Local Information
Todd Williams, Executive Director
Born in Mississauga, Todd has been a native of the Halton Region for nearly 14 years. A former CPGA Golf Professional, Todd was heavily involved in developing and teaching junior golfers at two different golf courses. Following a successful tenure as a golf instructor, Todd participated in the growth and development of two separate startup companies before joining forces with lifelong friends to open the first Soccer Shots franchise in Ontario. Todd’s love of coaching and teaching children has continued throughout his life and he has most recently been involved in coaching both minor hockey and minor baseball in Halton. Bringing Soccer Shots to Ontario has been an incredible opportunity for Todd to enrich the lives of children throughout the Halton Region. Introducing a youth soccer program that not only equips children with soccer skills but also builds confidence and character have been a truly rewarding experience for Todd and the rest of the Soccer Shots Halton Team.
Contact Todd by email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-674-3435 x700
Eros Olazabal, Director of Operations
Coach Eros has a Bachelors degree in Business Management and a Master’s degree in Sports Management. He has an extensive soccer background as both a player and a coach, having over a decade of coaching experience at the youth, competitive, and university levels in both Canada and the United States. Eros holds a Canadian National C License and a Premier Diploma from the United Soccer Coaches. He played the majority of his youth soccer with the North Mississauga Panthers and then Toronto FC’s Academy during their inaugural season. After graduating from high school at Bishop Reding, he earned a scholarship to play soccer at Manhattanville College in New York and was also a part of Milltowne FC in the CSL. Eros enjoys enriching, developing and building up the lives of youth through soccer.
Contact Eros by email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-674-3435 x702
Erick Olazabal, Director of Coaching
Born and raised in Havana Cuba, Erick grew up playing soccer in the streets while participating in gymnastics as part of his school program at the time. At the age of 6 Erick and his family immigrated to Toronto, Canada and was raised there until he was 12. In those 6 formative years, in a new land and country as well as adjusting to and learning a new language and culture, playing soccer alongside his twin brother was what aided Erick to grow in confidence. A love for teamwork alongside joy and passion grew inside of him for the sport of soccer and ultimately motivated Erick to play at the highest levels of the sport in the province, all the way into the Academy of Toronto FC’s inaugural U-18 team. After a year at TFC, Erick headed off to New York, where he completed a Bachelors of Arts in Biology at Manhattanville College while being a part of the mens soccer team at the school. After school was finished, Erick returned back home to Milton, Ontario, where he continued to play and captain his hometown team, Milltowne FC. Following Milltowne FC, Erick went on to compete in Ontario’s League 1 with Prostars FC before turning to coaching soccer all around the GTA. Now, in 2022, Erick is very excited to be a part of the Soccer Shots team and doing his very best to provide the best experience for every child on soccer island!
Contact Erick by email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-674-3435 x701
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.