Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer is proud to honor longtime Lancaster resident Larry Jones with its Service to Community Award. Jones, whose contributions to soccer come as a player, coach, administrator and businessman, will be honored at Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer’s Annual Awards Banquet Saturday, February 25th at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square.
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer established the Service to Community award in 2015 to honor individuals or organizations that over a period of years have made outstanding contributions to the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer community. Honorees have consistently demonstrated a willingness to help others, share their resources and promote inclusion and respect. They may be members of our soccer community doing outstanding works off the field, or have used soccer as their vehicle to help improve the lives of those around them.
“Since his playing days, Larry Jones has demonstrated a strong commitment to growing youth soccer,” said Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer CEO Chris Branscome. “He’s coached, he’s volunteered and he’s helped Angelo’s Soccer Corner become one of the premier soccer retailers in the country.”
After winning a national championship as a player with Lock Haven University, Jones turned his attention to youth soccer and has stayed involved for more than 30 years. He got his start in Lancaster as a volunteer coach for Hempfield Soccer Club, where he later served as President. Jones also helped start the Red Rose Classic and promoted the Hempfield Fall Classic, two events that continue to this day.
All the while, he found time to serve as an Assistant Coach and Head Coach at Franklin & Marshall College.
Additionally, Jones' contributions to soccer as a businessman are numerous. Along with three local partners, Jones opened the Red Rose Indoor Arena, the first indoor soccer facility in the Lancaster area. He worked with his son Travis, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Outreach Coordinator J.T. Dorsey and Karen Schloer—the current CEO of the Lancaster Boys and Girls Club—to launch the Red Rose City Soccer Program. Later this year, the club will unveil a turf field, the first in Lancaster city proper.
Jones currently serves as COO and CFO of Angelo’s Soccer Corner, which has four locations in Eastern Pennsylvania. He also remains a volunteer and active supporter of the Lanco League.
Tickets to the Annual Awards Banquet can be purchased at epysa.org/events/awards_reception for $60.