ABOUT US
Pioneer Academy is the first of its kind youth soccer academy for boys and girls in Patrick County, Virginia. We offer developmental camps for kids to learn basic and advanced soccer skills, game-play, and teamwork.
OUR MISSION
Pioneer Academy exists to provide high-quality soccer development for the youth of Patrick County, Virginia. Our mission is to equip young athletes with the technical skills, tactical understanding, and teamwork needed to grow in the game—while fostering a lifelong love for soccer in a supportive, community-driven environment.
CORE FOUR PRINCIPLES
Development
Teaching the right fundamentals for real growth - on and off the field.
Character
Building discipline, teamwork, and confidence through every session.
Community
Proudly rooted in Patrick County, growing the game together.
Passion
Inspiring a lifelong love for the game through fun, engaging experiences
Stephen Jackson
Stephen grew up in an English household, with the English Premier League on the family living room television every weekend. This developed into a love for the global game of soccer and a childhood immersed in English soccer culture. After a family trip to England and a chance to witness his first professional match at Wolverhampton Wanderers, a vision was born to develop the technical skills and tactical awareness to compete at the highest level for as long as possible. His playing journey led him to Montreat College, an NAIA school outside of Asheville, NC and then to play, coach and work for 8 years for the Charlotte Eagles, a USL professional soccer organization in Charlotte, NC.
Stephen is fortunate to have developed coaching experience on 3 different continents and learned from top level collegiate and international coaches during his time in Charlotte. Stephen's coaching philosophy emerged from these experiences and is driven by a passion to help players of all abilities develop the technical skills to enjoy the game while also challenging them to reach their fullest potential, both as a player and as a human being.
Pioneer was born out of Stephen's desire to witness the beautiful game of soccer grow in Patrick County and the surrounding communities, while helping players achieve their highest potential on and off the field. Stephen is currently the Patrick County Middle School Program Soccer Director.
COACHES
Matt Manning
His coaching philosophy is driven by a deep love for the game and a commitment to developing technically skilled, tactically intelligent players. He strives to develop players who play with creativity, discipline, and confidence. For him, coaching is about more than results; it’s about inspiring players to fall in love with the game and become the best versions of themselves.
Matt's coaching career began in Bluffton, SC where he was instrumental in building a women's program at the high school level, developing players that continued their playing career at all levels from Division I, NAIA, to local community colleges and more. Currently, Matt is serving as the Assistant Varsity Head Coach at Patrick County High School.
​
Matt's playing career in high school saw him earn multiple All-State Honors before starting four years as a center back for Olivet College; a Division III school located in central Michigan.
Corbin Waller
Corbin Waller is a former professional goalkeeper and MLS draft pick with the Houston Dynamo.
Corbin grew up in High Point, attending high school and signing to play with College of Charleston. After 4 years of NCAA D1 soccer, Corbin went immediately into the MLS, sharing a field with David Beckham in his first professional season.
After moving from Houston to play with the Charlotte Eagles in the United Soccer League for 5 years, Corbin retired and began coaching at PTFC and locally in the Triad Region. Corbin is currently the head mens and women’s coach at Southwest Guilford HS in Greensboro.
Although not a resident in Patrick County, Corbin also believes in the vision of Pioneer Academy for the community and wants to help goalkeepers pursue their potential and excel in the position!
Harry Sherwood
Harry Sherwood was born and raised in Bristol, England. He grew up playing soccer (football in England) in his back garden and went on to play in the youth academy with local professional clubs Bristol Rovers and Yeovil Town.
At 18, Harry left England to come to the US and play for Bryan College in Dayton, TN.
As a multiple all conference center back Harry had the opportunity to play semi-professionally for 4 years with the Kings Warriors professional outfit in West Virginia.
After Bryan College, Harry moved to High Point, NC where he began coaching at Wesleyan Christian Academy, Imago Dei Soccer Academy and with PTFC now Carolina Core FC.
After 13 years of high level club and high school soccer coaching experience Harry has developed a passion for helping motivated players enjoy the process of getting better!
Although not a resident in Patrick County, Harry has spent a lot of time in the county and believes in the vision of Pioneer Academy for the community!
