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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Named Among Top 10 Soccer Cities
June 21, 2012 | Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer
Princeton has been named one of the Top 10 Soccer Cities by Livability.com, a national website that highlights more than 500 of America's best places to live and visit.
Princeton made the list not only for its impressive,
well-maintained complexes and large clubs but also because of the community's
commitment to soccer and youth sports in general.
Livability had this to say about Princeton:
Princeton is home to some of the best soccer fields in the country. It's where the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team recently held a training camp, and where the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team trained prior to the World Cup in 2010.
The city is a soccer mecca with more than 20 soccer organizations in the area. Some of the best college soccer in the country is played in-and-around Princeton, home to Princeton University. Soccer teams from Princeton and nearby Rutgers, in New Brunswick, have a fierce rivalry. Princeton University is home of Roberts Stadium, an $8.4 million soccer facility with seating for 3,000 fans. Princeton is also home to one of the top male college soccer players, Antonie Hoppenot.
Mercer County, where Princeton is located, has a soccer hall of fame. Soccer has been a part of the county for 100 years, and each year new players are inducted into the Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame. Mercer County maintains a 2,500-acre park that includes 17 soccer fields, which are located a short drive from Princeton. The Princeton Soccer Association is a leading youth soccer club with a combination of teams that compete in recreational leagues and highly competitive travel programs. The nearby Match Fit Chelsea club, which runs an exclusive soccer academy to develop high-level players, often holds camps in Princeton and draws players from the city. The Match Fit Academy has produced more than 20 U.S. National Team and pro players.
To help determine the criteria for this list, Livability.com editors followed the lead of US Youth Soccer, the national organization that provides guidelines and rules most soccer leagues follow and selects which cities play host to tournaments. Editors looked for small to mid-size cities with the best soccer programs and facilities as well as cities with quality park systems, well-maintained streets and other cultural and recreational amenities.
Top 10 Soccer Cities
1. Overland Park, Kan.
2. Plano, Texas
3. San Bernardino, Calif.
4. Rock Hill, S.C.
5. Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6. Chapel Hill, N.C.
7. Appleton, Wis.
8. West Jordan, Utah
9. Scottsdale, Ariz.
10. Princeton, N.J.