As part of our ongoing "Getting to
Know Your Local Businesses" series, this week we sat down with Mark Zylker, co-founder and president of Kingwood Alliance Soccer Club.
Tell us a bit about your business: What does your business offer, and how long have you been around?
We are a dynamic non-profit youth soccer organization that started in 2004 with a simple idea: the kids should come first. Our Recreational, Academy and Competitive programs offer a complete
training experience for player development. By letting youth play, they
explore the game, fall in love with playing, and allow the sport to be
the best teacher.
For beginners and those who just love to play, our
Recreational teams (for players born between 2003 and 2015) practice and
play games locally.
We partner with the Dynamo Dash Youth for our
Academy and Competitive teams who practice locally, but play games
against appropriate competition in the Houston area.
For players born
between 2009 and 2011, our Academy players have advanced skills or the
potential to play and train in a more competitive environment. For
players under 11 through high school, our Competitive players have the
ability and drive to compete and quite possibly could be looking to play
at the college level and beyond. Our Competitive club players also
participate on community High School teams.
How did you decide to get involved in this line of work?
With my dad being in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame, I was introduced to soccer at an early age. I played soccer at California State University at Hayward college and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in business administration. I have also refereed high school and college soccer.
I came to Texas in 1984 when oil was booming for a job and fell in love with Kingwood.
Along with the club’s other co-founder, Carlos Gil, we set out to create a child-focused soccer club that encourages “Success through Excellence”. Our goal is to foster the physical, mental and emotional growth of all members of the club regardless of their age or abilities.
Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your business. What are you known for? What separates you from the competition?
We are proud that we always have a place for a child, never turning away anyone. It doesn’t matter about their age or ability … as long as they are having fun!
We’re also known for having the whole spectrum of players, from recreational to highest competitive soccer players.
What is your favorite part of running this business?
I love game day! It’s fun to watch all the kids play, especially the four to seven-year olds. They have such a pure love and joy for the sport and it’s amazing to watch their energy and excitement for soccer.
Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?
Our ideal club member is any child or adult from 3 years old to over 30 who wants to learn and love the sport of soccer and all aspects of good sportsmanship.
Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?We host special events every year, including our annual 3 vs 3 Easter tournament and adult tournaments during the winter and summer breaks. Throughout the year, our club also conducts various training programs and soccer camps that include instructors from both the professional soccer ranks and national youth soccer coaching staff. Our events are highlighted on our
Facebook page.
Registration for fall soccer is ongoing. To register, visit our
website.
How do you see your business growing and improving over the next couple of years?For both our Academy and Competitive teams, we are thrilled about our new partnership with the
Dynamo Dash Youth Soccer Program. Our recreational program teams will also have the opportunity to work with the Dynamo Dash Youth.
By affiliating ourselves with Houston’s own Dynamo and Dash Professional soccer teams, we can promote the love of our sport even more and receive added activity and ticket pricing benefits from our local professional teams. Dash On and Go Dynamos!!
To learn more about Alliance Soccer Club, visit our profile at
Kingwood.com.