OPL State Cup - Oregon Premier League
Oregon Premier League Unifies Youth Soccer by Encouraging Clubs
to Enter Teams in Oregon Youth Soccer Association Fall 2015 Leagues
PORTLAND, OR - June 2015 - The Oregon Premier League (OPL) announced today that it will not run competitive youth soccer leagues for U10-U14 classic soccer teams for the fall 2015 season.& Instead, the OPL is recommending that all clubs in the state of Oregon and southwest Washington register their younger teams this fall in the leagues run by the Oregon Youth Soccer Association (OYSA).
This represents a change in strategic direction, as for the past several years the OPL has successfully operated competitive fall leagues, as an alternative to leagues run by OYSA.& &We have carefully weighed and considered all of the trade-offs with respect to competitive youth soccer leagues this fall,& said Tom Atencio, OPL President, &and we&ve decided that encouraging clubs to register their teams in OYSA leagues this fall will ultimately be in the best interests of our young competitive players.&
Encouraging OPL member clubs to register with OYSA this fall will result in more teams in each league at each age group.& &This will allow divisions to be created with teams more similar in ability, evening out the competition at each level, and reducing the number of lopsided contests,& said Angela Harrison, OPL Director of Operations, &This will also enable OYSA to create schedules that have fewer instances of multiple games against the same opponent, so all teams see a wider variety of equally-matched competition.&
However, these benefits won&t come without some cost.& All youth soccer clubs should expect to incur an increase of approximately 25% in league and tournament fees.& One of the OPL&s missions was to drive the cost of youth soccer as low as possible.& This year a U10-U14 team that would have paid $600 for the OPL fall 2015 league, $500 for the OPL spring 2016 league, and $400 for the OPL state cup tournament, will now pay $800 for the OYSA fall 2015 league, $750 for the OYSA spring league, and $600 for the Timbers & Thorns state cup tournament.& This represents an increase from $1500 per team to about $2150 per team.& Smaller clubs will see an overall annual increase of around $, while larger clubs may see annual cost increases of $10,000-$12,500.& Some clubs may need to raise their club fees, while others may be able to cover the additional cost by eliminating some other programs.
Clubs will also experience a change in sanctioning organizations, that provide player and coach registration services, but there will not be any significant change in overall cost.& OYSA registers players and coaches through the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), while the OPL registers players through US Club Soccer (USCS).& Player and coach registration fees range between $10 to $18 per individual, depending on age and competitive level, for either sanctioning organization.
Families should expect to see a minor increase in email advertising and marketing.& The OPL kept its families& email address database confidential and secure, using it only for directly relevant OPL league information (such as this press release).& Entering teams in the OYSA fall 2015 leagues requires disclosure of families& email address information to the Portland Timbers, who will be able to use them for advertising and marketing purposes.& However, we expect this inconvenience to be minimal, and will not promote any individual club&s programs over another&s.
Even though it will not offer competitive leagues this fall, the OPL will continue its operations with the goal to serve youth soccer players in the state of Oregon and southwest Washington in the best ways possible.&& The OPL will continue to run other programs including northwest champions league (NWCL), USClubSoccer national premier league (NPL), and USClubSoccer national identification development program (ID2).& Other programs are also being considered.
There are no formal agreements between the OPL, OYSA, or Portland Timbers.& The OPL is merely encouraging its member youth soccer clubs to register their teams in OYSA leagues this fall.& All financial transactions will be strictly between each club and the Portland Timbers (for team league and tournament fees), and the OYSA (for player and coach registration fees).& &We would like to thank the OPL coaches and staff for an excellent job in running leagues and tournaments over the past several years,& said Mark Olen, OPL Advisor, &We agree with their decision that the OPL should take the first step toward unifying youth soccer in the state of Oregon and southwest Washington, and that the best interests of the kids should always supersede the interests of any organization.&
In summary, after carefully weighing and considering all of the trade-offs, Atencio added, &the OPL is convinced that unifying competitive youth soccer in the state of Oregon and southwest Washington this fall outweighs the trade-offs. The OPL was formed to prioritize the best interests of the kids over all others, and we intend to stay true to that mission.&& If you have additional questions, please direct them to your local youth soccer club&s Director of Coaching.
Birth Year:
Julian Anderson
Ocean, N.J.
Luis Arriaga
Santa Rosa, Calif.
Santa Rosa United
Ed Berumen
Salida, Calif.
Modesto Ajax United
Eduardo Blancas
Napa, Calif.
Napa Valley FC
Judson Burns
Argyle, Texas
Andromeda FC
Dominic De Almeida
Lincoln Park, N.J.
Jesus Esparza
Newark, Calif.
Palo Alto SC
Angel Flores
Carlsbad, Calif.
Carlsbad United FC
Abraham Gonzalez
Riverside, Calif.
FC Golden State
Azriel Gonzalez
Las Vegas, Nev.
Luke Hansen
Littleton, Colo.
Colorado Rush SC
Bryang Kayo
Montgomery Village, Md.
Bethesda SC
Lorenzo Lopez
Oregon City, Ore.
Crossfire Oregon SC
Cole McNally
Mt. Airy, Md.
Baltimore Celtic SC
Togo Nakamura
Torrance, Calif.
Leonardo Sepulveda
Corona, Calif.
Noah Thomas
Lakewood, Wash.
Washington Premier FC
Donovan Wu
Medford, N.J.
FC Continental
A National Association member of the U.S. Soccer Federation,&US Club Soccer&is an organization committed to the development and support of soccer clubs in the United States.
US Club Soccer offers youth and adult registration, league- and cup-based competition platforms at the recreational and competitive levels, as well as a variety of other programming, including the Olympic Development Program-sanctioned id2&Program and Player Development Programs.
Through US Club Soccer, all of a club's programs - recreational, competitive and adult - are able to be united under one organizational umbrella, creating a &members for life& culture within each club. US Club Soccer is sponsored by Nike.
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US Club Soccer is proud to announce Kevin Payne as its new CEO, effective immediately. Payne, whose career includes 25 years of high-profile, executive leadership positions within U.S. Soccer and Major League Soccer, adds invaluable expertise and experience to the US Club Soccer front office.
Bill Sage remains as US Club Soccer&s Executive Director.
Payne recently joined the organization as a senior consultant, increasing his familiarity with the nationwide landscape and enhancing US Club Soccer&s commitment to developing clubs and players.
&This is an exciting new chapter for me, and I&m intent on taking US Club Soccer to unprecedented heights,& Payne said. &We&ll continue to find new ways to grow and better our sport in every aspect, including player and club development, coaching education and administration.&
Payne&s resume is well documented among the top levels of the sport. Payne was hired as the National Administrator of U.S. Soccer in 1989 and soon after became its first Deputy Executive Director and Director of Marketing. Two years later, he was named Executive Vice President and eventually President of Soccer USA Partners, the marketing and game promotions partner of U.S. Soccer.
In 1994, he assembled the first ownership group for D.C. United and was a founding member of the MLS Board of Governors. When the MLS began in 1996, Payne also served as the President and General Manager of D.C. United.
The iconic franchise went on to appear in the first four MLS Cup championships, winning three times, in addition to capturing U.S. Open Cup (1996), CONCACAF Champions Cup (1998) and the InterAmerican Cup (1998) titles & the first major international trophies for any American club.
As Managing Director of Soccer for Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Payne helped reorganize MLS in 2000 and became responsible for six of the 10 teams in the professional league.
Three years later, he returned to D.C. United and resumed his President and General Manager tenures. D.C. United subsequently won the MLS Cup the following year. The team went on to claim the 2006 and 2007 Supporters Shield for leading
and in 2008 and 2009, D.C. United made back-to-back Open Cup finals appearances, winning in 2008.
Payne served as a Board Member of the U.S. Soccer Federation from
and maintains his positions as Board Member and Vice Chairman of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, which he&s held since 1999. He also served on the MLS Board of Governors and the MLS Competition Committee from its inception until Sept. 2013.
He chaired the U.S. Soccer Technical Committee from 2007-13 and remains on the Technical Working Group. From 2009-12, Payne served on the FIFA Global Committee for Club Football.
&Adding Kevin to an already experienced staff is an important step for this organization,& US Club Soccer Chairman Phil Wright said. &He will provide additional leadership and direction in reaching our full potential.&
Payne now becomes CEO of US Club Soccer, which has experienced exponential, nationwide growth since its inception 13 years ago. This includes the implementation of key programming elements, such as the National Premier Leagues (NPL) platform, id² Program, National Cup series, DOC Diploma courses and more.
Please direct media inquiries to:
Tyler Heffernan, Communications Manager |&
A National Association member of the U.S. Soccer Federation,&US Club Soccer&is an organization committed to the development and support of soccer clubs in the United States.
US Club Soccer offers youth and adult registration, league- and cup-based competition platforms at the recreational and competitive levels, as well as a variety of other programming, including the Olympic Development Program-sanctioned id2&Program and Player Development Programs.
Through US Club Soccer, all of a club&s programs & recreational, competitive and adult & are able to be united under one organizational umbrella, creating a &members for life& culture within each club. US Club Soccer is sponsored by Nike.
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US Club Soccer is proud to&&with the Surf Cup in San Diego, Calif., and the Jefferson Cup in Richmond, Va., to provide top NPL teams slots at both events in 2015. These prestigious national tournaments will complement the existing US Club Soccer NPL Showcase events to launch the NPL Showcase Series.
The NPL Showcase Series provides NPL players with opportunities to participate in premier national showcase events while competing against top teams from across the country.
Slots in each of the four NPL Showcase Series events will be awarded to top NPL member teams. More details will be made available soon about applications, acceptance and team allocations for all events.
The&2015 NPL Showcase (Boys)&in Las Vegas, hosted by Heat FC, will return next year&.
The 2014-15 NPL Showcase Series:
: Dec. 31, 2014 - Jan. 2, 2015 in Palm Coast, Fla. | Open to U-15 through U-17 girls
: March 6-8, 2015 in Richmond, Va. | Open to U-16 through U-18 boys
NPL Showcase (Boys): Early March 2015 in Las Vegas, Nev. | Open to U-16 through U-18 boys
: Summer 2015 in San Diego, Calif. | Open to U-16 through U-18 boys and girls
&We want our NPL clubs and players to have the opportunity to compete against top teams in the best environments possible, and having berths at the San Diego Surf Cup and the Jefferson Cup help achieve that goal,& said Bill Sage, US Club Soccer&s Executive Director. &The NPL Showcase Series was designed with high-school age players in mind, to help provide more opportunities to be seen by college coaches at high quality tournaments.&
Created in 1981 and entering its 35th&year, the&Surf Cup&has grown to become one of the top college showcases in the country. More than 400 college coaches and scouts have attended each year since its inception.
&We are pleased to have the US Club Soccer NPL teams participate in the San Diego Surf Cup,& said Surf Cup Director Mike Connerley. &These teams will be treated to the Surf Cup experience & an event, not just a tournament. All of the NPL teams will play at a very high quality soccer venue, while showcasing their team in front of the top colleges and universities in the United States.&
The&Jefferson Cup, which enters its 35th&edition in 2015, boasts an impressive array of field complexes, including 24 turf fields for difficult weather conditions, in and around Richmond, Va. While the tournament annually accepts more than 700 teams from throughout the country, its status as a premier showcase event has caused officials to turn down about 500 teams per year in the past four years.
&This new relationship with US Club Soccer, the NPL and the Surf Cup only increases the value and experience of the Jefferson Cup Tournament Series,& Chris Friant, Jefferson Cup Director, said. &The Jefferson Cup and the Surf Cup are both outstanding events, and now NPL teams and players will have the&opportunity to showcase their talents on both coasts on the best fields, in the best environments and in front of&hundreds of college coaches.&
US Club Soccer&s&2014-15 NPL Showcase (Girls)&will be held Dec. 31-Jan. 2 at Indian Trails Sports Complex in Palm Coast, Fla. Top-performing teams from the previous NPL season are given priority in the&. Sept. 30 is the deadline to submit applications. A number of elite teams&&to compete.
ABOUT US CLUB SOCCER:
A National Association member of the U.S. Soccer Federation, US Club Soccer is an organization committed to the development and support of soccer clubs in the United States.
US Club Soccer offers youth and adult registration, league- and cup-based competition platforms at the recreational and competitive levels, as well as a variety of other programming, including the Olympic Development Program-sanctioned id² Program and Player Development Programs.
Through US Club Soccer, all of a club&s programs & recreational, competitive and adult & are able to be united under one organizational umbrella, creating a &members for life& culture within each club. US Club Soccer is sponsored by Nike and Army National Guard.
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The Oregon Premier League kicks off our fifth year of league play this season, and while 5 years may not seem like a long time, in the youth sports world, it's an important milestone to cross for long-term viability.&
Our fifth year kicks off among a flurry of changes, chiefly the move to small-sided at the U11 age group. Moving from a 11 a-side format to 9 a-side put the OPL on par with long-term player development practices around the world. Initially passed at the 2014 AGM as a move to 8 a-side, which is similar to European youth leagues, the league agreed to shift to 9 a-side over the summer to make the transition as easy as possible for teams who were playing in regional tournaments that were 9v9.&
&This is a move that's been in&the making for several years,& said Tualatin Hills United SC Director of Coaching Tom Atencio. &We have been looking for the right time to move forward with this, and the time is now. We want to give our players every opportunity to turn
the players are at an age where they are at a&peak in their development, and this gives them a chance to see the attacking and defending principles in more clear situations in smaller numbers, so they can practice and execute under pressure. Playing on the bigger fields does not lend to teaching effective and composed decision making - the games turns in to 'boot ball.'&&
One of the other primary reasons for the delay in moving to small-sided is the budgetary impact the move has on our participating&clubs. Smaller fields are needed, as well as smaller goals to keep the game on par with what is age appropriate. This means renting other fields, if necessary, and buying smaller goals and nets.&&The OPL has been talking with clubs about a potential move to small-sided for a few years, with the hope of giving clubs advanced notice to begin working these new costs into their yearly budgets. Additionally, the OPL has&worked hard over the last several years to keep our league fees low so that clubs might be able to save money on their registration fees to begin to budget for these new costs to their programs.&
Another big change for the U11s is the introduction of a rule that prohibits punts and drop-kicks from the goalkeeper.&With the study of the effect of concussions on brains still new to science, doctors and specialists are only now developing tools to assess the full scope of brain injuries in quantitative and qualitative ways. While the OPL is cautious about labeling this new rule&a &heading issue,& the larger issue we are hoping to address is the&prevention of head trauma.
&The OPL is not aiming to remove heading from the game entirely,&&OPL Director of Operations&Angela Harrison comments.&&Players do need to learn how to head the ball properly, at a developmentally appropriate level. What we are doing is removing the instances of a ball dropping 30-40 feet out of the air and straight on to a player's head, who can't use proper technique to support themselves, nor may their muscular and skeletal frame be developmentally able to handle it.&&
Many studies have shown&concussions from heading are typically&whiplash injury, with the side and rear of the brain most affected by repeated heading.&The change in the rule will hopefully reduce instances where players&are asked to head the ball time and time again during one game, putting them at a high risk for TBI/concussions with what's referred to as &2nd impact syndrome.& This&is when a person suffers a second serious blow to their head before symptoms of a first blow have subsided - which can occur minutes, days, and even weeks after the initial concussion. &Often times at this age, the more common cause of concussion/TBI in soccer players is several small instances in a short period of time that is seriously damaging for young players, rather than one big blow causing a concussion, which does happen from time to time.&
Lastly, another significant change is the removal of the NPL designation from the U11 and U12 divisions, instead using the &Premier& designation for the top division. The NPL () does not carry U11/12 divisions, so there is no need to enforce the same restrictions on those divisions, especially as it relates to participation in the OPL Director's Cup. In 2012 and 2013, the OPL began restricting participation in the Director's Cup tournaments to teams in the First Divisions and lower to ensure an enjoyable, competitive opportunity for those teams. However,&fully aware of the value many teams place on this tournament as a fun, end-of-season opportunity for teams to look at their progress, the OPL re-opened the tournament to the premier level teams, and will have gold and silver divisions again for the first time since 2011.&
The progress has, at times, been slow, but the OPL continues&our aim to serve our member clubs in a positive capacity, enabling each club to guide their growth and development according to their own beliefs and values. The league has seen our member clubs grow in size as well as make positive strides and player and team development, and will continue to support these clubs in their missions of providing invaluable opportunities within their communities for youth players to grow as players and individuals. Here's to another five years!&
OPL to Unify Youth Soccer
Oregon Premier League Unifies Youth Soccer by Encouraging Clubs
to Enter Teams in Oregon Youth Soccer Association Fall 2015 Leagues
PORTLAND, OR - June 2015 - The Oregon Premier League (OPL) announced today that it will not run competitive youth soccer leagues for U10-U14 classic soccer teams for the fall 2015 season.& Instead, the OPL is recommending that all clubs in the state of Oregon and southwest Washington register their younger teams this fall in the leagues run by the Oregon Youth Soccer Association (OYSA).
This represents a change in strategic direction, as for the past several years the OPL has successfully operated competitive fall leagues, as an alternative to leagues run by OYSA.& &We have carefully weighed and considered all of the trade-offs with respect to competitive youth soccer leagues this fall,& said Tom Atencio, OPL President, &and we&ve decided that encouraging clubs to register their teams in OYSA leagues this fall will ultimately be in the best interests of our young competitive players.&
Encouraging OPL member clubs to register with OYSA this fall will result in more teams in each league at each age group.& &This will allow divisions to be created with teams more similar in ability, evening out the competition at each level, and reducing the number of lopsided contests,& said Angela Harrison, OPL Director of Operations, &This will also enable OYSA to create schedules that have fewer instances of multiple games against the same opponent, so all teams see a wider variety of equally-matched competition.&
However, these benefits won&t come without some cost.& All youth soccer clubs should expect to incur an increase of approximately 25% in league and tournament fees.& One of the OPL&s missions was to drive the cost of youth soccer as low as possible.& This year a U10-U14 team that would have paid $600 for the OPL fall 2015 league, $500 for the OPL spring 2016 league, and $400 for the OPL state cup tournament, will now pay $800 for the OYSA fall 2015 league, $750 for the OYSA spring league, and $600 for the Timbers & Thorns state cup tournament.& This represents an increase from $1500 per team to about $2150 per team.& Smaller clubs will see an overall annual increase of around $, while larger clubs may see annual cost increases of $10,000-$12,500.& Some clubs may need to raise their club fees, while others may be able to cover the additional cost by eliminating some other programs.
Clubs will also experience a change in sanctioning organizations, that provide player and coach registration services, but there will not be any significant change in overall cost.& OYSA registers players and coaches through the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), while the OPL registers players through US Club Soccer (USCS).& Player and coach registration fees range between $10 to $18 per individual, depending on age and competitive level, for either sanctioning organization.
Families should expect to see a minor increase in email advertising and marketing.& The OPL kept its families& email address database confidential and secure, using it only for directly relevant OPL league information (such as this press release).& Entering teams in the OYSA fall 2015 leagues requires disclosure of families& email address information to the Portland Timbers, who will be able to use them for advertising and marketing purposes.& However, we expect this inconvenience to be minimal, and will not promote any individual club&s programs over another&s.
Even though it will not offer competitive leagues this fall, the OPL will continue its operations with the goal to serve youth soccer players in the state of Oregon and southwest Washington in the best ways possible.&& The OPL will continue to run other programs including northwest champions league (NWCL), USClubSoccer national premier league (NPL), and USClubSoccer national identification development program (ID2).& Other programs are also being considered.
There are no formal agreements between the OPL, OYSA, or Portland Timbers.& The OPL is merely encouraging its member youth soccer clubs to register their teams in OYSA leagues this fall.& All financial transactions will be strictly between each club and the Portland Timbers (for team league and tournament fees), and the OYSA (for player and coach registration fees).& &We would like to thank the OPL coaches and staff for an excellent job in running leagues and tournaments over the past several years,& said Mark Olen, OPL Advisor, &We agree with their decision that the OPL should take the first step toward unifying youth soccer in the state of Oregon and southwest Washington, and that the best interests of the kids should always supersede the interests of any organization.&
In summary, after carefully weighing and considering all of the trade-offs, Atencio added, &the OPL is convinced that unifying competitive youth soccer in the state of Oregon and southwest Washington this fall outweighs the trade-offs. The OPL was formed to prioritize the best interests of the kids over all others, and we intend to stay true to that mission.&& If you have additional questions, please direct them to your local youth soccer club&s Director of Coaching.
Crossfire Oregon's Nico Lopez Selected for id2 Tour
Birth Year:
Julian Anderson
Ocean, N.J.
Luis Arriaga
Santa Rosa, Calif.
Santa Rosa United
Ed Berumen
Salida, Calif.
Modesto Ajax United
Eduardo Blancas
Napa, Calif.
Napa Valley FC
Judson Burns
Argyle, Texas
Andromeda FC
Dominic De Almeida
Lincoln Park, N.J.
Jesus Esparza
Newark, Calif.
Palo Alto SC
Angel Flores
Carlsbad, Calif.
Carlsbad United FC
Abraham Gonzalez
Riverside, Calif.
FC Golden State
Azriel Gonzalez
Las Vegas, Nev.
Luke Hansen
Littleton, Colo.
Colorado Rush SC
Bryang Kayo
Montgomery Village, Md.
Bethesda SC
Lorenzo Lopez
Oregon City, Ore.
Crossfire Oregon SC
Cole McNally
Mt. Airy, Md.
Baltimore Celtic SC
Togo Nakamura
Torrance, Calif.
Leonardo Sepulveda
Corona, Calif.
Noah Thomas
Lakewood, Wash.
Washington Premier FC
Donovan Wu
Medford, N.J.
FC Continental
A National Association member of the U.S. Soccer Federation,&US Club Soccer&is an organization committed to the development and support of soccer clubs in the United States.
US Club Soccer offers youth and adult registration, league- and cup-based competition platforms at the recreational and competitive levels, as well as a variety of other programming, including the Olympic Development Program-sanctioned id2&Program and Player Development Programs.
Through US Club Soccer, all of a club's programs - recreational, competitive and adult - are able to be united under one organizational umbrella, creating a &members for life& culture within each club. US Club Soccer is sponsored by Nike.
&|&&|&&|&&|&
US Club Soccer welcomes prominent U.S. Soccer, MLS exec Kevin Payne as CEO
US Club Soccer is proud to announce Kevin Payne as its new CEO, effective immediately. Payne, whose career includes 25 years of high-profile, executive leadership positions within U.S. Soccer and Major League Soccer, adds invaluable expertise and experience to the US Club Soccer front office.
Bill Sage remains as US Club Soccer&s Executive Director.
Payne recently joined the organization as a senior consultant, increasing his familiarity with the nationwide landscape and enhancing US Club Soccer&s commitment to developing clubs and players.
&This is an exciting new chapter for me, and I&m intent on taking US Club Soccer to unprecedented heights,& Payne said. &We&ll continue to find new ways to grow and better our sport in every aspect, including player and club development, coaching education and administration.&
Payne&s resume is well documented among the top levels of the sport. Payne was hired as the National Administrator of U.S. Soccer in 1989 and soon after became its first Deputy Executive Director and Director of Marketing. Two years later, he was named Executive Vice President and eventually President of Soccer USA Partners, the marketing and game promotions partner of U.S. Soccer.
In 1994, he assembled the first ownership group for D.C. United and was a founding member of the MLS Board of Governors. When the MLS began in 1996, Payne also served as the President and General Manager of D.C. United.
The iconic franchise went on to appear in the first four MLS Cup championships, winning three times, in addition to capturing U.S. Open Cup (1996), CONCACAF Champions Cup (1998) and the InterAmerican Cup (1998) titles & the first major international trophies for any American club.
As Managing Director of Soccer for Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Payne helped reorganize MLS in 2000 and became responsible for six of the 10 teams in the professional league.
Three years later, he returned to D.C. United and resumed his President and General Manager tenures. D.C. United subsequently won the MLS Cup the following year. The team went on to claim the 2006 and 2007 Supporters Shield for leading
and in 2008 and 2009, D.C. United made back-to-back Open Cup finals appearances, winning in 2008.
Payne served as a Board Member of the U.S. Soccer Federation from
and maintains his positions as Board Member and Vice Chairman of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, which he&s held since 1999. He also served on the MLS Board of Governors and the MLS Competition Committee from its inception until Sept. 2013.
He chaired the U.S. Soccer Technical Committee from 2007-13 and remains on the Technical Working Group. From 2009-12, Payne served on the FIFA Global Committee for Club Football.
&Adding Kevin to an already experienced staff is an important step for this organization,& US Club Soccer Chairman Phil Wright said. &He will provide additional leadership and direction in reaching our full potential.&
Payne now becomes CEO of US Club Soccer, which has experienced exponential, nationwide growth since its inception 13 years ago. This includes the implementation of key programming elements, such as the National Premier Leagues (NPL) platform, id² Program, National Cup series, DOC Diploma courses and more.
Please direct media inquiries to:
Tyler Heffernan, Communications Manager |&
A National Association member of the U.S. Soccer Federation,&US Club Soccer&is an organization committed to the development and support of soccer clubs in the United States.
US Club Soccer offers youth and adult registration, league- and cup-based competition platforms at the recreational and competitive levels, as well as a variety of other programming, including the Olympic Development Program-sanctioned id2&Program and Player Development Programs.
Through US Club Soccer, all of a club&s programs & recreational, competitive and adult & are able to be united under one organizational umbrella, creating a &members for life& culture within each club. US Club Soccer is sponsored by Nike.
&|&&|&&|&&|&
NPL Partners with Surf Cup
US Club Soccer is proud to&&with the Surf Cup in San Diego, Calif., and the Jefferson Cup in Richmond, Va., to provide top NPL teams slots at both events in 2015. These prestigious national tournaments will complement the existing US Club Soccer NPL Showcase events to launch the NPL Showcase Series.
The NPL Showcase Series provides NPL players with opportunities to participate in premier national showcase events while competing against top teams from across the country.
Slots in each of the four NPL Showcase Series events will be awarded to top NPL member teams. More details will be made available soon about applications, acceptance and team allocations for all events.
The&2015 NPL Showcase (Boys)&in Las Vegas, hosted by Heat FC, will return next year&.
The 2014-15 NPL Showcase Series:
: Dec. 31, 2014 - Jan. 2, 2015 in Palm Coast, Fla. | Open to U-15 through U-17 girls
: March 6-8, 2015 in Richmond, Va. | Open to U-16 through U-18 boys
NPL Showcase (Boys): Early March 2015 in Las Vegas, Nev. | Open to U-16 through U-18 boys
: Summer 2015 in San Diego, Calif. | Open to U-16 through U-18 boys and girls
&We want our NPL clubs and players to have the opportunity to compete against top teams in the best environments possible, and having berths at the San Diego Surf Cup and the Jefferson Cup help achieve that goal,& said Bill Sage, US Club Soccer&s Executive Director. &The NPL Showcase Series was designed with high-school age players in mind, to help provide more opportunities to be seen by college coaches at high quality tournaments.&
Created in 1981 and entering its 35th&year, the&Surf Cup&has grown to become one of the top college showcases in the country. More than 400 college coaches and scouts have attended each year since its inception.
&We are pleased to have the US Club Soccer NPL teams participate in the San Diego Surf Cup,& said Surf Cup Director Mike Connerley. &These teams will be treated to the Surf Cup experience & an event, not just a tournament. All of the NPL teams will play at a very high quality soccer venue, while showcasing their team in front of the top colleges and universities in the United States.&
The&Jefferson Cup, which enters its 35th&edition in 2015, boasts an impressive array of field complexes, including 24 turf fields for difficult weather conditions, in and around Richmond, Va. While the tournament annually accepts more than 700 teams from throughout the country, its status as a premier showcase event has caused officials to turn down about 500 teams per year in the past four years.
&This new relationship with US Club Soccer, the NPL and the Surf Cup only increases the value and experience of the Jefferson Cup Tournament Series,& Chris Friant, Jefferson Cup Director, said. &The Jefferson Cup and the Surf Cup are both outstanding events, and now NPL teams and players will have the&opportunity to showcase their talents on both coasts on the best fields, in the best environments and in front of&hundreds of college coaches.&
US Club Soccer&s&2014-15 NPL Showcase (Girls)&will be held Dec. 31-Jan. 2 at Indian Trails Sports Complex in Palm Coast, Fla. Top-performing teams from the previous NPL season are given priority in the&. Sept. 30 is the deadline to submit applications. A number of elite teams&&to compete.
ABOUT US CLUB SOCCER:
A National Association member of the U.S. Soccer Federation, US Club Soccer is an organization committed to the development and support of soccer clubs in the United States.
US Club Soccer offers youth and adult registration, league- and cup-based competition platforms at the recreational and competitive levels, as well as a variety of other programming, including the Olympic Development Program-sanctioned id² Program and Player Development Programs.
Through US Club Soccer, all of a club&s programs & recreational, competitive and adult & are able to be united under one organizational umbrella, creating a &members for life& culture within each club. US Club Soccer is sponsored by Nike and Army National Guard.
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OPL Kicks off 5th Year!
The Oregon Premier League kicks off our fifth year of league play this season, and while 5 years may not seem like a long time, in the youth sports world, it's an important milestone to cross for long-term viability.&
Our fifth year kicks off among a flurry of changes, chiefly the move to small-sided at the U11 age group. Moving from a 11 a-side format to 9 a-side put the OPL on par with long-term player development practices around the world. Initially passed at the 2014 AGM as a move to 8 a-side, which is similar to European youth leagues, the league agreed to shift to 9 a-side over the summer to make the transition as easy as possible for teams who were playing in regional tournaments that were 9v9.&
&This is a move that's been in&the making for several years,& said Tualatin Hills United SC Director of Coaching Tom Atencio. &We have been looking for the right time to move forward with this, and the time is now. We want to give our players every opportunity to turn
the players are at an age where they are at a&peak in their development, and this gives them a chance to see the attacking and defending principles in more clear situations in smaller numbers, so they can practice and execute under pressure. Playing on the bigger fields does not lend to teaching effective and composed decision making - the games turns in to 'boot ball.'&&
One of the other primary reasons for the delay in moving to small-sided is the budgetary impact the move has on our participating&clubs. Smaller fields are needed, as well as smaller goals to keep the game on par with what is age appropriate. This means renting other fields, if necessary, and buying smaller goals and nets.&&The OPL has been talking with clubs about a potential move to small-sided for a few years, with the hope of giving clubs advanced notice to begin working these new costs into their yearly budgets. Additionally, the OPL has&worked hard over the last several years to keep our league fees low so that clubs might be able to save money on their registration fees to begin to budget for these new costs to their programs.&
Another big change for the U11s is the introduction of a rule that prohibits punts and drop-kicks from the goalkeeper.&With the study of the effect of concussions on brains still new to science, doctors and specialists are only now developing tools to assess the full scope of brain injuries in quantitative and qualitative ways. While the OPL is cautious about labeling this new rule&a &heading issue,& the larger issue we are hoping to address is the&prevention of head trauma.
&The OPL is not aiming to remove heading from the game entirely,&&OPL Director of Operations&Angela Harrison comments.&&Players do need to learn how to head the ball properly, at a developmentally appropriate level. What we are doing is removing the instances of a ball dropping 30-40 feet out of the air and straight on to a player's head, who can't use proper technique to support themselves, nor may their muscular and skeletal frame be developmentally able to handle it.&&
Many studies have shown&concussions from heading are typically&whiplash injury, with the side and rear of the brain most affected by repeated heading.&The change in the rule will hopefully reduce instances where players&are asked to head the ball time and time again during one game, putting them at a high risk for TBI/concussions with what's referred to as &2nd impact syndrome.& This&is when a person suffers a second serious blow to their head before symptoms of a first blow have subsided - which can occur minutes, days, and even weeks after the initial concussion. &Often times at this age, the more common cause of concussion/TBI in soccer players is several small instances in a short period of time that is seriously damaging for young players, rather than one big blow causing a concussion, which does happen from time to time.&
Lastly, another significant change is the removal of the NPL designation from the U11 and U12 divisions, instead using the &Premier& designation for the top division. The NPL () does not carry U11/12 divisions, so there is no need to enforce the same restrictions on those divisions, especially as it relates to participation in the OPL Director's Cup. In 2012 and 2013, the OPL began restricting participation in the Director's Cup tournaments to teams in the First Divisions and lower to ensure an enjoyable, competitive opportunity for those teams. However,&fully aware of the value many teams place on this tournament as a fun, end-of-season opportunity for teams to look at their progress, the OPL re-opened the tournament to the premier level teams, and will have gold and silver divisions again for the first time since 2011.&
The progress has, at times, been slow, but the OPL continues&our aim to serve our member clubs in a positive capacity, enabling each club to guide their growth and development according to their own beliefs and values. The league has seen our member clubs grow in size as well as make positive strides and player and team development, and will continue to support these clubs in their missions of providing invaluable opportunities within their communities for youth players to grow as players and individuals. Here's to another five years!&
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