Virginia Cavalry Canters Into N.A.S.L. Mark Simpson is an ambitious man, but that should be expected. A three time M.L.S. Cup winner with D.C. United as well as an accomplished indoor player, he has a new project -- the Virginia Cavalry of the North American Soccer League. "It's going to be exciting to create something from the ground up," he said. With the club's name unveiled on Wednesday evening after a vote by fans, Simpson is part of an ownership group looking to establish a team in the Louden Loudoun County area of northern Virginia for the start of the 2014 N.A.S.L. season. "We wanted to play at the highest level possible," Simpson, 46, said. The N.A.S.L. model completely fits with us in terms of expansion fee and the money we're going to spend on players and the area we're at. Right now its deemed as Division 2, but I think it becomes what we make it become. It is a project that has been long in the making, spread over the past 18 months. That is in part because of the new league commissioner, Bill Peterson. Keen to provide the league stability, Peterson demands a thorough evaluation of every expansion proposal. The nine-team league also plans to add teams next year in Ottawa and Indianapolis. Investigation is made into the markets, the potential fan base, as well as the ownership groups. It is a careful vetting process, and one that Simpson knew the club would pass. "This area is starving for entertainment," he said. The airport is advantageous for us in terms of visiting team's fan base, you can get to the airport in one traffic light. If you look at Louden County it's the highest median income in the United States. They can't build homes and schools fast enough around here. His interest, however, is wider than merely attracting a large number of potential supporters, Simpson also wants to cultivate the next generation by supplementing the club with a youth academy. His exuberance about nurturing youngsters is obvious and infectious. His focus is also honed on more than those who follow his path and play the game professionally. "As a professional club you should have an academy," he said. I think if you don't you're selling your players short. In terms of our academy setup we're not just in the business of building players we're about building people. It's not just the skills on the field it's about putting them in the right atmosphere so that these kids can grow on and off the field. Part of that development will come from the club's coaching staff. As assistant at D.C. United, Simpson said it is unlikely he would be Virginia's head coach, but did say his D.C. colleagues, specifically Santino Quaranta, could be involved. "Santino has gone through a lot in life and can now give a lot back to the game in terms of mentoring," he said. In terms of a head coaches though, we want to do the due diligence to make sure we have the right person here. My shortlist is; knowledge of the game as a given, how they come in here and create the atmosphere of elevating others. Simpson also talks about wanting his staff to be versed in hard work and humility. The latter quality is a constant theme of our conversation. Despite winning Major League Soccer's biggest prize Simpson is not approaching this project with anything other than a subservient attitude. Consequently all of the club's first team staff will also face a stringent evaluation of character. The club are keen to be founded on good technicians but also good people. While the team will not begin league play until 2014, Simpson is eager to get the academy started. "We've submitted an application to U.S. Soccer under the development academy system to play in the fall of 2013," he said. Our academy will play before our first team. It helps ramp up our brand and create it at the youth level. We want to be known for player development and creating scholarships for these kids to get them to the next level. Louden soccer have 8,000 registered kids which is the biggest club in Virginia, we want to be able not just to tap into that but have them be a part of us for years to come. "It's how you relate to the community, getting out making sure you're available," he said. Having your players involved whereby they're coaching in the community then you give them a ticket to come on a Saturday night so they can look down and say: 'Hey look at number 10 he coached me this week'. We're strategically having these events to help build it over time. I want it to be competitive on the field. I want us to be heavily involved with the community and vice versa. Kristan Heneage is a free-lance writer based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. He operates a Web site here and he can be followed on Twitter. An earlier version of this posting included an incorrect spelling of the Cavalry's location. It is Loudoun County, not Louden.