Contributed by Kathy Logan
Almost 50 years ago Mat-Su Youth Activities Council (MYAC) was founded. There were eventually four branches of MYAC – football, basketball, baseball and soccer. That was the beginning of the Palmer Soccer Club (PSC).
Palmer Soccer Club was started in 1975. It was the first soccer program in the Mat-Su Valley and, over the last 47 years, thousands of children have learned to play soccer with PSC. With the passing of so many years, today’s PSC includes the children and grandchildren of the people who originally volunteered or played in the club. We are approaching our fourth generation of Mat Su Valley soccer. It is something our community can be proud of.
The Purpose of the Palmer Soccer Club has always been to promote and provide affordable recreational and developmental soccer for the youth of the area, ages 5 to 18 years old. PSC’s primary goal is to improve the health, welfare and morale of the children and young adults, as well as building a sense of community in our local families, within the Greater Palmer Community, Matanuska Susitna Borough, Alaska. In a nutshell, PSC is family oriented and here for everyone who wants to be part of it – to have fun, learn soccer skills, make friends and build community.
We work hard to provide a quality program for any child who wants to play. We work hard to keep our costs low and offer scholarships so no child is excluded because of finances. We work hard to have training available for coaches and referees. We work hard to build community – providing an annual thank you picnic to all our players and their families for being part of Palmer Soccer Club.
The focus of Palmer Soccer Club has always been the children - to provide a positive, fun learning experience on the soccer field with a focus on teamwork and good sportsmanship. We strive to have a healthy environment for children to play. Players are encouraged to improve their skills and, if it’s right for them, to move into the competitive leagues. Over the years Palmer Soccer Club has fielded teams to play in Anchorage tournaments, been a feeder for players into competitive leagues both in the Valley and in Anchorage, been a feeder for players into local high school soccer programs, hosted tournaments, won tournaments and looked for ways to serve our MatSu Valley community. PSC works with Crossfire and the Polar Vortex Rush soccer clubs within District #3 of the Alaska Youth Soccer Association, a member of US Youth Soccer.
Why soccer? Soccer allows every player an opportunity to excel individually and learn how to be a team player. Soccer allows average kids, from families with average incomes, the ability to play the sport and, possibly excel, or just spend time with their friends or make new friends. And it’s just plain fun!! For players and parents alike.
With dedicated volunteers and community support the 2020 and 2021 seasons were very successful, with over 400 players being served each year, participating in an Indoor Season, Outdoor Season and a Soccer Camp.
We are looking forward to the 47th season in 2022. PSC has kicked off the 2022 season with our Indoor Season. The Outdoor Season will start May 24th, with registration now open. As always, volunteers are the heart of the club. We are a 100% volunteer nonprofit organization and without our many volunteers there would be no Palmer Soccer Club. Volunteers are needed for the board, for coaches, for field prep in the spring, field take down in the fall, sorting and handing out uniforms and more. Please feel free to email the club at contact@palmersoccerclub.com for open positions and the job descriptions. Check the club website for meeting times or player registration at www.palmersoccerclub.com. The board meets once a month throughout the year and we would love to have you join us.
We will end this with a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who have volunteered and supported Palmer Soccer Club in the past and present. And a request for the current players’ parents and community members to become involved with PSC. Please consider volunteering. “Many hands make light work.” We look forward to seeing you in the future. Please visit