Tennessee Soccer

Uniroyal - C &D Tire
About

The Smoky Mountain Soccer Club started as the Farragut Soccer Club with a desire to develop soccer players in the Greater Knoxville area in the spring of 1988 with 9 teams. The club name was changed to SMSC in 1992 as it started to grow. The club was founded on the principle of forming a level, independent teams allowing the development of their players in accordance with their team philosophy. As a result, we have several key, developmental philosophies within the club we share among our teams. SMSC officers, managers, coaches, and club veterans provide assistance, and support as requested by our parents.

The SMSC has been successful since its inception, winning over 39 State Championships in various divisions. SMSC teams are recognized as coming from one of the strongest clubs in the southeast, with most of our teams vying for tournament titles where they compete. The SMSC has grown to over 25 teams in the 2005-2006 soccer year and enjoys the enviable position of being the oldest soccer club in East Tennessee. These teams span a dozen counties and service hundreds of players and their families.

The club has also had an effect on area high school soccer. For years, the best soccer teams in Tennessee has been outside the Knoxville metropolitan area, but the balance of power has now shifted to schools in the Greater Knoxville area. In 2001 and 2002, Bearden High School boys won State Soccer Championships, and the Farragut High School boys took the State Championships in 2003 and 2004. In addition, the Lenoir City boys won the State Championship in 2001, and the CAK boys won the State Soccer title in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Other area schools such as Knoxville Catholic, Webb, and Oak Ridge continue to have success at the high school level as a result of the development of area competitive soccer clubs providing the talent needed to be successful at the high school level.

The SMSC has been a proving ground for several new programs and developments in soccer:

  • The TOPSoccer program started by Jim Riner is designed to meet the needs of physically and mentally challenged children. The program is in its third year.
  • The Eastern District Middle School League, sponsored by the SMSC and run by David Melendy, is the largest of its kind in the United States. Serving 1500 children annually, the program was also initiated in 1988.
  • The SMSC has offered a fall tournament in Knoxville since 1988, which now features over 100 teams from a variety of states in the southeast.
  • Members of the SMSC contribute to the betterment of soccer for all in the community. Our club is here to help you develop soccer players. Our membership continues to provide coaches and volunteers for success of soccer in our community. The Middle School registrar, the President of the TOPSoccer league, the Youth Soccer of Knoxville, and the Administrator for the Middle School Soccer League all call the SMSC their home.