RSS FeedA Season of Two Halves
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks' 2024 season started disastrously, losing five straight games and getting outscored 9-1. It looked like a lost year — until it wasn't. Seven months later, they hoisted the USL Championship trophy at Weidner Field. Now, they're chasing an even tougher goal: becoming the first USL team since 2018 to win back-to-back titles.
Head Coach James Chambers wants to leave last year's rollercoaster behind. He's calling 2025 a clean slate, acknowledging the team has a new roster, new challenges, and plenty of unknowns. Still, he believes the resilience forged in last year's brutal start will carry over.
The Turning Point
One game — a 1-1 draw against Indy Eleven — proved to be the Switchbacks' wake-up call. For the first time that season, the team showed defensive grit. Sporting Director Stephen Hogan remembers that as the moment things shifted.
After a tough week of intense, "ferocious" training, the Switchbacks carried their renewed determination into a 2-0 road win against Oakland Roots. That victory ignited a seven-game unbeaten streak, setting the tone for the rest of the season.
By year's end, they weren't just survivors — they were champions.
A New Year, A New Squad
The 2025 roster looks different, with eight new players joining the team. But Chambers isn't overhauling the game plan — he's refining it.
The goal?
- Sharper attacks in the final third — they left too many goals unscored last season.
- Strong defense — the backbone of their 2024 turnaround — must remain intact.
- Balanced play — offensive creativity without sacrificing clean sheets.
"We're evolving, not rebuilding," Chambers explains.
The Grind of a 34-Game Season
The USL season is a marathon broken into three parts:
- Fast start — Building momentum early.
- Summer grind — Surviving the heat and fatigue.
- Playoff push — Finishing strong when it counts.
Chambers says the key is emerging from summer still in playoff contention — because that's when "the top players show up."
Last year, the Switchbacks surged late, going 5-2-2 in their final nine games. That late push vaulted them up the standings on the final day, securing a crucial home playoff game.
This season, they'll play six of their last nine games at Weidner Field — a venue where they've gone 29-12-10 over the past three seasons.
Home Field and Fan Power
Altitude is an advantage in Colorado Springs — but it's not the only one.
The Switchbacks' passionate fan group, the Trailheads, brings an energy that Chambers calls "infectious." He credits them with making Weidner Field one of the toughest venues in the league.
Hogan says the team's aggressive pressing style also rattles opponents — especially when the crowd fuels the players' belief.
"Sometimes you think you can handle the press," Hogan says. "And then the press happens."
As defending champs, Hogan knows they'll have a target on their backs. Every opponent will give them their best shot. The question is whether the Switchbacks can turn that pressure into motivation.
New Leadership at the Top
Big changes came off the field too. Weidner Apartment Homes, a minority partner since 2020, assumed full ownership, buying out the founding Ragain family's shares.
The Switchbacks also brought in a new president: Brad Estes, former president of Louisville City FC. Estes knows what it takes to repeat as champions — he helped lead Louisville to back-to-back USL titles in 2017 and 2018, the last team to do it.
Estes praised the Ragain family's legacy and vowed to build on it, focusing on culture, collaboration, and community.
