About the Fort Wayne Defender

Fort Wayne has always had a soccer story worth telling. For a long time, nobody was telling it.

The Fort Wayne Defender exists to change that. We are an independent sports publication covering Fort Wayne Football Club and the growth of professional soccer in USL League One — one of the Midwest’s most underrated sports cities. We cover the club, the tactics, the culture, and the community around it — from match recaps and tactical analysis to the only complete Away Days travel guide series in the league.

Who We Are

The Fort Wayne Defender was founded by Justin Hein, a Fort Wayne native, Purdue Fort Wayne graduate in Business & Communication Studies, and lifelong soccer fan. This publication grew out of something personal: years of playing and watching matches, caring about this city, and believing that Fort Wayne FC can be the spark that connects our community in ways other sports cannot.

We are building a small, focused team of contributors who bring complementary skills: analytical reporting, photography, and community perspective. If you are a writer, photographer, or soccer thinker who wants a real editorial home and real access to cover professional soccer in Fort Wayne, we want to hear from you.

Our Standard

We publish independently. We have no advertisers to answer to and no special interest groups telling us what matters. Every piece we publish is held to one standard: does this serve the Fort Wayne FC reader? That’s one we intend to put in the back of the net.

For contributor inquiries and general questions, reach out to justin@thefortwaynedefender.com