For talented female soccer players in northeastern Pennsylvania, the next opportunity hasn’t always been close to home.

Sometimes, it means traveling an hour or more to compete. Other times, it means spending thousands of dollars just to get the chance to be noticed.

Gregory Swatt wants to change that.

The Lehighton boys soccer assistant coach is helping bring a new opportunity to the region through Breaker City Athletic, a Hazleton-based women’s soccer club that will begin competing in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) in 2027.

For Swatt, the club’s owner and general manager, the goal goes well beyond putting another team on the field.

“I know we have talent everywhere, and there’s no place to showcase it up in Luzerne County,” Swatt said. “In Carbon, if they want to play, they have to go all the way down to the Lehigh Valley.

“So I want to give them an opportunity for something local, something closer that they can be part of and not have to drive an hour or more and spend thousands of dollars to get on a travel team just to be seen.”

Breaker City was announced Oct. 1 as the WPSL’s first expansion club for its 2027 season, bringing a new level of women’s soccer to an area Swatt believes has long been underserved.

The WPSL, which featured more than 180 teams across two divisions in 2026, is the world’s largest women’s soccer league. The pre-professional league has provided a developmental pathway for players who have gone on to compete at the highest levels of the sport.

Swatt hopes Breaker City can eventually provide that same opportunity for someone from northeastern Pennsylvania.

“That’s why I’m targeting Hazleton specifically,” he said. “That community’s really underserved. It’s a big community.”

One of the club’s biggest commitments is making that opportunity financially accessible.

Swatt said Breaker City will cover the costs of uniforms, team travel, insurance and registration, eliminating many of the expenses that can prevent players from pursuing competitive soccer.

“It doesn’t cost them anything,” he said. “They just have to get to practice and get to the games. That’s it. We’re paying for uniforms, travel, all of it. Insurance, registration, we’re covering all that.”

The club plans to hold open tryouts, although dates have not yet been announced. Swatt said he has already received interest from several players and has identified additional local talent he hopes to approach after the high school season.

The coaching staff is also in place.

“Everybody I’ve talked to is excited,” Swatt said. “I already have my coaching staff in place. I’ve reached out to players I’ve known from the past, and I’ve already got several interested.

“It’s all positive. It’s really just excitement.”

While established WPSL clubs already operate in the Lehigh Valley, Reading and Philadelphia areas, Swatt sees Breaker City as an opportunity to extend the league’s reach farther into northeastern Pennsylvania.

And he hopes the club can become more than simply another place to play.

Breaker City Athletic will serve as the centerpiece of Breaker City Initiative, a nonprofit organization Swatt is developing to support community programs and create opportunities beyond soccer.

Among his long-term goals is establishing a youth academy that would allow players to develop their skills regardless of their families’ financial circumstances.

“Right now, the WPSL is our main focus, but we do have future plans to build an academy up there so that we can offer opportunities for people who can’t pay to still play,” he said.

Swatt is also exploring a potential partnership with the Hazleton Integration Project, a community organization founded by Bob Curry. He said the two have been in contact about finding ways to identify and address local needs, although a formal partnership has not been established.

Another part of the nonprofit’s mission involves providing practical experience for students and young adults interested in careers outside of athletics.

Swatt envisions involving interns and students in game-day operations, including broadcasting, photography, event security and stadium management.

He has already discussed the possibility of having students assist with photography and other media-related responsibilities, potentially earning academic credit while gaining experience.

“I want to get people involved — interns, colleges, stuff like that,” Swatt said. “Get people out to get work experience.

“I want to make it a platform not just for soccer, but for a lot of other people to gain experience and knowledge, and have that experience of real-world stuff.”

For now, the immediate focus remains preparing Breaker City for its inaugural WPSL season, which is expected to take place in May and June.

Swatt said the club has received considerable support from the league as it works toward its debut.

But his ultimate measure of success won’t necessarily be determined by wins and losses.

Instead, he hopes to see a player use Breaker City as a stepping stone toward a professional career, whether in the United States or overseas.

“I would love for one of our players to be discovered,” Swatt said. “I want to be able to help promote someone to another level. Not just here, but Germany or England, wherever. Get them playing at the next level, a professional level where they’re living their dreams.

“They’re getting to play a game and get paid for it.”

And perhaps, somewhere in Hazleton or the surrounding communities, there’s a player who has been waiting for just such a chance.

“That’s kind of what I’m hoping to do in Hazleton,” Swatt said, “is find one of those players who was overlooked.”

For Swatt, that possibility is what makes the entire undertaking worthwhile.

“That’s the ultimate goal for me,” he said, “to help them achieve their dreams.”

More information about Breaker City Athletic and future tryout announcements is available through the club’s Instagram account and website, breakercitywfc.org.