Soccer Shots Celebrates Growth and Momentum at 2019 Annual Franchisee Conference

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Soccer Shots, the engaging children's soccer program best known for its focus on character development, recently commemorated its 15th anniversary during a spirited four-day system-wide convention, celebrating the evolution of the brand and all the ways the best is yet to come for Soccer Shots.

Centered around a homecoming theme, the convention took place July 24-27 on Soccer Shots’ “home turf” near its headquarters in Harrisburg. The convention showcased how its growth has paved a path for continued success and momentum for franchisees and the children it serves alike.

The annual event brought the entire franchise network together to celebrate Soccer Shots’ 15th anniversary of franchising, highlighting its commitment to positively impacting children’s lives through soccer and overall system-wide growth. Individual franchisees from across North America were also recognized for their commitment to their communities, sales growth, revenue milestones and positive impacts they’ve had on children through their local Soccer Shots programs.

“This year was a major milestone for us to celebrate as a brand. Soccer Shots hosted its first convention at [co-founder] Jason Webb’s house and, today, we’ve grown to more than 216 franchise locations across North America. Our growth as a system has created the momentous opportunity for us to inspire and empower young children every day through soccer,” said Justin Bredeman, CEO of Soccer Shots Franchising. “I’m humbled by the organization we’ve become today and we didn’t get to this point without working together. As we continue to add more dedicated individuals to our team to serve even more children, the possibilities and opportunities for impact are endless and I cannot wait to see what’s next for Soccer Shots.”

In addition to highlighting the brand’s progress over the past 15 years, the convention provided several networking events and learning opportunities, including breakout sessions and roundtables, to discuss business strategies and solutions as well as best practices that will propel the youth soccer brand to new heights in 2020, setting the stage for even further growth.

Points of discussion included enhanced local marketing support through the introduction of a marketing playbook, multiple vendor partnerships and the significant role that strong culture has and will continue to play in the brand’s growth.

The annual conference also served as an opportunity for its leadership team to reflect on the concept’s history and transformation to the well-oiled machine it is today, prompting founders Jeremy Sorzano and Jason Webb to nostalgically share the brand’s old training videos as well as highlight some of the best franchise partner stories from over the past 15 years. Leora Hanser, Chief Development Officer at the U.S. Soccer Foundation, also joined the conference as a speaker, discussing the importance of availability and accessibility to quality youth soccer programming for all children, especially following the wave of excitement from the recent USWNT World Cup win.

True to the mission of positively impacting children’s lives through its soccer programming, Soccer Shots also partnered with the local United Way chapter, a trusted community partner, to host a coaching clinic during the convention. Local children and families joined coaches from across the Soccer Shots community on City Island for a morning of free soccer sessions that focused on new coach evaluation, training techniques and common on-field challenges.

In addition to the informative educational sessions and coaching clinic, Soccer Shots celebrated those across the system in true “homecoming” fashion with an awards reception and homecoming after party. Franchisees gathered in their finest throwback homecoming attire and celebrated each other’s accomplishments and, like all homecoming celebrations, dubbed Soccer Shots homecoming royalty as Trey Alexander, owner of Soccer Shots Raleigh-Durham and Mandy Webb, co-owner of Soccer Shots Harrisburg/York were crowned the event’s king and queen. To close out the four-day event, Soccer Shots hosted a soccer tournament for franchisees and team members to round out the last night of the convention with some friendly competition and fun among the franchise partners.

“The strong culture and sense of camaraderie among Soccer Shots franchise partners has no doubt made the value proposition of the franchise opportunity much stronger,” added Jason Webb, co-founder of Soccer Shots. “When you invest in Soccer Shots, you invest in your community and you become part of the family. The excitement and energy across the franchise system was palpable at this year’s convention and I couldn’t be more excited to see what’s in store for Soccer Shots over the next 15 years.”

About Soccer Shots

Based outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Soccer Shots is an international franchise program that provides children ages two through eight with a developmentally appropriate soccer and character development experience under the guidance of childhood education specialists, professional soccer players and experienced and licensed soccer coaches. The brand’s curriculum-based program is offered in more than 200 territories across nearly 40 states and Canada, serving over 440,000 children each year. Soccer Shots was founded by two professional soccer players who identified a need for quality and engaging soccer programs for children under age eight.

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