Smyrna Soccer Club

ESTABLISHED IN 1988 AS SMYRNA SOUTH, THE SMYRNA SOCCER CLUB (SSC) IS NOW one of the fastest-growing soccer clubs in the state of Georgia and is experiencing that growth organically without the benefit of a merger or acquisition. On the job for just under two years, Executive Director Bryan Waltenburg’s efforts have reorganized and rejuvenated the club into a major player in the state's youth soccer scene. According to Waltenburg, the communities surrounding Smyrna and the northwest corner of Atlanta are diverse and soccer savvy and were ready for a more competitive club with a focus on player development and a structured approach to coaching and soccer education. “We brought BRYAN WALTENBURG in the continuity and the structure and enhanced coaching to the area, I think it, for many kids Executive Director who used to go and play in other places. This has now become a vital option to play,” says USSF National “A” License Waltenburg. USSF National Youth Diploma Since coming on board to lead SSC, Waltenburg has brought in a complete operational staff TYPES OF PROGRAMS OFFERED and coaching operational staff, including a technical advisor, a youth academy director, and a Recreational | Academy | Select full-time goalkeeper coach. He has also implemented a comprehensive player-development curriculum that begins at the club's pre-K level called the Player Development Program, PDP for ADDRESS short. Coaching sessions, technical skills development, and other touch points are organized 2688 Atlanta Road Smyrna, GA 30080 based on age group. PHONE: 678-224-8350 “We stage out everything we do in regards to not only technical points but weekly technical WEBSITE: www.smyrnasoccerclub.com sessions within the club that are mandatory for all our performance programs, and everything is pinpointed per age group,” Waltenburg says. “We've done a decent job of staging from age group to age group in regards to setting up milestones and different technical variation points that we want to put in place as the age group goes on.” Since his arrival, Smyrna has almost doubled in size now. It now offers competitive and recreational soccer to nearly 1,500 kids. With that growth comes some challenges to make sure kids have a quality soccer experience with a proper amount of attention. Waltenburg jokes that one way he maintains a good vibe is by "hiring more and more people." He also keeps the workload of club coaches manageable by not allowing them to coach more than two teams per season. "We also use a pool player which enables us to trade players up and down and create more competitiveness within the program," he says. Over the last two years, SSC has won state championships at the Division II level, is becoming more competitive at the Division I level, and even has a U19 boys team that has qualified for Southern Regional Premier League play. The club's success on and off the field, Waltenburg says, is exactly what the community was waiting for. “All we did was create an environment for people who used to have to travel to play soccer,” he says. “The community was ready for something like this.”