Former pro player in Florida takes over Leechburg boys soccer program

By: Jerin Steele
Thursday, July 6, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Justin Grubb recently moved back to Western Pennsylvania after wrapping up a five-year career playing professional soccer in Florida.

He wants to give his kids the chance to grow up in the same environment he did and at the same time stay involved in the game.

So he searched for a place to start his coaching career, and when he learned about an opening at Leechburg, he quickly realized it was the perfect fit.

Grubb was hired to take over the Leechburg boys soccer program.

The hiring was made official at a school board meeting June 28.

“This opportunity really grabbed my attention because it’s a young program,” Grubb said. “They’ve had some success, and I want to be able to provide a framework that fosters that success and gets them onto the next level.

“Soccer has been my life since I was 5 years old. Fostering the next generation of players is the dream. That’s what I want to do.”

Grubb is the second coach in Leechburg boys soccer history. He takes over for Brad Walker, who resigned after coaching the program through its first four years to take the Freeport boys soccer head coaching position.

Grubb is a Clarion-Limestone grad. He played club soccer at Northern Steel FC before moving on to Pitt-Greensburg. After college, Grubb pursued an opportunity to play professionally, and through networking and tryouts, he landed with the Florida International Soccer Academy. He played outside midfielder/wing back for FISA’s professional team in USL League Two and the USPL.

During his time playing professionally, he met coaches who helped shape his soccer philosophy.

“I’ve had a lot of coaches from all around the world,” Grubb said. “Soccer has provided me with opportunities to meet people I otherwise probably would never have met. Most recently, I had a coach that played with Boca Juniors (in Argentina), and they play that Brazilian futsal-style soccer, but they translate that into a full-field game. It’s beautiful to watch, and if you can play it correctly, it’s extremely effective.

“A lot of my influences come from that style. Kind of the Pep Guardiola style that Barcelona played and he took to Manchester City and has been really successful. That style has always been attractive to me, and the coaches I’ve had have used the same kind of systems.”

Leechburg has made the playoffs twice in four years since the program’s inception in 2019.

There are several key departures from the original team, but that doesn’t faze Grubb. He’s looking forward to mentoring a younger group.

“They graduated quite a few seniors this past year, but that creates an opportunity for players to prove themselves,” Grubb said. “It lets me work with them through the years and develop their skills.

“I just want them to take every opportunity to learn. Every day is going to be a building block on the next one. The goal is to get better every time they step on the field and not take steps back. There’s going to be ups and downs through a season, but you approach them as a team. Success will follow hard work. My job is to make sure they don’t come across something they don’t understand. They see it, understand it and know how to beat it. What we work on in practice will provide the tools to do that.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Leechburg