Area Clubs in Pre-Academy League

FC Greater Boston, Oakwood and Seacoast United Part of 12-Team Dockett

January 5, 2009

CHARLESTON, S.C. � Three New England clubs will be among the first 12 teams to participate in the US Club Soccer Northeast Pre-Academy League for U14-15 boys.

FC Greater Boston (Mass.), Oakwood SC (Conn.) and Seacoast United (N.H.) will all be with the new league, which serves as a precursor to the US Development Academy, when it kicks off in February.

As a result of the considerable interest expressed in US Club Soccer playing a more direct role in league development, the organization announced in September that it would begin selectively administering its own regional leagues. The Northeast Pre-Academy League is the first of these leagues to come to fruition.

"[The new league] will enhance these younger-age players' development by applying U.S. Soccer's 'Best Practices,' which emphasizes player development ahead of results and includes a healthier calendar, a better training-to-game ratio and more meaningful games throughout the season,� said Tony Lepore, the Director of Scouting for the Academy and former DOC of Seacoast United.

"The league also provides U.S. Soccer with an opportunity to scout and identify players for U-14 and U-15 national pools and will serve as a great format for USSF scouts and technical advisors to observe and provide ongoing feedback to clubs regarding their approach to developing players at these crucial pre-academy age groups,� Lepore added. �The league will also help future academy players - and their parents - to better understand and prepare for all aspects of the 15/16 and 17/18 U.S. Soccer Development Academy league."

The 12-team Northeast Pre-Academy League features well-known member clubs in seven states. All but one � including the three from New England � are current members of the Development

Academy. Participating clubs include: Albertson SC (N.Y.), Bethesda SC (Md.), Blau Weiss Gottschee (N.Y.), FC Greater Boston Bolts (Mass.), FC Westchester (N.Y.), Match Fit Academy (N.J.), Metropolitan Oval (N.Y.), Oakwood SC (Conn.), PDA (N.J.), PA Classics, Seacoast United (N.H.) and Red Bull (N.Y.).

Each club will support a team in both the U-14 and U-15 age groups.

"We're pleased to be participating with like-minded clubs that place player development above winning trophies," said Gerry McKeown, the PDA Boys' Director of Coaching and also an assistant coach with the U.S. U-15 Boys' National Team. "These clubs understand that player development is the No. 1 priority when it comes to competitive youth soccer."

In the tentative 66-game tentative schedule, all 12 teams will play each opponent once. The teams will not participate in a season-ending playoff, and the champion will be determined based on cumulative points at the end of the regular season.

"The U-14 and U-15 leagues provided by US Club Soccer for Academy clubs in the Northeast will allow the clubs to begin the Academy process two years earlier, and that is a great benefit to our players and the players of the other clubs that are participating," said FC Westchester Director of Coaching David McCollum.

Announcements relating to additional US Club Soccer Regional Leagues will follow.

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