Bernd Schipmann, who has proved himself as one of the top goalkeepers in USL League One and excelled in international play, has joined Fort Wayne Football Club for its first season in professional soccer.
His addition Saturday is pending league and federation approval.
“The coaching and technical staff convinced me right away Fort Wayne Football Club would be a good fit,” Schipmann said. “I am extremely excited and honored to be part of the Fort. I can’t wait to work with the coaches and my teammates, and to see the club, the city, the community, and to compete in the league. Let’s do something special, Fort Wayne!”
Season tickets are on sale now for Fort Wayne Football Club’s first season in USL League One. The first home match at Fort Wayne FC Park will be May 2 against the Charlotte Independence.
The roster now has nine players, including midfielders Javier Armas, Jeremy Garay, Taig Healy and JP Jordan, and defenders Tiago Dias, Anthony Hernandez, Michael Rempel and Reid Sproat.
Schipmann, 31, spent the past three seasons with Forward Madison of USL League One. He appeared in 90 matches and didn’t concede a goal in 33 of them.
“As we looked to assemble this roster, we knew that it would be necessary to add a few veteran players to balance what will ultimately be a young squad relative to the league,” Fort Wayne FC head coach Mike Avery said. “A player to fill this kind of role needs to be one who can command respect in the locker room through his past experiences and in his ability to contribute to the team’s success now.
“He also needs to be a player who is aligned with the coaching staff in how a team operates, the culture we strive to create and maintain, and he needs to be a player who models the consistency and dedication necessary to sustain a long career as a professional athlete. Fortunately for us, we found all those things and more in Bernd Schipmann.”
In 2024, Schipmann had 14 clean sheets in 34 matches through league and Cup play. His average of only 0.75 goals allowed per regular-season match was second best in USL League One; he had a save percentage of 73.5; he helped propel the club to the league’s semifinals and the final of the Prinx Tires USL Cup; and he was nominated for USL League One Goalkeeper of the Year.
Last season, Schipmann had seven clean sheets in 22 matches during the regular season and Cup play, combined. He had a save percentage of 63.1, though Forward Madison didn’t qualify for the postseason.
Born in Münster, Germany, to a German father and Filipino mother, Schipmann has played for the Philippines in international competition, including three matches during the 2021 World Cup qualification tournament. He had a clean sheet against Guam.
“Bernd is an accomplished goalkeeper who has proved himself in USL League One and beyond,” Avery said. “With more than 200 professional matches under his belt, as well as national team experience in World Cup qualification, Bernd has seen a lot in his career. He has a calm presence in the goal and is a tremendous communicator – both things that can help a new team as it finds its identity together.”
Professionally, Schipmann has also played in Germany for Schalke 04 II, Holstein Kiel II and Rot Weiss Ahlen.
Training camp to open Tuesday
Due to the upcoming inclement weather, Fort Wayne FC has pushed the start of training camp to Tuesday.
Practices and preseason matches in Northeast Indiana will be closed to the public. Players have begun arriving in town and undergoing fitness testing.
Fort Wayne Football Club roster
Javier Armas, midfielder, 26 years old
Tiago Dias, defender, 24 years old
Jeremy Garay, midfielder, 22 years old
Taig Healy, midfielder, 22 years old
Anthony Hernandez, defender, 22 years old
JP Jordan, midfielder, 22 years old
Michael Rempel, defender, 24 years old
Bernd Schipmann, goalkeeper, 31 years old
Reid Sproat, defender, 24 years old
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club is building a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium, Fort Wayne FC Park, that will open at Bass Road and I-69 in 2026. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.