YOUR TOTAL SOCCER COMPANY

Challenger Sports is a TOTAL SOCCER company, owned and operated by some of the most experienced soccer people in the country. Challenger is the leading provider of summer soccer camps in the United States, Canada and Australia with over 2000 communities hosting British Soccer Camps for some 100,000 players.

Challenger Sports provides summer soccer camps, holiday camps, clinics, tours, tournaments and uniforms to thousands of clubs nationwide. Challenger understands that players, coaches, parents and administrators all have different needs and priorities, and by listening to our customers throughout the period of our growth we have created a TOTAL SOCCER company that caters to everyone involved in the game.

Throughout each division of Challenger Sports you will find a team of people who love the sport of soccer and who are committed to providing the very best possible soccer experience for everyone involved in the game.

How did Challenger become the largest soccer camp operator in the country? Simply put, we have the right people, teaching the right things, in the right way. The Challenger Way!

 The Right People

Approximately 800 British Soccer coaches are selected by Challenger’s UK-based staff, from over a thousand potential candidates. They are all F.A. licensed coaches, but more importantly they love children and understand how we teach new skills, build confidence and have fun all at the same time!
Click here if you are interested in coaching for Challenger.

 Teaching the Right Things

To build confidence in players, it’s not enough to just have a great curriculum with the best people teaching it. You have to teach the techniques and tactics in a way that motivates the players to want to practice and to want to improve. Challenger has created a unique teaching methodology that incorporates a progressive series of practices where increased levels of pressure, added restrictions and game-like competition are introduced as players become comfortable with the skill being taught.  

Teaching the Right Way

After 18 years of research in over 2,000 communities in the USA, Canada and now Australia, Challenger has developed an innovative way of coaching your players that revolves around fun, personal challenge, maximum participation and constant positive feedback. The Challenger Way not only addresses the technical, tactical, physical and psychological requirements of the game at each age level, but more importantly it focuses on the child as an individual and not just as a player on a team.

OUR HISTORY

Challenger Sports began running summer soccer camp in 1985, as British Soccer Camps, a division of All American Indoor Sports Inc. All American operated a number of multi-purpose indoor soccer facilities and was owned by Ron Matsch and Jim Jorgensen. Ron and Jim also founded Discovery Zone Inc., an indoor playground and fun center for children, that went on to achieve international success.

The British Soccer Camp program quickly grew throughout the Midwest, expanding into Oklahoma, Tennessee and Georgia, and establishing a reputation of delivering quality coaching with a unique British cultural twist.

On October 1, 1997, Challenger Sports was created by Ron Matsch, Jim Jorgensen, Peter Arch and Alan Jones, and the company acquired the operations of British Soccer. Gearing up for nationwide growth of the British Soccer Camp program and for further expansion into other elements of the soccer industry, Challenger Sports quickly recruited Paul Lawrence and Derek Shoare who at the time were President and Vice President of the largest soccer camp company in the United States.

Challenger built a quality staff of full-time Regional Soccer Directors, and within two years had established a network of offices throughout the United States. Challenger also invested heavily in the United Kingdom and were the first United States-based soccer company to set up a full-time recruitment and training operation in Britain.

Challenger’s investment was quickly rewarded as the British Soccer Camp program grew by over 47 percent in 1998 and then grew a further 71 percent in 1999! Since then, the company has continued to grow steadily each year, and Challenger now runs over 2,000 British Soccer Camps for 100,000 children and also coaches a further 50,000 players on their rapidly expanding year round Club Trainer programs.

In addition to the Industry-leading British Soccer Camp program, Challenger also has established a rapidly growing Tours business, headed up by long time British Soccer staff members Andy Bennett and Gareth Hughes.

More recently, Challenger established a sister company to manufacture and sell soccer uniforms directly to the United States soccer community. By eliminating several stages of the traditional importer/wholesaler/retailer chain, Challenger is able to do direct-to-market with an incredible uniform at a fantastic price.

Challenger now finds itself with a nationwide network of clubs, coaches, players and parents, and a broad base of soccer products and services that just about covers anything that you could wish to find in the soccer world. Challenger Sports really is your “Total Soccer Company.”

Oct 2009 - Challenger Sports acquired TetraBrazil Soccer Academy. TetratBrazil, based out of Rio De Janeiro, has been providing their unique Brazilian style coaching to players in the US for 10 years. TetraBrazil coaches are all Brazilian and their camp program helps US youngsters learn the skills, moves and tactics that made Brazil the most successful soccer nation of all time.  Challenger will coordinate the sales and operations of the TetraBrazil camps in the USA and will set up an office in Rio de Janeiro handling coach recruiting, professional training and player identification and representation.

Challenger Sports Corporate office
8263 Flint
Lenexa, KS 66214
Telephone: (800) 878-2167 or (913) 599-4884
Fax: (913) 599-2928
Directions to the Corporate office

Challenger Sports Australia
PO BOX 378,
Taigum, 4018. QLD
Telephone 07 3865 5675
aus.football@challengersports.com

Click here to locate a Challenger office near you!