PITTSBURGH (August 18, 2017) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have formed a partnership with Central Valley Youth Soccer for the 2017-2018 competitive year.
The partnership, which involves a host of benefits for the youth organization that primarily serves Center Township and Monaca, officially kicked off this past week at Center Grange Primary School where the Riverhounds provided technical development for travel players between the ages of Under-10 and Under-14.
The Central Valley Youth Soccer Club (CVYS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, offers structured soccer programming to a base of more than 500 players. Beyond its main player draw in Center and Monaca, the club works with children from Rochester, New Brighton and Aliquippa, all organized to provide a fun, safe and stable soccer environment in western Pennsylvania.
In June, the Riverhounds launched a 10-week skill-development program for select players in Central Valley, which set wheels in motion for the final agreement.
“We are excited to be partnered with the Riverhounds on the common vision of offering professional training in order to develop technically advanced player skills,” said Brian Taylor, CVYS president. “Central Valley and the extended community will greatly benefit with having Riverhounds training in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.”
The Riverhounds will host players, families and coaches from Central Valley at an upcoming professional match at Highmark Stadium as part of a CVYS Club Night. Additionally, the relationship will tap into unique short and long-term opportunities by way of the Riverhounds’ ties to the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), Columbus Crew SC Academy and US Soccer Federation.
The partnership is the first of several that are expected to be announced over the coming weeks, all intended to develop a stronger relationship that extends Riverhounds resources to local soccer leaders seeking the optimization of player participation within their communities.
“In the U.S., younger and younger players are leaving community clubs in search of competitive team platforms,” Riverhounds Sporting Director Jason Kutney said. “This shift means players between the ages of 8-11 are beginning to focus more and more on tactics of game preparation and less and less on technique and skill development.
“While these partnerships stretch beyond offering just training, a common goal is to offer fun and engaging platforms of skill development to players in their own backyards with their friends, so we can all develop more self-confident and self-aware players who are better prepared for games when they begin to take on meaning.”
The CVYS-Riverhounds initiative will be fully managed by the newly appointed Director of Partnerships, James Meara. Meara has been active with Kutney in bringing several community club partnerships to final agreements and is currently fielding new interest from clubs around western Pennsylvania.
