RICHMOND, VA – (Monday, February 22, 2010) – The Richmond Kickers and Chesterfield United are pleased to announce a club/player development alliance that will focus on increasing and enhancing player development opportunities in the Chesterfield County region. The alliance initially focuses on friendly matches, tournament cooperation and Super Y-League but could expand to other areas in the future.
Chesterfield United FC players will have the opportunity to participate in the Richmond Kickers Super-Y program in the age groups of U13-U16. In addition the Kickers and United FC will run their own U9-U12 summer academy programs but come together to enhance training and offer competitions within these age groups as well.
On Sunday February 21st the clubs played friendlies at Ukrop Park to kick off the relationship. In addition, United FC players are invited to participate in tryouts and play in the Super Y-League program, which will take place this summer. To enhance the relationship, the Richmond Kickers Professional team will play an exhibition match against Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) at 7:00 pm on Saturday March 6th at Ukrop Park during the Chesterfield United Icebreaker tournament. Tickets are $5.00 and are on sale now at RichmondKickers.com.
“I would like to thank Chesterfield United’s staff and board members for committing to a new vision for Chesterfield County soccer” comments Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer. “The close proximity of the club’s facilities, coupled with the shared vision of placing our players and community first, will foster a meaningful Super-Y partnership that will benefit all players in the region.”
“As a club we are committed to player development and working with organizations such as the Kickers that share a common vision and goal,” explains Kevin Darcy, United FC Technical Director. “More than the geographic sense with this relationship is the fact that their club model offers some layers of player development and opportunities that we don’t directly offer. These layers are in reach for many of our players and providing a pathway for these players is a priority for United FC. The greater Richmond area is rich in soccer talent and it is encouraging to build trust and work with clubs to enhance the experience and pathway for the players.”
About the USL Super-Y League:
The Super Y-League is a national system designed for talented youth players destined for college, professional or international careers. The league compliments the Richmond Kickers and Chesterfield United FC’s vision of providing superior training and highly competitive games for elite players. The Kickers will host tryouts for the 2010 season at their state-of-the-art facility, Ukrop Park on February 17 and 20. Register online at RichmondKickers.com.
The Richmond Kickers Super Y-League teams will play approximately 10-12 games throughout the summer, June through August. The Kickers will compete in the South Atlantic Division, which is comprised of Alpharetta United (GA), Atlanta Fire United (GA), Fredericksburg Area Soccer Association (VA), Northern Virginia Majestics and Royals (VA), NOVA FC (VA) and Triangle FC (NC). Training and home games will take place at Ukrop Park.
The coaching staff will be comprised of former professional soccer players and nationally licensed coaches such as Leigh Cowlishaw, Ihor Dotsenko, Rob Ukrop, Andy McIntosh and Mark Fowler and may be complimented with Chesterfield United FC coaches.
The USL Super Y-League represents a professionalized system that is the first step for developing elite youth soccer players in North America. Affiliated with U.S. Soccer the league is designed for talented youth players destined for professional or international careers. The league contains the youth academies of USL First Division, USL Second Division, Premier Development League, W-League, and Major League Soccer clubs, as well as many of the established premier youth clubs. Through Olympic Development Program status events such as the North American Finals and ODP National Camps, the nation’s top players are identified for selection to U.S. National Team Programs.
About the Richmond Kickers:
The Richmond Kickers Soccer Club provides high quality and diverse, yet affordable soccer programs for soccer players of all ages and abilities. A metropolitan club, the Kickers offer year-round programs throughout Richmond. The nationally renowned Club Model exemplifies the vertically integrated player development system, with little KICKS (ages 2-6) serving as the foundation and the Richmond Kickers professional team as the pinnacle.
Today over 6,000 soccer players participate in programs sponsored by the Kickers and partner clubs, including Midlothian Youth Soccer League, Ashland Youth Soccer League, City of Richmond Parks and Rec., Goochland United Soccer Association and little KICKS. Named as one of only 30 adidas Sports Marketing Clubs in the U.S., the club provides opportunities for all players of all abilities and unites soccer in the Central Virginia community. Benefits include economy of scale, consistency of coaching philosophy, professional administrative and coaching staff expertise, positive role models for youth players and a clear pathway from youth to pro for aspiring young players.
About the Chesterfield United FC:
The Chesterfield United FC is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization based out of Richmond, Virginia. United FC has partnerships with some of the top organizations and facilities in Central Virginia including Chesterfield County’s Harry G Daniel Ironbridge Park for its outdoor programming as well as the Sports Center of Richmond (SCOR) indoor for youth programming and for Richmond United FC, a PASL minor league team, which serves as the top of the club pyramid. The club offers a variety of playing level options (recreation, developmental & travel), cost packages, and opportunities for youth and adults alike. United FC aims to pioneer, develop, and continuously be on the cutting edge of youth soccer in the greater Richmond area and the country. Click here to view the United FC 2010 programming guide
