Local Information
Jeff Bowers, Co-Director
Jeff Bowers, the head women’s soccer coach at Virginia Wesleyan College has compiled an overall record of 153-40-23 with the Marlins and has received numerous accolades, including 2005 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors as well as South Region Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and 2005. He guided the Marlins to their most successful season ever in 2006, highlighted by an Old Dominion Conference Championship and a Final Four NCAA finish. He also coached the semi-professional Hampton Road Piranhas, in 2004 and 2005. Bowers holds a Premier License from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and a “B” license from the United States Soccer Federation.
Laura Bowers, Co-Director
Laura Bowers has been in collegiate coaching and youth development for over the past decade. Her last collegiate coaching experience was at Trinity University as assistant women’s soccer coach in San Antonio, TX. Prior to coaching at Trinity University, Laura was an assistant coach at Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach VA for two seasons.
She graduated and played for powerhouse Wheaton College (Ill.) from 2003 to 2006. Wheaton captured the NCAA Division III National Championship twice during her playing days, in 2004 and 2006. She was a two time All-American in 2005 and 2006 and was honored as the NSCAA National Player of the Year in 2006, as well as being named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Player of the Year.
For over the past 9 years, she’s worked to build and develop the local Soccer Shots program in Hampton Roads into one of the top premier intro to soccer programs in the area. She is passionate about the game of soccer and being able to use the sport to teach and develop kids of all ages. She looks forward to bringing an energetic and fun environment to the development of the game.
Laura resides in Virginia Beach with her husband, Jeff Bowers (the current Virginia Wesleyan University head women’s soccer coach) and her 3 children, Levi, Wyatt and Harper.
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.