Cary Soccer Coach Builds Team From Scratch

A parent and now a part-time coach, Mark Lewis has been making progress with his new soccer club in Cary. 

The youth soccer club Stamford Bridge began in November 2011 and hasn't looked back. As of May 2012, the club has two teams and plans to add more by the fall, Lewis said. 

The teams consist of girls younger than 13 and younger than 14, and high-school totaling about 46 players

There has been a lot of new interest in joining the club and "we're not competing with other clubs," Lewis said. "We're looking for recreational players who wants to play at a competitive level, but not for the whole year." 

Lewis said he doesn't want the girls busy with soccer all year, because he knows they’re involved in other activities.

Development and professional training, are among the goals for the soccer club. 

"We feel that we're serving a niche market for soccer players beyond recreational," Lewis said of the club's longevity. 

Lewis said parents and other coaches have been involved heavily, and the club wouldn't be possible without their work and support. 

Parents were involved in designing uniforms, organizing referees and the scheduling of games. "No job is too small, without the parents it would never happen," Lewis said.

Elizabeth Cain, whose daughter plays on the younger than 14 team, said her daughter began playing soccer at a young age but soon left the sport to pursue figure skating. Cain's daughter eventually came back to soccer and loves playing the sport this time around.

"He cares about those kids, couldn't be a better opportunity for her," Cain said of Coach Lewis coaching style.   

The club has tryouts coming up for . "Tryouts" allow interested girls to try out the club, coaches and other players.