Soccer in the Bluegrass aims to be the go-to destination for soccer news and information in Central Kentucky, including youth recreational, club, high school, college and pro players and teams. The founders have become fast friends because of their love of soccer and are dedicated to seeing the game grow.
Cary Tsamas
cary@theartofsoccer.org
Since moving to Lexington more than 25 years ago, Coach Tsamas has been part of the Central Kentucky soccer community, coaching boys and girls of all ages at all levels. He was born in Giannitsa, a town in the Northern Greek region of Macedonia. He grew up playing soccer and played professionally before moving to the United States with his family.
Coaching experience
Current:
Lexington F.C. U14 Blue
Lexington F.C. U13 Red
LYSA Director of Coaching
The Art of Soccer Academy
Past:
U.S. Soccer Olympic Development Program
Sayre High School head coach (11 years)
Berea College women’s team head coach (9 years)
Lexington Kickers
Lexington F.C. (numerous teams)
Bluegrass Bandits (semi-pro) general manager
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), former assistant to the president
Family: Cary has two grown children, a boy and a girl. While they both played soccer, mostly to appease him, they decided to concentrate on tennis.
Jared Peck
Jared Peck co-founded SITB, but no longer maintains an active role, except as an adviser. He has been a journalist in Kentucky and Georgia for more than 20 years and has been covering college and high school sports for the Lexington Herald-Leader most recently, including writing about the University of Kentucky men’s and women’s soccer programs and the girls state high school soccer semifinals. He hails from Paducah, Ky., where he played baseball as a child. His soccer interest began when his daughter turned four and he volunteered to be an assistant coach, largely keeping the team from running off or turning cartwheels during their breaks. A recreational coach for eight years, he’s a past member of the Lexington Youth Soccer Association board and continues to cheer on his children and former players from the sidelines.
