Local Information
Carlos Vasquez – Owner
Coach Carlos was born in Naples, Florida but was raised in Brownsville, Texas. He began playing soccer since the age of 3 playing in tournaments all over Texas, Mexico, and in Florida at the IMG academy. He graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas with a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology. Coach Carlos, played in high school, college, and in a semi-professional soccer team after his collegiate career was over in Texas. He was the team captain in all three teams respectively. While in college, he was a scholar athlete and received all conference and all tournament team honors. Coach Carlos, became a PE teacher at an elementary school before moving to Florida and has a passion for working with children. While in Florida, he was a director for the SWFL Soccer Shots Franchise.
Now in Kansas City, Coach Carlos loves everything about the mission behind Soccer Shots and building a stronger youth beyond the game. He hopes to make a positive impact not only with the children but in the community as well.
Walter Ballard – Owner
A native South Floridian, Walter graduated from Florida State University earning a B.S. in Physical Education with an emphasis in Sports Management. For the last 14 years he has served his community as both a Firefighter for the Iona McGregor Fire District and youth soccer coach for children playing at the recreation and club level. Through coaching he has experienced the joy of the game and the lasting positive impacts it has on children. He believes that Soccer Shots provides the perfect opportunity to continue building stronger youth beyond the game. In his spare time, Coach Walter can be found seeking outdoor adventure on local trails, tinkering in his garage, or hanging out with his wife Britney and three children, Jayda, Walter, and Kennedy at the park.
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:Â 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.