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Great Falls Reston Soccer Club

EIN: 51-0226159 · Tax status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit (recognized December 1976)

Overview

Great Falls Reston Soccer Club (GFRSC) is a youth soccer nonprofit serving the Great Falls / Reston / Herndon corridor of northwestern Fairfax County. The club is one of the older established competitive clubs in NOVA, tax-exempt since December 1976. In 2024, GFRSC merged with DMV FC, consolidating two competitive operators in the same catchment.

GFRSC is a charter member of the Northern Virginia Alliance (NVA) — the multi-club partnership that holds MLS Next and Girls Academy franchise rights for the western Fairfax / Loudoun corridor.

Financials

MetricFY2024
Revenue$2,774,491
Expenses$2,870,625
Net income-$96,134
Net assets$1,236,680
Total assets$1,537,558
Total liabilities$300,878

Confidence: HIGH (Form 990, FY2024).

FY2024 operating loss of $96K. Net assets of $1.24M provide ~5 months of runway. The DMV FC merger may explain part of the loss (integration costs), but trend warrants monitoring against the next 990 cycle.

Program services drive 96.9% of revenue ($2.69M); contributions add 3.1%. The balance sheet remains healthier than most NOVA peers despite the operating loss — $1.24M net assets at 45% of annual revenue.

Teams & Players

Player count not directly disclosed in the 990. Revenue scale ($2.77M) and the post-merger consolidated operation suggest approximately 1,500–2,500 competitive/travel players plus recreational programming.

League Affiliations

GFRSC’s NVA membership gives the club access to MLS Next and Girls Academy programming through the alliance’s franchise — a key competitive differentiator over peer NOVA clubs that operate only at ECNL-RL tier.

Facilities

  • Nike Park (Great Falls) — primary training and competition site (Fairfax County public park)
  • Additional Reston, Herndon, and Great Falls public school and county fields

GFRSC does not own dedicated facilities. Field-permit dependency is structurally similar to most NOVA community-and-competitive clubs.

Leadership

  • Richard Shelton — Executive Director (FY2024 compensation $140,000)
  • Krista Gatt — Director AT (FY2024 compensation $86,635)
  • Hillary Winstanley — Director AT (FY2024 compensation $40,395)
  • Ramon Pardo — VP, Travel (FY2024 compensation $22,000)

The relatively heavy executive-comp structure (~$289K total across four named) on $2.77M revenue contributes to the operating-loss profile. Post-DMV FC merger, the staffing structure may still be in transition.

Fees

  • $2,200–$2,350 (NCSL travel)
  • $2,150–$2,650 (EDP travel)

Fees are mid-pack for NOVA. MLS Next / Girls Academy team fees through NVA are typically higher and not separately disclosed in club fee schedules.

Competitive Position

GFRSC is one of the dominant competitive clubs in the western Fairfax / Reston corridor, positioned alongside Loudoun Soccer and Virginia Valor in the NVA alliance. The 2024 DMV FC merger consolidated competitive operations in the catchment, removing one direct competitor and growing GFRSC’s player base. The NVA partnership gives GFRSC elite-pathway access (MLS Next, Girls Academy) without the cost of holding a franchise directly — a structural advantage over peer clubs at this scale that operate only at ECNL-RL.

The competitive zone overlaps directly with Herndon Youth Soccer (community tier) and Loudoun Soccer (much larger volume, also NVA). Within the NVA alliance, GFRSC is a mid-sized member; revenue scale is below Loudoun but operationally comparable.

Industry Context

GFRSC is a useful illustration of how the NOVA alliance model operates in practice: a single competitive club can plug into multiple national-pathway franchises (MLS Next, Girls Academy) through alliance membership without the capital and franchise-fee burden of holding those rights independently. The 2024 DMV FC merger demonstrates the consolidation trend among mid-tier NOVA competitive clubs — combining catchments to defend against larger neighbors and to spread alliance fees across a larger player base.

The financial profile ($2.77M revenue, modest FY2024 loss, $1.24M reserves) is workable but not generous. Compared to FC Richmond (similar revenue, 2x reserves, no operating loss) or Stafford (smaller scale but stronger balance sheet), GFRSC’s financial position has less margin for error during the post-merger integration period.

Open Questions

  • Player count post-DMV FC merger
  • DMV FC integration costs and one-time expense impact on FY2024 loss
  • Long-term NVA alliance terms and revenue-share structure
  • Whether GFRSC and Loudoun Soccer are exploring deeper alliance integration
  • Capital planning for indoor or owned-facility infrastructure

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