When was Jackson Lions FC started, who founded it, and why?
The Lions Football Club was founded in 2014 by Mike Durazzo, Vasili Fouckarakis, and Nick Tarquino. It was created with the intention of providing a destination for the best players in New Jersey's Monmouth and Ocean Counties for local, state, and national competitions.

What league do you currently play in? What helped you choose that league and do you see yourself there five years from now?
The Lions Football Club currently has teams in the Garden State Soccer League Super Division and Northeast Elite League and is a USASA Regional 1 Tournament participant. However, as of 2022, Lions FC will be competing in the NPSL. Joining the NPSL is a major step in the maturation of our club, and we could not be more excited about this opportunity!

Do you have any local competition you might already consider a rival - if not, who do you most look forward to playing against?
Currently, we have a significant rivalry with FC Motown as well as a burgeoning rivalry with West Chester United SC. Both of those teams are currently members of the NPSL's Keystone Conference, so we are hopeful to be able to continue those rivalries within the NPSL (although, at this time, we are not sure which conference within the East Region we will be placed in).

As your club grows, are you considering additional competitions like the US Open Cup or the NISA Independent Cup? Do you already compete in local tournaments?
The Lions Football Club has participated in the US Open Cup and continues to participate in USASA regional and national tournaments. While our focus will be on the upcoming NPSL season, we will certainly be open to national tournament opportunities which are conducive to our growth and success as a club.

There's a whole community of lower league fans who love to buy kits and scarves of teams from all over the country - do you have stickers or other swag for sale? If so, where can we get it and if not, would you consider it?
The idea of lower league supporters donning the scarves and kits of their local club in the United States of America is a beautiful thing. It shows how far we have come as a country and community in regard to soccer. To that end, we do have some great merch we offer onsite on matchdays, but our online store will be coming soon. We will provide updates on our website and social media accounts (lionsfcnj.com, jackson_lionsfc on Instagram, @JacksonLionsFC on twitter, and Jackson Lions FC on Facebook).

As a club, what's your biggest goal right now and what are you doing to accomplish it?
Our biggest focus right now is to prepare for the upcoming NPSL season, where our goal will be to make the playoffs. As a club, that entails everything from player identification to matchday operations, and everything in between - training, marketing, sponsor engagement, community service, etc. Fortunately, we have a dedicated and passionate club from ownership to the coaches, trainers, and players who are ready for the challenge.