Kingston Stockade FC has named Community Playthings as their primary front-of-shirt sponsor for this National Premier Soccer League season, the team announced on Wednesday.

Stockade FC chairman Dennis Crowley said that Community Playthings’ ties to the local soccer community was what made the new sponsorship such a great fit for the Hudson Valley club.

“We are extremely excited to have Community Playthings on our jerseys, and just involved with Stockade overall,” Crowley said in a statement. “They have been extremely supportive of the local community and our home field of Dietz Stadium for years, and they also have a strong connection to soccer in the Hudson Valley through all their success with programs at The Mount Academy.”

Added Community Playthings chairman John Rhodes: “Since 2010 when Dietz Stadium was last up-graded, Community Playthings has been committed to working with the City of Kingston and the Kingston City School District to maintain and improve Dietz Stadium. Since 2015 it has been wonderful to see the contributions that Stockade FC brings to Kingston and mid-Hudson Valley soccer. To show support for Stockade and our home city of Kingston, Community Playthings is excited to sponsor Stockade FC and support youth soccer programs. The sense of community and family at Stockade FC home games is strong.”

The Mount Academy, located in Esopus, N.Y., won both the boys and girls NY State Class D high-school soccer titles in 2021, and has been one of the most successful scholastic soccer programs in the Hudson Valley over recent years. The Mount Academy is operated by the Bruderhof, who also own and operate Community Playthings, which creates furniture and equipment for school and nursery classrooms.

Community Playthings is not the only local sponsor that will appear on Stockade’s new Capelli kits. Local abinet builders Cabinet Designers return for a fourth season as a sponsor (back of jersey) and local radio station Radio Woodstock is back for a sixth season (sleeve).

In additional sponsorship updates, while Trailways NY will no longer be featured on the front of the jersey, the local bus company will continue to be the exclusive transportation provider for Stockade FC. Their banners and buses will continue to appear at home games, as will sideline sponsors Ingalsbe Law, Bread Alone and Radio Kingston.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.