Challenger
Sports Corporation is the largest provider of soccer camps
in the United States and Canada, and has been established
as a true “Total Soccer Company,” providing
camps, clinics, tours, tournaments, uniforms and coaching
materials to thousands of clubs throughout North America.
Challenger Sports began as British Soccer Camps in 1985,
as 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 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 1,500
British Soccer Camps for over 65,000 children.
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 member Andy Bennett.
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.”
Contact our corporate offices
today or locate your area’s regional
director!
Challenger Sports Corporate office
8022 Flint
Lenexa, KS 66214
Telephone: (800) 878-2167 or (913) 599-4884
Fax: (913) 599-2928
Directions to the Corporate
office
