After advancing through the Riverhounds Development Academy (RDA), two players on the boy’s side are ready for the next step in their playing careers.
Cameron Hernandez and Austin Rocke have been accepted into Columbus Crew SC Academy. Hernandez most recently played under coach Dave Nicholas on the Boy’s U-12 team whereas Rocke competed under coach James McCaig on the Boy’s U-15 squad.
Although each player has had and will have different developmental paths moving forward, they both share the distinction of being the first athletes to secure roster spots at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (DA) level of the RDA’s newly announced affiliate.
“This will help give them the resources that will always be available to them through MLS, which is a rarity in the game today,” Riverhounds Sporting Director Jason Kutney said.
Growing up in the RDA program, Hernandez originally played for its Futures Academy when he was 3 years old. This feat was not typical, as children needed to be at least 4 years old to begin training at that time. However, the Hounds obliged to a special evaluation request from his mother Jolene and father Allan and allowed Cameron into the program. Since then, he has become a staple in all programming, including his acceptance into the competitive RDA platform.
Now as Hernandez prepares to join Crew SC Academy, his family plans to move from Pittsburgh to Columbus to help him progress with his training.
“The [RDA] training has been phenomenal and it has really helped to develop and move him to the next level with Columbus Crew and the MLS development academy,” Jolene said.
For the past eight months, Cameron has trained off and on with Crew SC Academy. He tried out and was selected to join this MLS academy for the Generation Adidas Cup in Dallas back in April, helping forge a prior relationship with the Crew SC Academy staff.
“I’m really excited because I’ll get to train at the DA level and I will get to play against DA teams across the country,” Hernandez said.
Unlike the Hernandez family, the Rocke household will remain in Pittsburgh while Austin joins Crew SC Academy. Amy and Jeremy Rocke, Austin’s mother and father, also have two younger children in the RDA program, so it was most beneficial for their family to remain in Pittsburgh.
“The Riverhounds have been very helpful in guiding him since we’ve been here,” Amy said. “They have offered different resources available that they had to help with his development as well as gotten this opportunity where he is able to play for Columbus Crew SC Academy.”
Austin will train in Columbus as much as possible, but will still practice with RDA between his trips to the Ohio state capital.
“All my previous coaches and family has helped me to get here,” Rocke said. “Thanks to my family, all my previous coaches – especially the Hounds staff. I especially want to say thank you to Oz Bakirdan.”
Three years ago, Rocke lived in Illinois where he became acquainted with Bakirdan, the head coach of the men’s soccer program at Illinois Central College. Bakirdan and RDA coach Niko Katic, who previously played soccer at Illinois Central College, have both helped Rocke advance in his soccer career. It was this connection that helped bring Rocke to the RDA program.
“Getting [Cameron and Austin] into a development academy, first and foremost, is great,” Kutney said. “Getting them into an MLS academy beyond that is another step further that will help give them the development they need to play against the best of the best in the country.”
Earlier this month, RDA announced a partnership with Crew SC Academy, which will further align the clubs at the youth development level and help players like Hernandez and Rocke progress with their respective soccer aspirations. Crew SC and the Hounds were already affiliated at the professional level.
For more information on the RDA and Crew SC Academy partnership, click here.
