Lower Merion Soccer Club

THE TWO PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF LOWER MERION SOCCER CLUB ARE: TO PROVIDE EACH AND EVERY CHILD WITH A FUN FILLED EXPERIENCE IN A SOCCER ENVIRONMENT. TO DEVELOP CHILDREN'S SOCCER SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME SO THAT THEY CAN PLAY AT HIGHER LEVELS OF PLAY IN FUTURE SEASONS

THE TRAVEL TEAM PROGRAM OFFERS OVER 50 TEAMS FOR OUR MORE TALENTED AND DEDICATED PLAYERS AGES 8-18. THESE TEAMS COMPETE AGAINST CLUBS FROM OTHER AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND BEYOND. LOWER MERION SOCCER CLUB FIELDS UP TO FOUR TEAMS PER AGE GROUP SO THAT MORE THAN JUST THE TOP LEVEL PLAYERS CAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AGAINST OTHER CLUBS. SOME LOWER MERION SOCCER CLUB TEAMS HAVE TRAVELED TO PLACES SUCH AS DALLAS, FLORIDA, PHOENIX AND SWEDEN. IN 2022, OVER 50 LMSC ALUMNI WILL BE PLAYING AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL. FOR FAMILIES WITH FINANCIAL NEEDS LOWER MERION SOCCER CLUB PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO TRAVEL TEAM PLAYERS BY WAVING THE REGISTRATION FEES. ANNUALLY AT LEAST 39 FAMILIES RECEIVE THIS BENEFIT FROM LOWER MERION SOCCER CLUB.

EACH YEAR, LMSC IDENTIFIES A POOL OF UNDER 8 BOYS PLAYERS AND A POOL OF UNDER 8 GIRLS PLAYERS TO TRAIN TOGETHER DURING THE FALL AND WINTER. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP OUR TOP YOUNGER PLAYERS FOR THE TRAVEL TEAM PROGRAM, STARTING THE FOLLOWING FALL SEASON. THE SPRING INTRAMURAL PROGRAM IS OFFERED TO CHILDREN AGES 5-11. EACH YEAR, OVER 1000 PARTICIPANTS PLAY IN THIS PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM IS GEARED FOR NOVICE PLAYERS WHO HAVE NO PRIOR SOCCER EXPERIENCE OR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF PRIOR SOCCER EXPERIENCE. APPROXIMATELY 100 REFEREES, AGES 11-20, WORK IN THIS PROGRAM, SERVING AS GAME REFEREES AS WELL AS ASSISTING IN THE COACHING OF THE 5 AND 6 YEAR OLDS.

PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE FALL AND SPRING INTRAMURAL PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN AGES 4-14. THERE ARE ABOUT 1,600 PLAYERS IN THIS PROGRAM. FOR THE YOUNGER PLAYERS, IT IS THEIR FIRST INTRODUCTION TO SOCCER, THEY ARE TAUGHT THE SKILLS OF THE GAME BY OUR VERY EXPERIENCED COACHING STAFF, WITH THE HELP OF MANY PARENT VOLUNTEERS AND REFEREES. OUR REFEREES RANGE IN AGE FROM 11-20 AND PROVIDE THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR MANY YOUNGSTERS TO EARN A PAYCHECK AND TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF HAVING A PART TIME JOB. MOST OF OUR REFEREES ARE CURRENT OR FORMER PLAYERS IN LMSC. THERE ARE OVER 100 REFEREES WHO WORK IN THE FALL INTRAMURAL PROGRAM. IN ADDITION TO REFEREEING GAMES, THEY HELP TEACH THE 4 AND 5 YEAR OLD AGE GROUPS THE SKILLS OF THE GAME. FOR FAMILIES WITH FINANCIAL NEEDS LOWER MERION SOCCER CLUB PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO INTRAMURAL PLAYERS BY WAVING THE REGISTRATION FEES. ANNUALLY AT LEAST 35 FAMILIES RECEIVE THIS BENEFIT FROM LOWER MERION SOCCER CLUB.

LOWER MERION SOCCER CLUB OFFERS A WIDE VARIETY OF SOCCER TRAINING PROGRAMS IN THE SUMMER FOR INTRAMURAL PLAYERS AND TRAVEL TEAM PLAYERS. THE PROGRAMS WILL ALL BE RUN BY OUR VERY EXPERIENCED LMSC COACHING STAFF. THESE ARE NOT RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS LIKE OUR FALL INTRAMURAL PROGRAM AND SPRING INTRAMURAL PROGRAM. RATHER, THESE ARE PROGRAMS GEARED FOR OUR MORE ENTHUSIASTIC AND COMPETITIVE PLAYERS WHO WISH TO DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS TO THEIR HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVELS. ONE OF THE PRIMARY GOALS OF OUR UNDER 6 TRAINING PROGRAM AND OUR UNDER 7 TRAINING PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP OUR TOP PLAYERS FOR THE MORE COMPETITIVE TRAVEL TEAM PROGRAM.