Clarion Native and former professional football player Justin Grubb ready to lead Keystone to success

SHIPPENVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – Clarion native and former professional soccer midfielder/defender Justin Grubb returned to Clarion County last year after spending more than a decade in Florida.

He hopes his experience as a college and professional football player can be useful to the next generation of players in the region.

When Grubb was a high school student in the Clarion Area School District, there was no football program for him and his peers to prepare for. It resulted in him, his parents and his teammates continuing to look for an opportunity to play varsity football. The passed resolution created an athletic partnership agreement between Clarion-Limestone and Clarion Area to establish a boys’ soccer team; an agreement that endures to this day and has helped many young men play high school football.

“We’ve gotten there over time and now the program continues to grow and thrive. I’m glad we took it upon ourselves to create this opportunity not only for us, but for future players as well,” Grubb told exploreClarion.com.

After a standout four-year football career for Clarion-Limestone, Grubb went on to play at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg.

The Bobcats play in the NCAA Division III in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC). Grubb continued to impress in his college career as a four-year starter and had the opportunity to play professional indoor soccer in Florida before joining the Florida International Soccer Academy (FISA). He played outside midfielder/fullback for FISA’s professional team in the United Soccer League (USL) Two and the United Premier Soccer League (USPL).

“Throughout my career I have met some fantastic coaches who provided me with the framework and knowledge I needed to be successful. They gave me the tools and I took it upon myself to do the extra work,” Grubb said.

Grubb retired from the league in 2023 after an extensive playing career, but he knew football wouldn’t get far. He planned to become a coach and also had a passion for returning to his home state of Pennsylvania. Growing up, there were limited soccer opportunities in Clarion County, but that still didn’t stop him from seeking out showcases and even playing club soccer with Northern Steel of Butler County.

When Grubb returned to Clarion County in 2023, it was already spring and most of the football gigs at the varsity level were filled. That was until he found the head coaching position at Leechburg. With the threat of no team in place, Grubb stepped into the role for the 2023 season, commuting nearly an hour each way to Leechburg every fall day for practices and games. But when an opportunity arose closer to home, in his native Clarion County, he knew he had to seize it.

Grubb is now the Keystone Panthers boys soccer coach heading into the 2024 season. He has been impressed by the strong interest in the Knox community and is excited about what the young team will be able to do, not just in his first season at the helm , but also in the coming seasons. To build a successful program, and better yet, an improved football base in the area, skills development and strategic knowledge are critical. This is exactly what he hopes to achieve with his small business, Swift Strikes Soccer.

Grubb’s company is one he founded last year to organize local clinics, camps and training sessions, as well as to be hired as a coach at other football coaching positions and opportunities in the area.

Swift Strikes Soccer organizes a football camp for both girls and boys aged four to seventeen to help players learn skills and techniques properly.

The camp will be held July 11-13 at Clarion County Park in Shippenville, Pennsylvania.

The four- to six-year-old group, known as the Lion Cub group, meets from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Parents are welcome to join in to help and learn the game themselves if they are unfamiliar.

“I really want to provide this age group with the most inclusive experience possible,” Grubb explains. “In the previous camps I have held, the children have really enjoyed it, and so have the parents. I just really want to help players and parents get started with the game.”

In the Young Lions age group, seven to twelve year olds attend every day from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

The line-up is completed by the Lions Elite division, consisting of teenagers aged 13 to 17. This age group meets from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

For those interested in registering for this upcoming opportunity or learning more about the camp, Grubb can be contacted by phone or text at 941-468-2992 or by email at ( email protected).

“There are a lot of really strong athletes in our region and I look forward to meeting and working with more of them. I’ve seen some athletes and if they had done a little extra work on manipulating the defense and being in the right spots, the game would be easier for them. I look forward to helping these players develop their skills, learn strategy and how to transition from a good player to a great player,” he said.