ABOUT US
Built in the region. Forged for more.
Ash & Anvil Fútbol Club was born from a regional standard older than our club itself. Danbury, Connecticut, was burned in 1777 and rebuilt by local grit, labor, and trade. From that history came a word: “Restituimus — we have restored.”
Our mission is direct: prepare athletes for the highest level their ability and work ethic can take them; whether that means making a local school team, competing in elite club environments, or overall, becoming the strongest version of themselves. Our current players come from across state lines, united by three values: we can, we will, we must.
The Developmental Split
At Ash & Anvil, development is not one long blur. A six-year-old does not need the same environment, language, or demands as a twelve-year-old. One phase is about ignition. The other is about refinement. One builds the first layer correctly. The other raises the standard and prepares players to compete inside it.
Ash & Anvil Fútbol Club’s Under-6 (U6) Developmental group is where young players build their first real relationship with the game. This program is designed for beginners who need more than chaotic scrimmages and surface-level activity. Sessions focus on coordination, ball confidence, listening, movement, teamwork, and the early technical habits that shape everything later. The environment stays encouraging, but the coaching is structured and intentional. At this age range, character matters as much as touches: learning to respond, stay engaged, and take pride in the work. It is a strong first step into soccer, built the AAFC way; through repetition, discipline, and care.
Foundational U6
U6 Discovery
Where the game becomes real, and the love for it lasts.
Our U6 phase is about building the first layer the right way. Not chaos. Not babysitting with a ball. Real foundation.
This is where players learn how to move, strike, stop, turn, listen, and work with others. We focus on technical basics, ball confidence, coordination, and early mechanical habits that will either support or sabotage everything that comes later.
We also follow proper standards from the beginning. That means age-appropriate goals, equipment, and official game structure guided by U.S. Soccer Federation principles. Even our youngest players start by learning the game the right way.
What makes this phase special is that structure does not kill enthusiasm. We protect it. One example is our occasionally offered holiday-themed sessions, which keep our players’ childhoods alive while sharpening their real abilities. A “Leprechaun Raid” or “Spooky Practice” might feel playful on the surface, but underneath lie many opportunities for ball mastery, teamwork, confidence, and coachability.
In U6, we build:
comfort and confidence on the ball
technical foundation and movement literacy
listening, teamwork, and coachability
real joy that keeps young players coming back
* U6: Must be at least 4 years old.
Elite U12
EU12 Performance
Where foundation becomes identity, and identity becomes readiness.
By EU12, the expectation changes. This is no longer just about introducing the game well. This is where we begin shaping athletes who can think faster, execute cleaner, and handle real competitive demands.
Training becomes more exact. Corrections become more detailed. Repetition becomes more purposeful. Players are expected to show greater awareness, discipline, composure, and accountability. They are no longer just learning what to do with the ball. They are learning where, when, and why to do it.
This is also where one of our biggest differentiators shows up: the Elite Player Report. After weeks of close work in a real team environment, families receive honest feedback on positional fit, strengths, weaknesses, tactical growth, and competitive habits. Not generic praise. Real developmental insight.
We keep the standard high off the ball too: proper rules, proper scrimmage structure, USSF-trained coaches, and a professional environment that teaches players to treat the game seriously.
In EU12, we feature:
tactical awareness and sharper decision-making
cleaner technical execution under pressure
positional identity and competitive maturity
accountability, discipline, and honest feedback
in-house and local tournament play (with prep.)
* Elite U12: Must be at least 7 years old
Ash & Anvil Fútbol Club’s Elite Under-12 group (EU12) is built for players ready for sharper standards and more serious development. This is where training starts to look and feel more like real preparation: passing patterns, first touch, finishing mechanics, positioning, pressing cues, and decision-making under pressure. The goal is not to roll a ball out and let the session drift into endless scrimmaging. The goal is to build intelligent, confident, accountable players who can compete with purpose. Like the club itself, the program is shaped by a Connecticut identity rooted in grit and rebuilding; an ethos that echoes local Danbury history and civic motto, Restituimus.
Haktan Ceylan
Haktan Ceylan
Heather Soda
Heather Soda
Who We Are
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Head Coach
At AAFC, Head Coach Haktan Ceylan represents the standard behind the work.
He began coaching at 17 years old, and in the years since, has built his reputation across school programs, community-based development, and high-volume youth training environments. His background includes championship success at Quinnipiac University’s first international club team, nearly three years with Soccer Shots SWCT, head coaching experience in the West Haven Municipal Summer Academy, and most recently, a transformative spell as JV Head Coach at Wooster School.
At Wooster, he stepped into a difficult fall season and immediately gave the group clarity, structure, and belief. The roster was thin. Many players were new to the game. The challenges were real. The response was serious. During his tenure, the team’s scoring rate in comparable matches climbed from roughly 1.1 goals per match to 2.75, nearly tripling the previous output while establishing a far stronger footballing identity in half the matches... That kind of shift does not happen by accident.
What defines Coach Haktan is the standard. His sessions are designed and led in alignment with the USSF coaching pathway, drawing from the federation’s grassroots game models and training principles. U.S. Soccer’s pathway is structured around the 4v4, 7v7, 9v9, and 11v11 formats, with in-person and field-based coaching education built around methods such as Play-Practice-Play, all of which form the base for his final steps of his D License Candidacy.
Over the last three seasons, while continuing to coach across multiple environments and advance his U.S. Soccer qualifications, Coach Haktan has also helped build the foundation of AAFC. Not only on the field, but in the culture of the club itself. The ambition has always been bigger than running sessions. The aim is to build an environment with style, discipline, personality, and a clear footballing identity that families and players can feel the moment they step in.
At AAFC, we are proud to be shaped by a coach whose work is studied, demanding, and deeply intentional. The methodology is modern. The expectations are high. The football is taught with purpose.
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Chair Of Communications
A Connecticut native, Heather Soda brings a steady voice and a sharp communications instinct to AAFC as Chair of Communications, a role she has held since the club’s second active season. Her presence within the organization reflects consistency, trust, and a clear understanding of how strong communication shapes culture from the inside out.
Heather’s background includes years of work with children across multiple community-based programs, experience that shows in the way she connects, organizes, and leads with care. She understands that communication is not only about presentation. It is about tone, timing, responsibility, and making people feel that the work behind the scenes is as thoughtful as the mission out front.
At AAFC, she has helped shape the club’s voice with professionalism and clarity, while continuing to build a profile that reflects real promise in the communications space. Her work carries composure, competitive instinct, and an ability to represent a growing organization with confidence. She has already proven herself to be a strong asset in her field, with the poise and discipline of someone building something lasting.
Within the club, Heather helps define how AAFC is seen, felt, and remembered. Her approach is organized, people-centered, and deeply aligned with the community values that give the project its identity.