Garrett McLaughlin wanted to play on grass. In 2026, the 28-year-old forward will get his wish. McLaughlin, the first professional player to sign with Sarasota Paradise ahead of the team’s inaugural USL League One season, will play his home matches on Premier Sports Campus’s Bermuda-seeded grass field.

“Growing up from high school to club soccer, 95% of my games were on grass,” says McLaughlin, who played for League One’s Forward Madison FC in 2025. “This is no shade to my last club, but we trained and played on our game field that was artificial turf and it was just brutal on my body, it took me twice as long to recover. I know that when I’m on grass, I’m more confident in my abilities and my body will thank me for it.”

McLaughlin, who hails from Oklahoma City, brings quite the pedigree to Sarasota. At Southern Methodist University, he was a three-time All-AAC Conference selection, scoring 36 goals and notching 12 assists. Upon beginning his professional career in 2020, McLaughlin turned himself into one of the top scoring threats in the USL system, earning multiple All-League One honors and ranks near the top of League One in all-time goals scored with 34. In 2023, McLaughlin hoisted the League One Final trophy with North Carolina FC.

While McLaughlin is as proven a scoring threat as one can be, his style of play has shifted slightly in the past few years. “My game has evolved in the last couple of years—I love scoring goals—but I also really enjoy assisting my teammates. At the end of the day, I feel just as accomplished if I can get an assist or we win a game 3-0 and I don’t have any contributions on the stat sheet,” says McLaughlin. “One thing I’ve always tried to do is just work my butt off and never give up, which I’m looking forward to doing here.”

More than just his on-field presence, McLaughlin also hopes to impact the team off the field. The League One season is a grind, typically running from March through November, including the playoffs. To be successful requires more than just the X’s and O’s—it demands a high level of chemistry between the players, which McLaughlin looks forward to building with his teammates. “For a first-year club, there is going to be a lot of learning, which requires patience. I would like to be a big leader here and help the younger guys drive the team forward,” says McLaughlin.