Princeton Soccer Academy (PSA)
EIN: 85-3816774 · Tax status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Overview
Princeton Soccer Academy (PSA) is a youth soccer organization headquartered in Mercer County, New Jersey, operating under the legal entity Princeton Soccer Academy NJ (EIN: 85-3816774, Randolph, NJ). The club runs three geographically separate branches under a unified PSA brand:
- PSA Princeton — Mercer County (headquarters location)
- PSA Monmouth — Monmouth County; headquartered in Tinton Falls, NJ; founded as a separate branch in 2018
- PSA North — Essex, Morris, and Passaic Counties
Each branch has its own regional director and coaching staff, but operates under shared core values — Humility & Respect, Unity, Accountability, and Professionalism — and a common mission: “Provide an elite player development environment for children at every level of the game, that is safe, enjoyable, and competitive in nature.”
Boys’ and girls’ teams from U7 to U19 are offered across all locations, with players placed by professional coaching staff at the appropriate competitive level. Programs include Development Center, Junior Academy, Camps, Clinics, Futsal Academy, Summer Series, and Winter Tournament Series, varying by location.
Financials
FY 2023 (990-EZ filing, HIGH):
- Total Revenue: $54,974
- Total Expenses: $21,199
- Net Assets: $83,449
The 990-EZ filing (simplified form for smaller organizations) reflects a lean headquarters entity. The low revenue figure likely indicates the legal entity covers only part of the PSA operation — possibly the PSA Princeton branch or a central coordination entity — while the Monmouth and North branches may operate under separate legal structures or fiscal arrangements. The relatively high net assets ($83,449) relative to revenue suggest accumulated reserves from prior years.
Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 85-3816774, FY2023.
Note: The 990-EZ format means detailed program revenue, compensation, and expense breakdowns are not available. The consolidated three-branch operation is almost certainly larger than this single entity’s financials suggest.
Teams & Players
PSA offers a full age-group range from U7 to U19 across boys and girls at all three locations. Specific team counts by location are not published. The multi-branch model allows PSA to serve a broad geographic corridor across central and northern New Jersey — from Mercer County south of Trenton to the Essex/Morris/Passaic suburbs northwest of Newark.
Programs are tiered by competitive level, from recreational development through elite academy:
- Development Center (PSA Princeton)
- Junior Academy (PSA Monmouth, PSA North)
- Summer Series / Tournament Teams (PSA Monmouth)
- Futsal Academy (PSA Princeton, PSA Monmouth)
- ECNL / ECNL2 elite track (PSA Monmouth, as of 2025-26)
League Affiliations
- ECNL Boys — North Atlantic Conference (PSA Monmouth, promoted for 2025-26)
- ECNL Girls — active affiliation (specific branch not specified)
- ECNL2 — referenced on website
- USYS National League — Members
- EDP Soccer — Competitive teams
- MNJYSA — Local league
The most significant recent development is PSA Monmouth’s promotion into the ECNL Boys – North Atlantic Conference for the 2025-26 season, announced in March 2025. PSA Monmouth was among four clubs added to the North Atlantic, joining Delaware FC, Philadelphia Ukrainians, and South Jersey Elite Barons (SJEB). The promotion followed strong performance in ECNL Boys Regional League play, including a U18/19 playoff win and U16 top-4 finish. Boys Director of Coaching Dan Lawson described the promotion as “a tremendous honor” reflecting the membership’s commitment.
Facilities
Specific facility locations are not listed publicly on the PSA website. PSA Princeton operates in Mercer County; PSA Monmouth is based in Tinton Falls, NJ; PSA North spans Essex, Morris, and Passaic Counties. Whether any location owns dedicated fields or relies on municipal or shared facilities is not publicly documented.
Leadership
- Christian Sanje — PSA Princeton Boys & Girls Director
- Dan Lawson — PSA Monmouth Regional Director; Boys Director of Coaching (led ECNL promotion process)
- Hass Zerban — PSA North Regional Director; Boys Director of Coaching (North)
- Gary Williams — ECNL-RL Director & ECNL Head Coach (referenced in earlier sources)
Board/executive leadership for the legal entity (Princeton Soccer Academy NJ) is not publicly detailed on the website.
Competitive Position
The PSA Monmouth branch’s promotion to ECNL Boys places PSA in the highest tier of independent boys club soccer in the United States. The ECNL Boys – North Atlantic is a competitive conference; gaining promotion via the Regional League pathway (rather than as a founding member) signals that PSA Monmouth has been building competitive depth over the 2022–2025 period since the branch’s founding in 2018.
The three-location model gives PSA a geographic footprint that few New Jersey clubs match. With PSA North covering the densely populated suburban corridor between Newark and the Poconos, PSA Monmouth covering the Shore area, and PSA Princeton in the capital region, the club can draw players and coaches from across the most populous parts of the state without being tied to a single facility or community.
Industry Context
New Jersey is one of the most competitive youth soccer markets in the country, with clubs like PDA, NJSA 04, Red Bulls Academy, and others competing intensely for the top 10–15% of youth players. PSA’s three-branch model is an unusual structural response to that fragmented geography — rather than operating a single elite academy, it replicates a consistent development program across multiple regional hubs.
The ECNL promotion for PSA Monmouth (2025-26) elevates the overall PSA brand and is likely to drive enrollment interest at all three branches, even though only the Monmouth location directly competes at ECNL Boys level. This kind of halo effect — where one elite branch lifts the perceived quality of a multi-location organization — is a well-documented pattern in club soccer development.
The financial profile (small registered entity, 990-EZ filing) suggests the legal structure may not fully capture the organization’s operational scale. This is common for clubs that have grown through branch expansion without reorganizing their legal entity structure. The actual combined program revenues across all three branches are almost certainly substantially higher than the $55K captured in the registered entity’s 990.
Open Questions
- Legal relationship between PSA Princeton (EIN 85-3816774) and PSA Monmouth / PSA North — are they separate entities, DBAs, or unincorporated branches?
- Combined player count and revenue across all three branches
- Girls ECNL affiliation level and which branch holds it
- Facility ownership or lease terms at any location
- Who are the founders and when was the overarching PSA brand established?