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Jeff Parke: from Lionville to PPL Park On a bright and clear afternoon on the touchline at PPL Park, Jeff Parke is standing tall, soaking up
“I always thought that as I was getting older, I could play at the next level,” said Parke.
the experience of playing for his
He first played for Lionville, where his
team
quickly
established
themselves as champions. From Lionville, Parke transitioned to FC
hometown team.
Parke has noticed over the years
Delco, a powerhouse club routinely in the hunt for championships in
“It’s a dream come true,” said the
an increase in exposure within the media that can help youth players develop.
Philadelphia Union defender.
every tournament. As a member there, Parke’s team advanced to the Nationals Finals two years in
It’s not that often a player can say they are playing for their hometown club, but Parke is living that dream. In fact, every time he steps out on the pitch on match day with his
“We didn’t have the TV deals and [soccer wasn’t] on TV, and the internet wasn’t a big thing, so you couldn’t really see how the sport was growing.”
a row, while staking their claim as champions in 1999. Over the past few years, there have been several youth players, including
team mates, he is just adding more
Ryan Kelly (Columbus Crew) and
memories to a growing personal
Jeff
collection.
Revolution), who emerged from the
Larentowicz
(New
England
ranks of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth “It’s something I’ve planned on doing
Soccer clubs and become quality
ever since it was announced the club
Major League Soccer professionals.
was coming [to Philadelphia],” Parke
Also notable is Ben Olsen, a local
said.
youth soccer alum who went on to enjoy a storied career with DC
Being a professional soccer player
United, where he is now currently
doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s a process, and one that starts early on in any child’s life on the youth soccer playing fields. Parke has been playing soccer since his early childhood. As he continued to play through the youth club system growing up in Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, he realized how special the sport was, and one he felt he could continue playing on through the years. Page 14
their manager.
Parke vs. Orlando City
Today,
though,
workshops,
training
with
soccer
videos
and
clinics available for all youth soccer teams, Parke believes it’s a great step forward for the sport. From his youth soccer playing days for the Lionville and FC Delco soccer clubs, Parke was able to collect some impressive trophies and awards that not many other players can claim.
Jimmy McLaughlin,
a youth player just a few years ago, is now Parke’s teammate on the Union. That’s
an
impressive
roster
of
successful players from Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer’s ranks who had success on the youth club level and moved into professional soccer. Parke was able to advance from his success at the youth club level