Jesters add Academy player Paul Richard III to NPSL squad

Photo credit: Derek Hingle

New Orleans, LA.  The New Orleans Jesters have added academy player Paul Richard to the senior NPSL squad ahead of the 2024 NPSL season. A native of New Orleans, LA, Paul Richard has played for the New Orleans Jesters Youth Academy since he was eight years old and now joins the senior team as he continues his soccer development.

Jesters head coach Kenny Farrell thinks Richard has a bright future,

“Paul is still only 17 years old but he is ready to join the senior team. It’s a big step up from youth soccer to the men’s game but the principles are the same and I’m looking forward to watching him compete on a national platform in the NPSL.

He has worked hard throughout his career starting with Carrollton Boosters, Jesters and at school with Newman and we will take him with the team for the first match this Sunday in Pensacola.”

Paul Richard III, started his soccer pathway with the Carrollton Boosters soccer program and then joined the New Orleans Jesters Academy when he was eight years old.  Richard is a member of the powerhouse Isidore Newman School varsity soccer team which has won ten state championships, most recently in 2022.

The New Orleans Jesters first home match is set for Saturday May 18 vs Columbus United FC.  The game is at Pan American Stadium, City Park; gates open at 6:00 PM with kick off set for 7:00 PM ($10, www.nolajesters.com).  

ABOUT THE NEW ORLEANS JESTERS

Established in 2003, the New Orleans Jesters are the leading soccer team in New Orleans,

Louisiana. The team competes in the Gulf Coast Sunshine Division of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), and they play their home games at Pan-American Stadium. The stadium was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but it was rebuilt by the community ahead of the 2008 season. Since then, it has continued to be the home of the Jesters, serving as a reminder of the city and the club’s resilience.