It's really all about providing opportunities for girls and young women. The Lancaster Inferno motivates females to take advantage of opportunities and to make the most of them.

For the Inferno, soccer is more than a game; it's a transformational tool.

"Our goal is to empower these girls and women and use soccer as a platform for the development and growth," said Stephanie Cleaves, executive director of the Lancaster Inferno and the head coach of the club's first team. "Eighty percent of female CEOs played sports. It's our goal to develop not just the athletes but the individuals as future leaders and to build confidence. Having female role models is very important to that."

Headquartered at Pod 2 in Rock Lititz, 201 Rock Lititz Blvd., the Lancaster Inferno and the Lancaster Inferno Football Club (F.C.) is a one-of-a-kind academy that promotes female soccer and its benefits. The program revolves around a series of competitive and instructional age-group teams, each more advanced than its predecessor.

There are financial fees associated with each level of the Lancaster Inferno academy.

"When it was initially launched, we wanted to provide a place for high-level talent to play," said Cleaves. "That evolved into wanting to have a feeder system for the top teams. We felt like there was a need to create a club that was all girls, making female athletes the top pursuit. Girls drop out of athletics at age 14 at twice the rate of boys. We're trying to buck that trend."

About 245 female athletes from all over Lancaster and Lebanon counties, ages 9 to 36, populate the Lancaster Inferno academy's 12 teams - two highly competitive pre-professional teams and 10 youth teams. Some of the older players are former college and local high school stars, some are current high school players, some play soccer with other teams during other seasons and some are relative newcomers just starting to appreciate the game.

The Lancaster Inferno F.C. youth teams practice at Spooky Nook Sports Complex and play some of their games at the Manheim Township Athletic Complex. Cleaves' first team, which is made up of the program's most advanced and competitive players, will be playing five home games at Penn Medicine Park, the Lancaster Stormers' home stadium, during the 2025 season after calling Warwick High School home last year.

"They are serious players who want to take their games to the next level," said Cleaves of the first team members. "They're also players who want to be keep playing at a high level. It's usually players who see themselves playing professionally; that's who's on our first team. We kind of fill that gap between college and pros."

Many of the Lancaster Inferno F.C. youth programs are year-round ventures with games contested during the spring and fall seasons. The Lancaster Inferno first team plays a 10-game regular season schedule in the pre-professional United Soccer League (USL) W League from May to July.

"We're really big on professionalism, just how we run things. We take pride in how we run it," said Cleaves. "We're a team for the community. When I tell that to players, it excites them. (The older players) want to be role models. It's our goal not only to attract the best players, but also to develop them."

Cleaves and her family purchased the franchise that would become the Lancaster Inferno in 2014. Six years later, the Lancaster Inferno founded an under-23 women's premier team, and in 2022, the Lancaster Inferno F.C. youth program was launched.

"My favorite part is seeing the young players interact with the senior team players," said Cleaves, a resident of Lititz. "They look starstruck, like, 'That could be me some day.' It really impacts you."

"Seeing that there's exciting opportunities is huge," continued Cleaves. "(Players are) learning from experienced coaches. Some could go on to be professional players or coaches or referees. It's about developing them as confident individuals in life. It teaches them life lessons and about the spirit of soccer. We want to make it an option if they want to play at a higher level."

For additional information, go to http://www.lancasterinferno.com.