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Felix Brillant was one of four former Crusaders drafted into MLS last month |
General Manager Joe Bradley insists there is no secret formula to the club’s success. Established in 1994, the Crusaders are part of the Mass Premier Soccer organization, whose mission is to increase the opportunities for young soccer players throughout the state. Players as young as nine attend schools of excellence and play for the different age group teams run by MPS. Bradley is particularly proud of this ‘family’ aspect:
“We try to treat our young players in the same way we treat the Crusaders first team. They are reminded that they represent us at all times. The boys who play for the Bulldogs teams and the girls on the young Renegades are taught the importance of punctuality and discipline. Grounding like this stands them in good stead for what they may face, should they ever make it to the professional arena. Also, treating them as young adults can only be beneficial to them as people.”
The current Crusaders first team has benefited from this professional approach and the continuity which enables players to progress through different age group levels and, hopefully, into the first team.
“Our PDL squad players are treated like full-time professional athletes,” says Bradley. “The players train every day during the season and are taught about the things which can affect the lives of top level sportsmen. We have sessions on media training and game day protocol. Furthermore, the players are our ambassadors in local communities. We are very proud of our ‘Crusade for Health’ program, where our players visit local schools to talk to students about leading healthy lives and making the right choices. The program also showcases our organization and promotes our camps, at which our players work during the summer.”
Luke Vercollone is a prime example of a player who has come through the ranks of the Crusaders. A native of Pembroke, MA, the player Bradley describes as ‘a coaches dream’ for his work rate and enthusiasm, has been involved in the Crusaders set up for the past three years. Younger brother Christian still is and hopes to follow in the footsteps of his older sibling. The Crusaders really are indebted to Luke and Christian’s parents, not only for their outstandingly talented sons, but also because Mr. Vercollone runs a bus company, which provides transport for the team!
All four of the successful draft entrants have been on the books of the Crusaders for at least two years but are not all local boys made good. The Crusaders roster comprises players from across the country and beyond. Joseph Ngwenya hails originally from Zimbabwe and went to college in Carolina. So how did he end up on the Cape? Bradley uses this example to demonstrate the importance of contacts and connections when it comes to recruiting.
“It is not always possible for our coaches and staff to travel to see players who we are interested in. However, over the years we have developed our scouting network to the extent where we know people throughout the country and beyond, whose opinions we trust. With Ngwenya, for example, our coach Mthembe Ndlovu is also a Zimbabwean and had heard about Joseph. So we got in touch with his college coach and took things from there. Ian Pilarski was playing college ball at Cornell, where the head coach is Bryan Scales, a good friend of mine.
“It is great that we do have some home-grown players in the squad but we are in the business of trying to win PDL titles and developing the best players we can. If the players come from out of the state or even nation then so be it. Next season we have a New Zealand international named Tony Lockhart coming to play for us. We have taken him on recommendations from our contacts on the west coast, where he plays for the University of Santa Barbara.”
As the club enters its second decade in existence, its recruiting net is expanding still further. As well as entering MLS, recent Crusaders have pursued their soccer careers throughout the world. Goalkeeper Russell Payne plays in Germany and Nicola Keiko has recently signed a deal to play in Serie B, the second division in the world famous Italian league. Bradley believes that PDL clubs have carved out their own niche within US soccer and that they act as a crucial link between the game in colleges and the professional world.
“In high schools there is still a lot of emphasis on fitness and physique over and above working with the ball. Of course it is important but should not be seen as the be all and end all. In our training sessions we use the ball as much as possible to constantly develop and improve technique. Already we can see the benefits as our young nine and ten year olds are at a more advanced level in terms of their technique than players of a similar age were when we started ten years ago.”
With the Cape Cod Crusaders and their female counterparts, the 2001 and 2002 national champion Boston Renegades, leading the way, Bradley believes that soccer in New England can continue to be seen as a benchmark for the USA, and that the rest of the world is starting to take notice:
“Ten years ago when we started, soccer was a three month sport in New England. Now it is possible to play it year round, and the work we have put in is paying off. The American soccer scene is being taken more and more seriously with some of our top players achieving success overseas. Young players continue to love the sport and with the quality of coaching available on the rise, the opportunities for soccer are endless.”
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