Year End Message From JLSFC President

Thu 31 Dec 2015
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News

The 2015 season officially ends today and I would like to take this time to thank all our players, their families, our officials, coaches, as well as our ardent uberfans who have made this season a one to remember.

Thanks to our hard-working coaching staff for their enthusiastic approach to teaching our player. Thanks to our dedicated players for believing in our programs and working hard to achieve success. Thanks to our fans who are always there to support us no matter what.

Now to recap the 2015 season:

The highlight of the 2015 season was in April when the JLSFC made history by becoming arguably the first club in the city of Philadelphia to ever play a National Team when the club toured Puerto Rico where they defeated three professional clubs: Guayama FC (0-2), LEAL Arecibo (0-4), Bayamon FC (0-2), as well as the Puerto Rico National Team (0-1).

FIRST TEAM:
After the club decided to take a hiatus from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the First Team was involved in series of Tournaments across the United States. The First Team competed in seven (7) tournaments where they were Champions in three (3) of those tournaments, finished as semi-finalists in one (1), and quarter-finalists in the other three (3). The First Team season ended on a sour note when they were defeated in the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup First Round Qualifier against West Chester United SC.

UNDER-23 TEAM:
This was a disappointing year for the U-23s after they placed last at the 2015 USASA U-23 Nationals held in Virginia Beach, VA.

UNDER-19/20 TEAM:
The U-19/20s had mixed results during the season. After finishing as semi-finalists at the EPYSA U-19 State Cup, the U-19/20s had a 3-3-0 record in the USL Super-20 League, therefore missing a play-off spot.

All in all, while the teams within the club had mixed records and they enjoyed their share of big victories and emotional defeats, we try not to measure their success by the statistics or wins, rather, their success is measured by the bonds that have been forged, lessons that have been learned, and maturity that has been gained through their efforts and selfless commitment to the team and dedication to improving themselves.

With that being said, we now look ahead to the 2016 season:

As you all know, Junior Lone Star Football Club will be celebrating its 15th Anniversary during the 2016 season. The Anniversary Committee is already working behind the scenes to organize a memorable Invitational Tournament as well as a Red Carpet Black Tie Awards Dinner on April 9, 2016. We hope to invite all players (approx. 400) who have played for the club during its existence. We will also be inviting former presidents and coaches who have made this club what it is today. More information about our Anniversary celebration would be released in mid-January.

COACH ASSIGNMENTS:

FIRST TEAM – Bobby Ali & Kara Smith
UNDER-23 TEAM – Neewilli Saie & Sallen Woewiyu, Jr.
UNDER-19/20 TEAM – Jerome Pour & Emmanuel Kollie
ACADEMY – George Beyan & Thomas George

LEAGUES & TOURNAMENTS:

FIRST TEAM – National Premier Soccer League & Inter-County Soccer League; Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, EPSA Open Cup and EPSA Amateur Cup.
UNDER-23 TEAM – EDP U-23 Premier League & ICSL U-23 Summer League; USASA U-23 Nationals.
UNDER-19/20 TEAM – EDP U-20 Premier League; EPYSA U-19 State Cup.

GOALS & GROWTH:
Earlier this year, we were able to obtain a non-profit status from the IRS which has been a great help to us so far. In 2016, our goals are to get a van/bus to alleviate the transportation needs of our players. We are also meeting with the City to help us start our Stadium Project (Stadium of Dreams) which we hope to launch early next year to start the fundraising effort.

As regards to growth, over 80 players were involved in matches from the various teams during the 2015 season. With the addition of the Academy in 2016, we hope to increase that number two-fold.

Additionally, the Lone Star brand has become one of the most respected brand in African communities across the United States and we are thinking about expanding our brand to other cities/regions. In the coming months, we will be targeting the South (Atlanta area), the Midwest (Minneapolis area), and the West (Phoenix area) to see how best we can have affiliations in those cities to represent the Lone Star brand.

In conclusion, I look back fondly at the history we made in Puerto Rico in 2015 and I’m excited about what we will achieve during our 15th Anniversary in 2016.

Happy New Year to our officials, coaches, players, and supporters around the world! thanks for the support and belief. I can’t wait for the 2016 season to begin in March!!!

Sincerely,

Paul A. Konneh, III

President and Executive Director

Junior Lone Star FC | Junior Lone Star Football Club, Inc.

p: 610-809-5985 | f: 610-809-2115 | e: PKonneh@juniorlonestarfc.org

6325 Regent Street | Philadelphia, PA 19142

2014 EPYSA U-19 State Cup Finalists

2014 NPSL Keystone Conference 3rd Place

2014 EPSA State Open Cup Finalists

2013 USL Super-20 Mid Atlantic Conference Champions

2013 USASA Region I U-23 Finalists

2013 EPSA Open Cup Semi-finalists