PITTSBURGH (August 29, 2017) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds continue to build their Partner Club Program, welcoming Fox Chapel Soccer Academy (FCSA) and Upper St. Clair Soccer Program (USC) for the 2017-18 competitive year.
Announced earlier this month, the Partner Club Program will engage in player and coach development programming designed to elevate overall technical competence. Additionally, the Riverhounds will offer a host of resources to the members, including higher-level exposure opportunities that will stimulate player engagement in training sessions while sharing methodology with volunteer coaches who often seek assistance in structuring sessions for young players.
FCSA and USC join the program as north and south partners, respectively, in addition to west partner Central Valley Youth Soccer, which joined at the initial release of the partner program on Aug. 18. All programming with FCSA and USC is set to commence next week.
“We are very excited to partner with the Riverhounds,” Director of FCSA Erik Ingram said. “The vision of FCSA is to bring higher level technical training to the soccer community of Fox Chapel and this partnership will only enhance that vision. The training along with several new elements of the partnership will open doors to our players that they have not had access to in the past.”
The Riverhounds will mobilize staff members for each site, including Academy directors, as well as several members of their first team, including Kevin Kerr, Taylor Washington, Mike Green, Victor Souto, Shane Campbell, Tobi Adewole, Ryan Adeleye, Ben Fitzpatrick, Corey Hertzog and Stephen Okai.
Director of Partnerships James Meara said the professional players were chosen specifically for the Club Partner Program due to their involvement with the Academy on a day-to-day basis.
“Having played professionally for many years, it is clear not all pros are wired to work with children,” Meara said. “I have been so impressed by the level of coaching coming from a special group of pros here in Pittsburgh. These guys are excellent role models and are dedicated to proper skills training.”
With the addition of the Fox Chapel and Upper St. Clair communities, the Riverhounds will actively engage in developmental practices with another 800-plus youth athletes on a weekly basis between the two locations, with most participants between the ages of 8 and 13.
“The partnership with the Riverhounds will open up greater opportunities for our players and coaches over the long term,” said Rob York, USC Travel Soccer Co-Commissioner. “The exposure to the Riverhounds staff, coaches, players, and training will enhance the current level of play across both recreation and travel programs, while having fun and potentially seeking bigger and better opportunities for them.”
The Riverhounds continue to set plans with additional associations to be announced in the coming weeks. For more information on Riverhounds Partner Club Program, contact Meara at jmeara@https://www.riverhounds.com.
