Staff

Joshua Auden, a passionate entrepreneur and dedicated advocate for soccer, serves as the President of Major Arena Soccer League Women.

Auden graduated from Westminster College in 2014 with a degree in business, complemented by a minor in music, which has provided him with a unique perspective on the intersection of creativity and commerce. His journey in the soccer world began many years ago, and in 2014, taking a significant leap, he founded the Youngstown Nighthawks. This year, they proudly celebrate a decade of existence, reflecting on the growth and community impact they've made in that time.

Since 2009, Mr. Auden has embraced the life of a serial entrepreneur, launching and managing various businesses that reflect his diverse interests and dedication to excellence. Each venture has taught him invaluable lessons in leadership, resilience, and the importance of nurturing talent—lessons he applies daily in his work with soccer organizations around the globe. 

Engaging with the World Football Organization and other entities has broadened his understanding of the sport's dynamics and the potential for growth at both grassroots and professional levels.. Auden’s vision extends beyond merely managing teams; he is committed to elevating  Major Arena Soccer League W. He believes that with the right support and strategic guidance, we can transform the league into household names. Mr. Auden's goal is to assist teams in enhancing their visibility and impact within their communities, while also providing pathways for players and organizations aspiring to reach the next level.

Soccer is not just a game to Mr. Auden; it’s a platform for change, growth, and unity. He sees it as an opportunity to inspire the next generation, and is very excited about the prospects that lie ahead and looks forward to collaborating with fellow leaders and visionaries in the soccer community to create a brighter future for their sport. Together, we can build a legacy that resonates far beyond the field.

Economides brings a wealth of experience to the league as Major Arena Soccer League 3 Commissioner.  He serves in the same capacity for Major Arena Soccer League 2 and Major Arena Soccer League Women.

He has almost 35 years of experience in professional soccer, starting with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL where he led them to league and U.S. Open Cup championships. The Rhinos are the only non-MLS team to win the U.S. Open Cup since Major League Soccer (MLS) was established.

After Rochester, Economides founded the Carolina Railhawks (now North Carolina FC) before moving to the USL front office to help establish and grow the league as a Senior Director and Commissioner of the MISL when it was managed by the USL.

In addition to his experience in the outdoor game and league office, Chris has also managed indoor teams with the Kansas City Attack and most recently Florida Tropics, both of which won championships under his leadership.

Litton has over 20 years of experience coaching outdoor soccer at both the collegiate and professional levels. He is the Assistant Coach with the U.S. Women’s Minifootball National team, winning the inaugural World Mini-Football Federation (WMF) Women’s World Cup in Kiev, Ukraine in August, 2021.

Litton has over 15 years coaching collegiately at the NCAA D1 and D2 levels, along with four years of experience coaching professionally in the A-League and the NPSL/WPSL.

He has an extensive and impressive resume in indoor soccer too, with over 17 years of professional indoor soccer experience coaching in the PASL, MISL and MASL. He spent 10 years as an Assistant Coach with the Milwaukee Wave, winning three MISL championships, one year with the Cedar Rapids Rampage (MASL), three years with the St Louis Ambush (MASL) and two years with the Milwaukee Brew City Legends (PASL).

Most recently he was the Head Coach of a new PASL team, Kenosha United FC. He also spent a decade as the Goalkeeper Coach with the U.S. Men’s Futsal National team, having coached in three CONCACAF Qualifying tournaments and the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Additionally, he has been the Director of Goalkeeping for the U.S. Youth Futsal (USYF) National Team program for nine years. He holds a USSF ‘B’ Coaching License, a USSF National Goalkeeping Coaching License, as well as an NSCAA/USC National Goalkeeping Coaching Diploma.

Litton has been inducted into four different Halls of Fame as both a player and a coach.

Brian Cushing will serve as Deputy Commissioner for MASL W, marking a return to his indoor soccer roots.. He also serves in the same capacity for Major Arena Soccer League 3.

Cushing was a defensive standout for the Wichita Wings and Wichita B52's in the PASL, MASL and NPSL. A defender, he appeared in 100 games, scoring 21 goals and adding eight assists while also recording 34 blocks. He also dressed for 11 playoff games, all for the Wings and all in the NPSL, adding two goals and one assist. He also played two years in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League for Biloxi and Lafayette.

He has been active in the sport off the field as well. In 2005, he joined Let's Play Sports, a national operator of indoor soccer facilities in Colorado, Texas, Utah, Idaho, Kansas, Oklahoma, California, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Since 2013, he has been a regional manager, with responsibilities for indoor soccer facilities in three states.

He and his wife Emily have two sons, Parker and Logan.

Brian Ackley serves as the Director of Public Relations and Broadcasting for Major Arena Soccer League W as well as Major Arena Soccer League 2.

Ackley – who spent 35 years in the newspaper industry, covering everything from the Winter Olympics, to Super Bowls to Mike Tyson, and spent seven years as the MASL Florida Tropics Director of Public Relations and  Broadcasting, serving as the "Voice of the Tropics" on their home game broadcasts.

He brings a long history of covering and broadcasting indoor soccer beginning in the second year of the original Major Indoor Soccer league when he covered the Buffalo Stallions. He later covered the Columbus Capitals of the American Indoor Soccer Association, and spent four years as a color analyst and play-by-play voice of the Buffalo Blizzard of the National Professional Soccer League.

A long time broadcaster of high school football in Western New York, he also spent several seasons as the color analyst for NCAA Division I University at Buffalo football and as the play-by-play announcer for UB basketball. Currently, he serves as the play-by-play voice of the Florida High School Athletic Association’s  boy's and girl’s basketball championships, boy's and girl's lacrosse championships. boy's volleyball championships and girl's softball championships.

He worked for almost five years as Athletic Director at Hilbert College, an NCAA Division III school in Hamburg, N.Y., helping establish the Allegany Mountain Collegiate Conference.  He and his wife Dr. Lori Shank moved to Central Florida in 2007 where Ackley served as editor of the Lake Wales News, with stints as editor of the Fort Meade Leader and Frostproof News as well. 

Over the past 27 years Florance has been a professional indoor referee in the NPSL, PASL, MISL as well as the MASL. Graeme has been a registered referee with the US Soccer Federation for 30+ years, and is currently a regional emeritus Grade Referee. Graeme is also a US Soccer Assignor and Instructor.

He is a World Minifootball Federation (WMF) International Grade Referee. He has officiated at WMF World Cup tournaments in the USA and Australia, and qualifying events in South America.

Other soccer referee achievements include former NISOA National Referee.