Local Information
James Head, Regional Director for the Southern Tier and Northeast PA
A native of the Binghamton, NY area, James has played soccer since the age of 6. He graduated from Ross Corners Christian Academy, where he played soccer and basketball throughout high school, and where he also got his first taste of coaching. After graduating, he was recruited to attend Davis College in Binghamton to play basketball and soccer there, eventually earning captaincies in both sports. He was a part of Davis’ first two conference championships and first Small Bible College National championship in their history. Before graduating, James joined the Soccer Shots team in 2012 as an instructor. He quickly embraced the exciting opportunities at Soccer Shots to work with kids and have a positive impact on the community for years to come. He holds his USSF E Soccer Coaching certification and is also active in coaching basketball. He resides in Binghamton with his beautiful wife, Andrea, and three children. His coaching and business background will continue to be a great asset to the Soccer Shots Binghamton Team.
Kyle Sanders, Owner
I have been involved with Soccer all of my life. The sport has been a gift that I hope everyone at Soccer Shots can work to pass on to future generations. It has been a blessing to have learned from great coaches & that’s something that we hope the children we have the opportunity to work with will look back and say the same about Soccer Shots as well. Soccer Shots should be a gateway for children at the earliest ages to fall in love with the ball at their feet & world’s game as a whole, to get a peek into the culture of the game & fun that Soccer can be.
Since starting Soccer Shots I’ve had the opportunity to travel and witness with my own eyes how the beautiful game bridges cultural differences, language barriers & how it really does bring people together. These experiences have caused me to push into what other places there might be to make impacts through soccer. We’ve launched a non-profit called Footy Goals, Inc aimed at helping us raise funds from both individuals & businesses for underserved youth here in the states so that we can create sporting opportunities for children who may not otherwise get to have such experiences. We also are spending time approaching larger corporations to work sponsorship deals for a club we have started in Ethiopia. Meheret FC is a club/academy in Ethiopia, that currently competes in the 5th division. Meheret FC’s academy is comprised in large part of children who are at risk of becoming or are, street children. In conjunction with a local NGO, Mercy Branch, we will work to provide holistic care for the children in the academy. We will work to break the cycle & provide a creative outlet for them to reach their goals whatever they may be. All the while, maintain Meheret FC’s relevance from a sporting standpoint within the Ethiopian football pyramid.
I’m very thankful and fortunate to have the ever-evolving and talented team here with Soccer Shots to be able to pursue these other opportunities & extend our reach of hopefully having a small impact in making the world a better place. To learn more about any of these initiatives or to donate, please visit; footygoals.org, meheretfc.com, or mercybranch.org.
Address
Binghamton, NY 13905
Contact Us
Tel: (607) 684-5532
Employment
If you have a passion for positively impacting children, we’d love to talk to you.
The “Three Cs” – Coaching, Communication and Curriculum
The foundation of Soccer Shots is our relentless commitment to providing best-in-class coaching, communication and curriculum.
The best coaches in the business
- Every Soccer Shots coach must complete our comprehensive training program to receive certification.
- All Soccer Shots coaches are trained in the use of developmentally appropriate techniques.
- Coaches are routinely evaluated and undergo ongoing training.
- Our coach selection process evaluates not only the ability to coach soccer, but also the ability to engage and inspire children.
An exceptional customer experience with ongoing communication
- You will receive a weekly summary of what your child is learning at Soccer Shots.
- We proactively communicate cancellations due to weather or other circumstances.
- Our staff understands the importance of timely, responsive communication.
Expert-approved curriculum that aligns with early childhood education standards
- Our developmentally appropriate curriculum places an emphasis on character development and skill building.
- Our program is created under the guidance of childhood education specialists, professional soccer players and experienced and licensed soccer coaches.
- We constantly re-evaluate and update our curriculum to stay current with childhood education standards.
Our Vision: To provide a beloved growth experience for every child; a remarkable experience for every family.
The History of Soccer Shots
Our founding partners, Jeremy Sorzano and Jason Webb, were soccer teammates both in college and professionally. They formed Soccer Shots® in 1997 after recognizing a lack of quality soccer programs for children under age 8. They shared an entrepreneurial spirit, a deep love of soccer, and a passion to inspire children to live fit and healthy lives.
The success of Soccer Shots in Charlotte, NC and Harrisburg, PA, where Sorzano and Webb first launched their businesses, led to several of their friends and former teammates wanting to get involved. In 2005, Soccer Shots began franchising and opened its first four franchises in OH, DE, FL, and PA. The business opportunity began to attract more soccer entrepreneurs, and Soccer Shots has enjoyed growing around the country and into Canada.
In May of 2009, Justin Bredeman, another former college soccer teammate, became the third Soccer Shots partner. Justin brought with him eight years of experience from Auntie Anne’s, Inc., a pretzel franchising company, where he led a team that supported nearly 800 franchise units. His deep understanding of the franchise business model also comes from the knowledge gained from his five years of owning and running a Soccer Shots business of his own.
From its humble beginnings, Soccer Shots has grown beyond Jeremy and Jason’s biggest dreams, with over 200 territories across 37 states and Canada. There were over 440,000 enrollments into Soccer Shots programming in 2018.
The business is consistently recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as the #1 Children’s Fitness Franchise in the U.S. And today, Soccer Shots is positioned as the best-in-class children’s soccer program with a focus on character development.
And while the accolades are appreciated, our mission remains focused – positively impacting children’s lives.
Soccer Shots Franchising, LLC is based in central Pennsylvania, just east of Harrisburg. Learn more about franchising with Soccer Shots at soccershotsfranchising.com.
Stronger Youth. Beyond the Game.
We believe that soccer is a powerful vehicle for positively impacting youth. Through our partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, we aim to impact children who live in underserved communities through quality soccer programs that support their physical and personal development.