Sponsor signs will eventually be hung at a soccer field in Lehighton.

Borough council on a 6-0 vote Monday agreed to allow the Lehighton Soccer Club to hang the signs at the Sixth and Coal Soccer Field.

That came after council heard from Lehighton Soccer Club secretary Ashley Moser and member Anika Frey.

Moser said the club currently has three fields and a storage shed, none of which are at the same place.

She told council they would like to have a central location, but haven’t yet been able to find the amount of land it would require that is mostly flat.

Currently, Moser said the club’s storage shed is not on the same property as any of its fields.

She said they are looking to put storage at the Bethany Wesleyan Church (in Franklin Township) field and Sixth and Coal field.

After the meeting, Moser said the storage would be for things like extra soccer balls, paint and the liner for the boundaries, storage for the goals over winter, extra supplies such as pinnies, ice packs, that are needed for the field is easily accessible.

“This progress cannot happen without funding,” Moser said. “We will be applying for a grant, a development grant, to hopefully receive funding to better the club for kids and coaches.”

Councilman Ryan Saunders said he believes it’s a “great idea.”

After the meeting, Frey said the number of signs will vary.

She said the group has 19 teams that range from U5 to U16.

Frey said they have 14 local businesses that have graciously sponsored the club’s youth players this season.

She said current sponsorships include the sponsor business printed on the back of the team jerseys.

“What most of our community doesn’t realize is that soccer is growing at an increasing rate,” Frey said. “Each and every season, we are adding teams.”

Frey said the upcoming spring soccer season has over 230 children registered to play, and noted that costs of maintaining equipment, purchasing uniforms, paying referees, and insurances also increases.

“Lehighton Area Soccer Club does not have a centralized location; we depend heavily on the borough of Lehighton; Sixth & Coal, The Lions Club - Chapel Field, and Bethany Wesleyan Church - Franklin Field, to assist in making this youth soccer program work,” she said. “We are at a huge disadvantage over our neighboring soccer clubs, as due to this logistical issue, we are unable to maintain a concession stand. Concession stands generate a good bit of revenue for any nonprofit organization.”

Frey explained that in an attempt to keep costs down for its players, the club was in need of a new way to try and bring revenue in.

“Starting for our fall 2022 soccer season, we will roll out (specifics have not yet been fine tuned) an added option which would give sponsors the ability to not only sponsor a team as they have in the past with the business name on the child and coach jersey, but also have a banner displayed at the fields as well,” she said.