AFCAA Partner with Former Player Jake Rosen for Exclusive 2021 Memberships

Association Football Club Ann Arbor have partnered with JR Vision Clothing Company, founded by former AFCAA standout defender Jake Rosen, for the exclusive 2021 Memberships. With no season, memberships to the club will support coaches salaries, ongoing operations and community projects such as CLR Academy and Community Kicks. 

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In addition to the limited edition scarf and metal membership card, each membership will also include a randomly selected piece of AFCAA merch (includes match worn kits) as a mystery box item and a copy of “Grandpa’s Advice,” a children's diversity book written by player Emily Eitzman. Members will have the option to donate the book to our book and ball program. One lucky member will be the recipient of Joseph Okumu’s 2018 match worn white kit, autographed by the Kenyan defender himself. These limited edition memberships will only be on sale for 10 days.

It has been two years since AFC Ann Arbor has played an actual soccer match, but the club hasn’t skipped a beat in terms of their commitment to the community. In fact, AFC Ann Arbor, along with the organization’s non-profit arm The Mighty Oak Project, have increased their programming and reach due to the increased demand surrounding the pandemic. 

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With programs like our Book and Ball giveaway growing, Community Kicks expanding, and the launch of CLR Academy, AFCAA have reached more youth across the county than ever before. In addition to managing current youth programming and launching new community initiatives, the club continued to support our coaches salaries throughout the pandemic. 

Rosen, a self-proclaimed lifelong sneaker head, launched his casual streetwear brand in 2019. His interest in fashion was truly sparked during his high school years at Cambridge, describing it as “everyday was a flex contest at this school.” 

With his brother studying fashion design, Rosen decided to study graphic design in college as a way for the pair to partner when it came time to launch the brand. Although things didn’t end up as initially planned, Rosen’s family support has been massive (as was with his playing days) including his grandma, mother and father.

When asked what interested him most about this collaboration, Rosen was quick to respond saying, “I think 90% of soccer scarfs are wack and do not incorporate the people’s spirit of the city into the design.” Having spent a lot of time in Ann Arbor growing up, and four years with the club (2016-2019), Rosen didn’t struggle to incorporate elements of the city into his design, adding “Everyone knows the famous gum wall in A2 that’s why I decided to use the brick wall as one side of the scarf, and graffiti is huge as well so I wanted to use a font that would help convey that. I wanted to create something that had the energy of A2 and the fans would be excited putting on.”

The design also pays homage to key sponsors that supported the club through the pandemic, Title Sponsor Bank of Ann Arbor and Presenting Sponsor Milk Means More, helping AFC Ann Arbor execute key community projects such as Community Kicks and CLR Academy which are also featured in the design.