The Annapolis Blues expect record crowd this weekend at Home Opener

The Annapolis Blues have given the sailing town a new identity.

"Rather than the Chesapeake Blues, or the Maryland Blues, or Bay Blues, or whatever, we're the first team that's branded as Annapolis' team," said Steven Hooper, General Manager of the Annapolis Blues.

The team is deeply rooted in the community and that's evident by the record attendance that the club draws.  The average attendance last season for the Blues was 8,707.

"We're a community-based program - that's what we kind of branded ourselves on. [People] go to games and they see their neighbors, their hair salon people, their dog walkers - everyone in Annapolis is at those games. You can't turn left or right without seeing someone you know, so it's a really good local experience and it's super kid friendly."

Hooper is a native Annapolitan, who grew up playing soccer, but didn't have a local route to the professional ranks.

"A ton of people from Annapolis play soccer and there's a good youth soccer market, and tons of clubs around the area, but from the professional side of things, there was no option for people like me growing up [who] wanted to go play professional - but not having that opportunity."

The Blues currently compete in the USL League Two, which is a semi-pro league of soccer in the United States, with rosters made up mostly of college talent and a few former professional players.

However, there's cause to believe that there's a bigger opportunity for professional soccer in Annapolis.

"The USL is a great organization to be a part of right now because of promotion and relegation being announced, which is coming in 2028, so that's the opportunity to potentially jump up from one level to another in professional soccer based on your performance as a club and not so much how much money you have in your pocket."

Annapolis will welcome the Blues home this weekend with the home opener set for Saturday, May 30th.  The Blues with face Virginia Beach United at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium at 7:30 p.m.

The Blues also have a women's professional team this year and they will play before the men as part of a double header.  The women will play Charlottesville Blues FC at 5 p.m.