Local Information
Phil Symons, Director of Client Relationships
Originally from Stoneham, Massachusetts, Phil started with Soccer Shots Boston in the Spring of 2022 in the Boston territory. Growing up, Phil played soccer, baseball and basketball but preferred soccer. During his youth soccer playing days, he was a 3-time Massachusetts State Champion for Stoneham High School and played club soccer through college.
Phil attended Westfield State College where he graduated with a degree in History and Secondary Education. While working as a high school teacher, he began coaching in his hometown of Stoneham, working both as a high school coach but also a U12 travel team coach.
After leaving the classroom, Phil worked for various education-based non-profit organizations before shifting focus back to soccer and finding ways to empower and impact youth through the sport. He has many years of experience in the toddler and youth soccer industry, coaching children ages 1-18 years old, while also training and developing coaches who are just as passionate about making a difference in children’s lives through soccer as he is.
In his free time, Phil enjoys spending time with his wife and son, cheering for his favorite team, Manchester United, and being outside.
Kevin Esper, Director of Coaching
Born and Raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He attended Merrimack College at a D1 level and played overseas both in his home country of Argentina and in Greece. He graduated with two bachelor’s degrees one in Sport Management and the other in Spanish Language. K
evin eats sleeps breathes soccer as it runs in his family, grandfather, father all playing at a professional level in Argentina!
Kevin has joined Soccer Shots Boston as Director of Coaching with his experience in the managerial side and coaching side with multiple age groups at a time. Being Trilingual Kevin can connect with many families and players all around Boston and show them a positive experience through their time at Soccer Shots.
Outside of work Kevin enjoys time with his family, dog, and playing tennis. One goal of his is to attend the next 2 world cups and see his national team lift the trophy one more time in his lifetime!
Mark Miller, Owner
Mark has participated in various sports from the age of 10 through his time at SUNY Brockport and beyond. Mark has coached successfully at the high school level, and continues his passion for coaching and teaching kids by coaching youth sports with his children. Mark believes that soccer is a great way to teach children about teamwork, character, lifelong fitness, and most importantly: fun!
Maureen Miller, Owner
Athletics have been a part of Maureen’s entire life, participating in competitive soccer, basketball, and track and field. She has successful coached at the high school level and previously taught special & elementary education. Maureen currently enjoys watching her children learn about team work, effort, and building relationships while playing youth sports.
Ryan Murphy, Owner
Ryan has been involved with soccer in some form or fashion — either as a player, coach, official, or parent — for the last 39 years. After attending high school at St. Joseph Academy in St. Augustine, Florida, Ryan attended Texas A&M University on a Navy ROTC scholarship. Ryan graduated with a B.S in Chemistry and then subsequently received his master’s in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University. After graduating college Ryan was commissioned in the Navy and served 10 years on Active duty in the Navy as a Submarine Officer, and another subsequent 11 years in the Navy Reserve, serving in Afghanistan and Germany during that time.
Ryan decided a change of pace was in order and in 2009 started a Soccer Shots franchise in Jacksonville, expanding to St. Augustine two years later. Recently in 2021, he expanded operations to Soccer Shots Central Florida, Soccer Shots Tallahassee, and Soccer Shots Emerald Coast. And finally, expanding to Boston with Mark and Maureen Miller.
Ryan keeps active by travelling the globe for work and pleasure. Ryan holds a Level VI Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, an “F” License from U.S. Soccer, and a Level 2 Coaching Certification in Archery. He is engaged to Ms. Erin Weisgerber and has three great children, Connor, Mackenzie, and Saoirse.
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.