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National
Day
MARCH 12, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXVI • NO 1
Look Inside
Lancaster Inferno encourages female players to take soccer to next level BY JEFF FALK
I
t’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. “O ur 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
“It teaches them life lessons and about the spirit of soccer.” 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 Man- Members of the Lancaster Inferno’s first team escort younger players heim Township Athletic Complex. from the academy’s developmental program onto the pitch during a
Organization shares county’s blessings with everyone BY JEFF FALK
Lancaster County is rich in resources, culture and things to do, and in Lancaster County, tourism is big business. Discover Lancaster takes a proactive approach to drawing visitors to Lancaster County. Its work is designed to maximize and unlock the locale’s full potential and make the area a destination.
“We pack a mighty punch for the size we are,” said Joel Cliff, who’s been Discover Lancaster’s director of communications and advocacy for 17 years. “We have a very robust and vibrant tourism community. We want to share it with as many people as we can. Lancaster County has a great tradition of hospitality.” Situated at 501 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, Discover Lancaster is the official destination See Discover Lancaster pg 4
Warwick hockey claims Viola Cup BY GEORGE DEIBEL
Warwick embraced its role as the underdog and played like champions. The Warriors captured the Central Pennsylvania Ice Hockey League (CPIHL) Viola Cup title with a dramatic 3-2 triumph over Penn Manor Feb. 26 in Hersheypark Arena. Warwick High School’s Koby Zimmerman tallied the go-ahead goal on a breakaway with 37 seconds remaining in regulation. “It just feels great to have such a good team around me,” said Zimmerman, who also scored Warwick’s Koby Zimmerman celebrates after scoring the go-ahead goal See Warwick ice hockey pg 2 in the final minute.
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See Lancaster Inferno pg 3 youth night activity.