The Pittsburgh Riverhounds Development Academy
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds professional soccer team is pleased to announce a partnership with two of the area’s leading soccer clubs, Arsenal Football Club and Century United Soccer Club.
The partnership will begin on April 11, 2010, with a series of training sessions for a new identification and development program, The Riverhounds Development Academy. The main purpose of The Academy is to improve the everyday training environment of our area’s elite youth soccer players. The eventual goal of The Riverhounds Development Academy is to seek and ultimately gain admission to the US Soccer Development Academy and utilize their programming philosophy of year-round increased training, less total games and more competitive games. This first ID session is only open to players from Arsenal FC and Century United. Future ID sessions will be announced soon.
“While the partnership will pursue fantastic opportunities like USSF Academy Status”, says Jason Kutney of the Riverhounds, “our goal is to simply provide a higher platform for elite players.” As Kutney explains, the benefits of such a system will trickle down to all levels of youth soccer. “This is about providing excellent technical and tactical training. If we are to properly develop young talent and promote our best players to the next level, it will bring positive national and collegiate attention to Western Pennsylvania. This will position all of our young players in a better light.”
Gene Klein, recently elevated to Technical Director by the Riverhounds, sees this Partnership as part of the Riverhounds overall plan.
“Our mission, since we began our Academy, has been quite simply to create a competitive environment where the serious player can be challenged on a daily basis to fulfill his or her potential” says Klein. “This partnership allows us to take another step in player development.”
The Riverhounds Academy has grown, since inception, to include nearly 500 players from Western Pa, West Virginia, and Ohio. The training program focuses primarily on technical aspects of the game, footwork, and establishing and maintaining proper habits. The Academy will continue to work with all players, pushing to help grow quality soccer in our area. This partnership, more specifically, will represent an extension of The Riverhounds Academy, in creating and branding The Riverhounds Development Academy. This extension will focus on moving our area’s top players to the highest level possible, and will set up very challenging opportunities to test and showcase this talent. While the April 11 ID session will work exclusively with the boys side, The Riverhounds Development Academy will soon move the girls side forward in a similar fashion.
In working with Dan Brower and Mike Blatz, two highly respected coaches responsible for the technical development and overall growth of Arsenal FC and Century United, respectively, all sides feel extremely positive about the direction in which things are headed.
“Separately, these three organizations have emphasized the importance of quality training environments which are competitive, challenging, and rewarding, from the youngest levels up to the professional game,” says Brower. “Together, with a combined player pool and staff, The Riverhounds Development Academy will have the tools and programs necessary to establish and maintain a successful player development system in Western PA.”
Blatz ties it all together with his belief in the approach –
“With the leadership of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and other leaders of classic league clubs, I am certain that we can create an environment where the best players are afforded the opportunity to play with each other under the guidance of qualified and experienced coaches. The end result of this project will be an improvement in the game of soccer in Western Pa.”
For questions regarding this partnership and all other Riverhounds matters, feel free to contact the Front Office at 412.539.1191. Please ask to speak with Scott Gibson, Jason Kutney, or Justin Evans.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
412-539-1191
600 Iron City Drive
Pittsburgh, PA, 15205
