The National Premier Soccer League has announced that LSA Athletico Lanier of Gainesville, Ga. has joined the league as an expansion team.

The club will begin competition in the East Region’s Southeast Conference in 2020.

“We are thrilled to add LSA Athletico Lanier to our Southeast Conference,” NPSL managing director Cindy Spera said. “Adding an NPSL team to an already robust youth program will set them apart from the competition in the region. We are excited to bring this big news to our fans and supporters in Georgia.”

LSA Athletico Lanier is led by owner-general manager Raul Menjivar.

“LSA offers the opportunity to start at the academy level and make it to the top team,” Menjivar said. “We are focused on player development and the future of our players.”

Menjivar played soccer at LSA from Under-12 through U-19 and then joined the military, completing multiple overseas tours over eight years in the U.S. Navy. He attended the University of North Georgia and Truett McConnell College. He has been working at LSA Academy for five years and coaches the U-14 Development Academy team.

“LSA’s expectation is to come into the league and compete at the highest level,” Menjivar said. “Making the playoffs in the first year would be a great accomplishment.”

Home matches for LSA Athletico Lanier will be played at Allen Creek Soccer Complex in Gainesville, Ga. The complex features nine fields and a 2,500-seat stadium.

“There has been a tremendous wave of excitement for the sport of soccer in this region of the U.S.,” NPSL director of membership development Dina Case said. “The strong support in this region coupled with LSA Athletico Lanier’s affiliation with a well-established youth club is a great recipe for success. We are confident that the club will be an asset to Southeast Conference. And we are excited that they have decided to continue to build their brand in the NPSL.”

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.