color, religion, language, or anything else that defines them superficially. Actions and ethics matter, that’s what defines us. 

Also, I believe that the community, any community, is more robust and anti-fragile BECAUSE of its diversity. Finally, I believe in the non-transactional nature of ethics and values. That in sporting, business, and personal life, the categorical imperative is the standard to adhere to.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s never a smooth road, is it? And if it were, would the exercise have any value? I’m not sure it would. Of course, there were and are obstacles, struggles, frustrations, and just general impediments on the path we’ve chosen. That’s just the nature of existence. However, because we chose this path, and we give the vision value, they are looked at enthusiastically as challenges.

It’s very similar to how running 26.22 miles can be either the absolute worst experience of your life or one of the most fulfilling. The only thing that separates them is the factor of choice. Once you choose an action, you are then free to give it intrinsic meaning, and that makes all the difference in the world. Particularly with type II fun (fun that’s only ”fun” after the task is completed) the only way to get through the obstacles is to give them meaning.

We had a clash of values with the national league we competed in, we’ve had more than our fair share of growing pains, personally clashes, and multiple times I’ve thought I personally couldn’t go on and the club would fold. But I give it value. I happen to believe in some small way we are a net positive to our community and a massive net positive to me personally. So we continue on. Not because we are trading the work of today for some perceived reward, but because the act itself has value regardless of results.

Please tell us about Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake.
Firstly, Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake is a competitive sporting club that not only represents its community but is fully committed to giving back to that community. Through donations and actions, we try to embody the values that define our community. For our playing staff, we have found out that two things separate us from the other clubs.

ACSL provides a different type of experience than most adult teams. We realize that what motivates athletes is the process of personal improvement and achievement (the process), not necessarily simply winning (the result). So we work hard to provide a professional environment, coaching, expectations, equipment, matchday experience and facilities. I believe we do a better job than most at our level at this.

But even more important we have come to understand that and for our playing staff and for the community to care sport simply isn’t enough. Competitive environments are everywhere if you look for them. What matters is standing for and being apart of something greater than yourself. It’s the social and community aspect that brings people back. It’s those social bonds that matter.

In fact our proudest moment as an organization, on that holds the most value to us is the donation we were able to make this fall to the Jefferson High School Athletic Department and the establishment of ACSLgives, our charitable arm that puts on our matches and events and makes donations to the community.

Through our relationships with our business partners, particularly Joma Sports USA and Joyride Brewing, we were able to donate 20 technical training tips to both the boys and girls’ soccer team at Jefferson HS. Because it’s an at-risk school, the athletes don’t always have the equipment to enable them to achieve their goals. We were able to help. This is why we are here.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My absolute favorite childhood memory is standing in the first row of the stadium behind the team benches watching my dad coach the high school soccer team in a playoff match in the damp chill of an Ohio Autumn night under the enchanting glow of stadium floodlights.

High school is what binds the community in many Ohio towns and ours was no different. But that environment is just the same to as seeing the local semipro or amateur team in most of the world. To me, it was everything. As an 8-10-year-old, I was mesmerized by the theater and passion of it all. Those nights have and continue to define my life more than anything else.

Pricing:

• Tickets for matches (Lakewood Memorial Field) re $10
• Season tickets are $30
• Playing staff pay $150 for the season

Contact Info:

• Address: Stadium: Lakewood Memorial Field
  7655 W 10th Ave
  Lakewood, CO 80214
  Office:
  2580 Eldridge St.
  Golden, CO 80401
• Website: ACSL.soccer
• Phone: 4407083327
• Email: max@acsl.soccer
• Instagram: @acsloanslake
• Facebook: @athleticclubsloanslake
• Twitter: @ACSloansLake

Image Credit:
Don Harmon

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