WALID AND ZIAD KHOURY have become two of the most recognizable faces and personalities on the sidelines of youth soccer fields all over the nation. They are founders of national powerhouse Slammers, which has consistently been ranked as one of the top 5 clubs in the nation for the past 15 years. Walid and Ziad have developed some of the best players for all levels, both domestically and internationally.
The Khoury brothers have guided Slammers to four Elite Club National League (ECNL) national championships, four US Youth Soccer Association national championships, four US Club Soccer national championships, and three Manchester United world championships. In 2012 and 2016, Slammers was awarded the ECNL Overall Club Championship, one of the most prestigious national awards in youth soccer, which recognizes outstanding performance in competition in every age group throughout the club.
Their teams have won every major tournament in the United States. Together, the Khoury brothers have coached more than 475 athletes who went on to play soccer in all divisions of college, at every level of the US National Team system, in the National Women’s Soccer League, and on international professional teams.
Players they have developed have gone on to become World Cup champions, Olympians, NCAA champions, NCAA Hermann Award winners and finalists, All-Americans, Gatorade Players of the Year and finalists, United States Youth Players of the Year, United States Female Athletes of the Year, and National Women’s Soccer League first-round draft picks. They are both also winners of multiple Coach of the Year awards.
TOMMY LIPS
Soccer Operations | tommy.lips@longislandslammers.com
Tom is a product of Long Island youth soccer, who has returned from a nine year professional soccer career in Europe and the United States. Following his NCAA Division 1 career at Farleigh Dickinson University , Tom played Swiss First Division with FC St. Gallen for 3 years. He competed against some of the top clubs in the world such as Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, VfB Stuttgart and many others.
Tom returned home to play for the New England Revolution under Frank Stapleton and also played for the New York Fever, Long Island Rough Riders, Boston Bulldogs, as well as the Puerto Rican National team.
Tom has also worked for LIJ ODP and NYS ODP as a head coach. For fifteen years Tom was the Boy’s Head Varsity Coach at Smithtown West. Tom is currently the Director of the Smithtown Kickers and Sachem Soccer club. Tom is in his 21st year as a NYS certified Physical Education teacher in the Smithtown School District.
MARK DAWSON
Girls Academy Director | mark.dawson@longislandslammers.com
Mark Dawson has an impressive 23-year career coaching college soccer at both LIU Southhampton and LIU Post. He holds the all-time winningest record in the history of both programs. Dawson currently holds a coaching record of 221-80-28 and became the program's first coach with 200 victories.
Additionally, under his leadership, LIU won eight conference championships and made 10 NCAA tournament appearances. Dawson has also earned Coach of the Year honors six times.