Sometimes we like to catch up with old friends, we originally ran an Under the Lights article about Kensington Soccer Club back in October of 2022. We’ve re-run some of their historical information verbatim, but Justin Haskell, (previously of Chattanooga FC) the Men’s Program Director at the club, wanted to share their changes, growth, and progress as an organization.

Tell us the origin story of Kensington Soccer Club - when was it founded? By whom and what was its mission?
Kensington Soccer Club, which began as an after-school soccer program for students at Kensington High School, was founded in 2010 by Executive Director Jim Hardy, who noticed a need to provide youth in the community with opportunities to engage with the sport outside of school. Though we’ve grown a lot since then, we still continue to provide these programs to a number of schools and recreational sites because their importance is crucial to the development of our youth. From providing safe and accessible spaces to positive and supportive mentorship, our programs eliminate barriers to participation that help our youth stay safe, active, and healthy. Kensington Soccer Club services the entire Kensington neighborhood and North Philadelphia, providing our community with a number of different programs in which they can participate. Through these programs, we can help others with their personal and professional development, knowing that the efforts will be reinvested back into the community. The programs include adult elite amateur soccer, competitive youth travel soccer, year-round recreational soccer leagues, after-school soccer programs, youth engagement, educational initiatives, and higher education/career readiness opportunities.

Our primary focus is on serving and building our community — which for years has been subject to rising violence and neglect —, but we also meet a crucial citywide need. We attract families and players of all ages from across the city who are looking for a welcoming soccer club that never turns anyone away. We understand that a strong and vibrant community can be crucial to individual development and success, which is why we believe in contributing to ours in any way we can to reshape negative perceptions of our neighborhood and its residents.

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to the community?
Our logo takes inspiration from the Philadelphia Union, our local MLS side. Our colors are those of Kensington High School, where our organization began. While our current logo worked for many years when we were strictly a youth club, our recent ventures into elite amateur soccer have brought wider attention to our club across local and national media. As a result, we realize the need for our club to establish its own unique logo within the coming years, one that positively reflects the community and the wonderful people we represent.

What league or leagues does your club participate in and why did you choose those to join?
In the last 16 months the club has taken many big steps forward in our mission to provide high level soccer to the Kensington/Northeast Philadelphia community. I took over as men’s program director and head coach in January 2025 and immediately started to work out how we can create an environment where players from our region can grow and compete at the highest levels possible.

We moved the men’s first team into the UPSL Premier Division for fall and spring seasons, while also joining the League For Clubs during the summers. Last season our team consisted of players from D1, D2, and D3 college programs in the area, joined by some former college and amateur players aiming to still compete regionally and nationally.

How did you finish last year? What are the goals for your next season?
In our first year in The League FC we finished 2nd in our division and advanced to the Northeast Conference semifinals where we lost 3-2 to eventual national champions Met Oval (NYC).

For 2026, not only will the men be back in The League FC and UPSL, but our women’s program will take a big leap and compete in the WPSL.

Both teams will play home games at Holy Family University in Northeast Philly and we will have two double header nights where the men and women play back to back (6/20 and 6/28). These will be big nights for our club as we get to join together and celebrate our club, our community, and the beautiful game.

You are very active in your community but there must be a cost; how can interested people support you?
We have sought to professionalize the club in every area by bringing on experienced and qualified staff. Our Technical Director Tim Summiel spent many years in the LA Galaxy organization. I myself have been around the lower league soccer universe for a while as well, spending many years with Chattanooga FC before coming up to Philly.

Our goal in the Philadelphia community is to provide soccer that is not only accessible, but also of the highest quality.

Soccer fans can always support the club by going to www.kensingtonsoccer.org and checking out our many programs and offerings. If you are in the Philadelphia area there are many ways to get involved either coaching or volunteering with our academy, afterschool programs or camps/clinics around the city. KSC is dedicated to providing affordable, accessible, and quality soccer to our community.

Follow Kensington Soccer Club and give them a follow on Instagram HERE