Beyond Soccer

Beyond Soccer offers Lawrence Youth Travel Soccer, the Pre-K & Kindergarten Program, the Lawrence In-City League, the Soccer & Wellness Academy, Summer Nights, Summer Enrichment Soccer Programs, Leadership & Youth Jobs, Academic Enrichment, Health & Wellness Programs, the Beyond Resilient Girls Program, soccer clinics with the Lawrence Recreation Department, and Girls-in-Sports programs with Esperanza Academy. The program also includes year-round travel, in-city soccer, and futsal programs, plus summer camps.

Programs

• Lawrence Youth Travel Soccer — Grades 4-12 · Seasonal play with weekly practices and weekend games; Fall 2026 practice starts Wednesday, August 26th and game start Saturday, September 12th
• Pre-K & Kindergarten Program — Pre-K and Kindergarten · Saturday-only with pop-up weekday activities; start date Saturday, September 19th
• Lawrence In-City League — Grades 1-8 · Grades 1-4 practice every Monday and Wednesday, 5-6:00 pm; first practice September 14th. Grades 5-8 practice every Tuesday and Thursday, 6-7:30 pm; first practice September 15th. Grades 7 & 8 girls practice every Monday and Wednesday, 7:30-9:00 pm; first practice August 26th. Grades 7 & 8 boys practice every Tuesday and Thursday, 6-7:30 pm; first practice September 15th. Games every Saturday starting September 19th
• Soccer & Wellness Academy — Elementary and middle school youth · Two weeks of soccer play, fitness games, and special guest activities
• Summer Nights Program — Almost every night in July and August; across three locations
• Summer Enrichment Soccer Programs
• Leadership & Youth Jobs
• Academic Enrichment
• Health & Wellness Programs
• Beyond Resilient Girls Program
• Soccer clinics with the Lawrence Recreation Department
• Girls-in-Sports programs with Esperanza Academy

At a glance

• General schedule: Year-round travel, in-city soccer, and futsal programs, plus summer camps; summer activities include almost every night in July and August and the Soccer & Wellness Academy is two weeks long.

About the provider

In 2007, Stephanie McArdle and her mother, Ellen, launched Lawrence’s first travel soccer team with 12 middle school girls. In 2009, the team became the first Lawrence team to compete in the Essex County Youth Soccer League. Since officially incorporating in 2011, Beyond Soccer has reached over 8,000 youth ages 4-22 and sponsored thousands of hours of summer camps and clinics annually. The leadership team listed includes Stephanie McArdle, Ellen, Chris Marin, Declan Murphy, Oriagna Inirio, Johnny, and Coach Mentors. Beyond Soccer says it uses soccer to connect Lawrence youth to new experiences and focuses on leadership, healthy living, and academic achievement.

League rules limit travel roster spots. All registered players will play for a travel or an in-city league team. Unless personally contacted and added to the travel team WhatsApp group, a child starts on an in-city team. Many in-city players may be invited to join a travel team during the season based on attendance, commitment, and participation. Summer Nights is no cost. The Soccer & Wellness Academy and Summer Nights are described as no-cost or funded by partners/grants.

What families say

“The program pushed my daughter to be more active, increased her soccer skills and encouraged her to come out of her shell through team-building exercises.” — Beyond Soccer parent

“It was a great experience to be a part of the Beyond Soccer family. It was a great chance to work together as a group throughout the summer! Making sure all the kids felt comfortable and safe. Being a coach mentor opened a lot of doors for me. I’ve also realized how kids look up to older people and admire us. I am so glad that I got to be a role model.” — Coach Mentor

“It made all the difference. Social interaction and being active is so essential to his emotional health. My child had been showing signs of depression until school reopened and sports were available to him.” — Beyond Soccer parent

Last updated September 1, 2026.