Jeremy Sorzano (born July 9, 1973) is a former professional soccer player and the Partner and Co-Founder of Soccer Shots, a national soccer program based in the Harrisburg, Pa. area that introduces children ages 3 – 8 to the game of soccer, as well as character development and fundamental life skills.
Sorzano started Soccer Shots under the name Soccer Pals in Charlotte, N.C. in 1996. His professional soccer teammate, Jason Webb, moved to Harrisburg in 2002 and started the program there. The two of them changed the program’s name to Soccer Shots and began franchising in 2005, inviting their former college teammate Justin Bredeman to join as a third partner. Soccer Shots, now a multi-million-dollar company, has more than 70 territories across the United States and Canada and reaches about 100,000 children per year.
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Sorzano was born and raised in Kennett Square, Pa., where he started playing at soccer at 5 years old. He played for the nationally-ranked NCAA division III soccer at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania with co-Soccer Shots Partners Jason Webb and Justin Bredeman. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in family studies and a minor in business. He then moved to Charlotte, N.C. where he played professionally with the Charlotte Eagles in the USL Second Division.
From 2002 to 2005, he worked with Webb at a start-up performance clothing company called Zyflex, where he learned much of his business philosophy from his boss, Bill Spencer. Sorzano and Webb were both running Soccer Shots programs in Charlotte and Harrisburg when they decided to franchise, with the help of Messiah teammate Justin Bredeman, who had franchising experience with Auntie Anne’s Pretzels.
Sorzano remains Partner of Soccer Shots with Webb and Bredeman and continues to run the Charlotte program. He lives with his wife Lisa in Charlotte.
Sorzano helped to found Global Goals, the non-profit arm of Soccer Shots, in 2009. Global Goals partnered with Amandla Ku Lutsha, a non-profit soccer organization based in Khayelitsha, South Africa that helps disadvantaged youth and AIDS orphans through soccer programs. This was inspired by the 2010 World Cup tournament, hosted in South Africa. In June 2010, more than 25 Soccer Shots franchisees and employees traveled to South Africa to help with Amandla’s efforts and programs during the World Cup.
Soccer Shots pledged $30,000 to Amandla Ku Lutsha in 2009. A portion of all registration fees for Soccer Shots clinics benefits Global Goals and its efforts with Amandla, and certain franchisees have hosted free clinics in their territories to raise donations.
Global Goals is in the process of earning 501c3 status.
Under Sorzano's leadership, Soccer Shots Franchising, LLC has been included on the following lists:
Soccer Shots Franchising, LLC is a member of the International Franchise Association (IFA).