![Watching a small group scrimmage, Ben Lundt, St. Louis City SC goalkeeper and founder of Lundt Pro Soccer Training, shouts words of encouragement to players on Sunday, April 26 n the Lafayette grass soccer field. “The idea behind [the event] was to bring the professional soccer players closer to the community because usually people only get to see us on TV or in the stadium. [Families] actually having the opportunity to have their kids on the field with us is the most important aspect,” Ben Lundt said.](https://lancerfeed.press/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_6823-1200x800.jpg)
![In celebration of winning his second straight state title in the 215 weight class, junior Carter Brown backflips before leaving the mat. Brown won his bout against junior Kobe Rhymes of North Kansas City High School by fall in just 41 seconds. "Carter does what Carter does. We expect [success] out of him and his goals are bigger than the state championship," coach Sam Ritchie said.](https://lancerfeed.press/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2784-1200x800.jpg)
Brian Cohen, the coordinator of LouFest, has been very excited about the outcome of this first annual festival.
“The feedback has been overwhelming. People seem genuinely surprised that a first year festival could deliver such a complete event. There are things we could have done better, and we’ll continue to ask for feedback, but year one feels like it was a big success,” Cohen said.
“I think LouFest year one could not have gone better. It was a massive undertaking, with countless moving parts, but we pulled it off. Our goal was to exceed expectations and I think we did that. We’ll definitely be back next year,” Cohen concluded.
And for all of you who missed LouFest, here is some footage that is sure to make you buy a ticket for next year’s festival.
