Norcross Soccer Association (NSA), now operating as Norcross Soccer Academy, was founded in 1982. At that time, only a couple of hundred children played each season out of a small park west of Peachtree Parkway at Jones Bridge Park. Over time, NSA grew to an extent that the club officials began to scour the area to acquire additional facilities including church properties, school fields, and even vacant lots.

NSA’s growth paralleled that of Gwinnett County with its population surge, and within a few years, parks were being built within the county and NSA’s dream became a reality with the opening of Pinckneyville Soccer Complex. NSA immediately put together a cooperative plan and was able, due to many fundraising activities and generous donations from its members, to buy lights and fencing for each of its five new fields.

Because of the number of children involved in the program after only one year, NSA realized that a professional approach to managing the soccer club was needed. This approach would raise the level of service provided and would lead NSA coaches and players in the right direction. Therefore, NSA hired its first full-time Director of Coaching in June 2001. Within one year, NSA’s coaching staff was improved and every Select team coach (i.e., traveling team) held a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) “A,” “B,” or “C” license.

In the fall 2001, NSA hosted two tournaments, namely the Norcross Girls’ Cup and Norcross Boys’ Cup, to help the club raise additional funds for expansion and improvements. With the success of these two tournaments, sponsorships were signed with companies like Nike, Eurosport, Dairy Queen, and Hilton Hotels.

Now referred to as the Norcross Nike Cup, for both boys and girls, our tournament has grown each year and is now included in the top ten Southern Tournaments. In 2006, there were 270 accepted teams from 16 states playing at 11 different Metro Atlanta venues. In 2007, the number of teams increased to 346 teams from 13 states from as far away as Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Utah, making the 7th Annual Norcross Nike Cup our biggest tournament ever!

In the summer of 2002, a “new” learning soccer program, called the Norcross Soccer Academy of Excellence, was introduced for children less than ten years of age playing at NSA. The Academy was eventually extended to include players under nine to under twelve years of age. With the success of the Academy program, NSA expanded into several additional programs, including the Kicking Is Not Soccer (KINS) program for children under six years of age. Also, NSA included a TOPSoccer Program for physically-challenged children.

In the fall of 2002, NSA introduced a program promoting life skills and SAT preparation classes, designed to assist Junior and Senior high school-aged players in the club. NSA, with the help of sponsors, organized classes to give NSA players an opportunity to realize their dream of playing college soccer with the most important ingredient – good grades.

In 2005, NSA updated its brand, unveiling a new logo and website. Additionally, NSA began operating under the name of Norcross Soccer Academy, which was more aligned with its new vision and ambition.

In June 2006, NSA realized a long-time goal to acquire tax-exempt status. The Executive Board announced that the IRS determined that the Association qualifies as a Public Charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Therefore, contributions to Norcross Soccer Association, Inc. are 100% tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Additionally, in the fall of 2006, NSA introduced a new program specifically designed for the younger player. The “Shooting Stars” program is centered on fun and is designed to introduce the children to the game of soccer. We have created a safe and positive environment where kids can learn the game of soccer through playful training techniques and team-bonding activities.

In 2007, NSA celebrated a significant milestone in its history, its 25th anniversary.

In June 2007, the club raised its soccer operations to the next level by introducing a new structure for its professional coaching staff, under the leadership of Tony Annan, Executive Director of Coaching. Long-time NSA select coach and the GYSA Coach of the Year for 2006, Yon Struble, was appointed to “Girls Technical Director” for the NSA select program, and Rob Di Figlio was promoted to the position of ”Boys Technical Director.” Roberto Sibaja was named “Recreation Program Director.” This new structure was designed to improve the quality of soccer at the club and shift some of the daily operational workload from volunteers to soccer professionals.

In October 2007, NSA entered into a strategic partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Sports Medicine Program to provide athletic trainer coverage during the 2007 season. The partnership with Children’s is another example of NSA’s desire to deliver high quality services to its members. Additionally, Nike continues to play a vital role in the expansion of NSA, with their prestigious uniforms and apparel being worn by our coaches and player.

NSA has a rich history of soccer excellence, now spanning 25 years. We will sustain our efforts to continuously improve the programs and services NSA offers. We are very excited about the future of youth soccer in metro Atlanta and very optimistic about the role that NSA will continue to play in the community.