Building Pathways, Not Just Players
- Jason Longshore
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Steve Cooke’s Mission at Lexington SC
When Steve Cooke talks about his new life at Lexington Sporting Club, he doesn’t lead with wins, losses, or signings. He leads with people.
That alone tells you everything you need to know about why his role now carries more titles than most business cards can hold: Youth Academy Director, College Advisory Program Director, and a key technical voice across both the men’s and women’s professional sides in the USL Championship and Super League.
For listeners of SDH AM, Cooke is more than a guest. He is a longtime friend of the show and a familiar voice in American soccer circles, formerly the manager of Atlanta United 2, with stops that also include Seattle Sounders and Colorado Rapids. His résumé is deep, but his current mission in Lexington is even deeper.
“My role now is less team building and more club building,” Cooke said. “And those are very different things.”
From Building Teams to Building Clubs
Cooke knows both worlds intimately.
As a head coach, the job is inherently short term: prepare for Saturday, manage a roster, chase results. But in Lexington, his lens has widened. He now thinks in three to five year windows, focused on creating sustainable systems for players, coaches, and families.
That philosophy is already reshaping Lexington SC’s technical identity.
The club’s U-20 academy side reached the USL Academy Finals, finishing third nationally with one of the youngest rosters in the competition, including a 15 year old starter. But for Cooke, trophies are secondary to trajectory.
“We’re really proud of this group because it’s a true reserve team environment,” he explained. “Helping players along the pathway, that’s what I did in Atlanta, and that’s what we’re doing here.”
Players are cycling in from different backgrounds: former professionals reigniting careers, college players seeking opportunity, and young homegrowns stepping into elite environments earlier than ever. The objective is clear: integrate them with the first team and give them meaningful professional minutes.
That same pathway thinking now defines every layer of the club.
A Non-Traditional Market, Built the Right Way
Lexington may not carry the branding of Atlanta, Seattle, or Los Angeles, but Cooke believes its positioning is a competitive advantage.
Five hours from Atlanta. A few from Nashville. An hour from Cincinnati. Indianapolis within reach. Chicago not far.
Lexington sits in the middle of a regional soccer corridor, rich in talent and opportunity, even if it lacks the population density of major metros.
“In large cities, sometimes the top players come through no matter what,” Cooke said. “Here, we have to be more intentional. We have to identify the right ones and invest deeply in them.”
That intentionality is backed by real infrastructure. Lexington SC’s ownership has poured resources into facilities, training grounds, and long term planning, giving Cooke what he calls one of the most impressive environments he has worked in.
But again, the conversation always comes back to people.
“They’ve built something for generations to come,” he said. “Not just a team, a club.”
The College Advisory Program: A Different Kind of Pipeline
Perhaps the most impactful piece of Cooke’s new portfolio is also the one that never appeared in his original job description: the College Advisory Program.
It started as a passion project.
When Cooke arrived in Lexington, he saw a large youth foundation filled with talented players and families who often had no roadmap for navigating college soccer, academics, scholarships, financial aid, or the rapidly changing world of NIL and the transfer portal.
So he built one.
Not a placement service.
Not a recruiting agency.
But a guidance model.
“It’s about giving families the best possible advice,” Cooke said. “Not just where to play soccer, but what kind of life and education fits that player.”
Some athletes thrive at major universities in big cities. Others need smaller environments with personal attention. Some are ready to compete immediately. Others need time. The program exists to help families make informed decisions, not rushed ones.
And in today’s landscape, that guidance matters more than ever.
“The college system in this country keeps players in the game longer,” Cooke said. “You get an education while you’re doing it, and a lot of professionals come through that pathway later.”
Mentorship in an Era of Chaos
Between NIL deals, transfer portals, and shifting recruiting calendars, the college landscape is chaotic even for insiders. For families encountering it for the first time, it can be overwhelming.
Cooke sees mentorship as the program’s real value.
He meets directly with families. He asks hard questions. Sometimes he delivers uncomfortable truths. Other times, he pushes players toward opportunities they never thought possible, academically and athletically.
“It’s about serving them,” he said. “Not just for what they give us on the field, but for who they become off it.”
One story captures the heart of the program: a first generation student who recently earned a near full ride to college.
“He’s going to change his life,” Cooke said. “And his family’s life. And generations after that.”
For Cooke, that impact outweighs any scoreboard.
A Model That Feels Familiar in Atlanta
For Atlanta soccer fans, much of this will sound familiar.
Cooke’s thinking mirrors what he helped shape during his time with Atlanta United 2, the balance between winning today and developing tomorrow, between performance and potential.
He remembers the daily debates: Who is ready? Who needs patience? When do you push a teenager into professional minutes?
“It’s never an easy picture,” he said. “But if you get too rigid, you’re going to struggle.”
That flexibility now defines Lexington SC’s identity, not just as a professional club, but as a developmental ecosystem that connects youth, college, and the pro game under one vision.
More Than Soccer
In the end, Cooke keeps coming back to one simple truth:
soccer careers are short, lives are not.
“These young people are going to be good citizens far longer than any soccer career will last,” he said. “Our obligation is to help them become better people.”
That philosophy explains why his energy seems renewed in Lexington. Why he talks more about families than formations. Why his proudest moments involve dinner table conversations, not highlight reels.
And why his growing list of titles feels less like a burden and more like a responsibility.
At Lexington Sporting Club, Steve Cooke is not just building teams.
He is building futures.