Academy

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 3, 2024) — Riverhounds Development Academy alum and coach, Josie Valeri, has signed a professional contract to play for AE Mykonos in Greece’s second division this season, continuing a career that began years ago in the Academy. 

Valeri started in the sport when she first began playing for the RDA at age 7, and she attributes much of her current success to the RDA and the quality of coaching that she has received throughout the program.   

“Even from the ages of 7 and 8, where I was under the mentorship and coaching of Scott Gibson, Jason Kutney, John Rotz, and even playing USL Academy now with Scott and Rotz, it has been fantastic in the way I’ve been mentored and guided,” Valeri said.  

“Scotty and John set my foundation, not only set my foundation, but refined my foundation as a player and my understanding of how to perceive the game. They’ve been very vital… Some of the best and most long-term guidance I’ve had through soccer is through those two, and they do such a great job. They know how to talk to players, especially the ones who show that desire and drive, and that’s a great thing.”   

Josie’s soccer talent and skill level have evolved over the course of her time with the RDA, leading her to play collegiately and semi-professionally.  

Her influence within the club did not end when she left for college, however. While earning her degrees, Josie has been involved in the RDA as both a player and a coach. Her time training with the USL Academy Girls this summer, in addition to coaching the 2012 and 2013 RDA Girls, has allowed players of all ages to see her as both a mentor and a teammate, and Josie has been proud to step into both roles.   

“I try to lead through embodiment, so rather than telling a player who is looking for advice or guidance, ‘Look, here’s what I think you should do,’ it’s more again speaking to experience and really being able to embody that. Who am I to say something unless I’m actually enacting it and living it?” Valeri said.  

“There’s been a lot of intrigue and curiosity around me when it comes to players and parents, asking what the process (of turning pro) is like. What is it like having to go to a two-week tryout when school’s still going on and life’s still going on?” 

Valeri attributes her success in that process to having a strong community and support system within the RDA.   

“I’m so grateful to have this place, because I can have that flexibility. I see this a lot of times where people are like, “How do you do this?” and it goes back to the community. It is not a possibility without a community,” she said. 

Valeri also mentioned the importance of having older players as role models within the club.   

“On the guys’ side, I love how much they do. They are around, they’re helping, they’re volunteering, they’re exposing, they’re being around which is great, so why not make it better?” Valeri said.   

With the new USL W Pittsburgh team’s inaugural season taking place in 2025, Valeri is thrilled about the new addition, and she has seen that same excitement from the younger girls she has coach. 

“I think that this W League is a great stepping stone for the future of female athletes. I think that especially in the area of Pittsburgh, to have the opportunity to have the pathway program to this level is very vital,” Valeri said. “Not only for the overall soccer culture in the city, but for the kids themselves and the players themselves to know there is an opportunity out there, it’s very liberating and very exciting to know.” 

Valeri left to join her new Greek team at the end of August, but plans to come back to Pittsburgh at the completion of the season. That will give her the chance to continue her involvement with the RDA and be back in time for the launch of USL W Pittsburgh in 2025. 

A yearly tradition took to the fields of Highmark Stadium, AHN Montour and other sites around the region, as the 2024-25 competitive year kicked off with the fourth annual Riverhounds Classic, played Aug. 23-25.

Nearly 100 teams from the Riverhounds Development Academy and clubs from around Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and West Virginia competed during the weekend. Playing in age groups ranging from U9 to U14/15 — and battling some late-summer heat in Pittsburgh — the tournament was another successful start to the competitive year.

The Riverhounds wish to thank the sponsors of our RDA Tournament Series: Eat ‘n Park, King Orthodontics, The Strong Museum of Play, Pittsburgh International Airport and Simax. Thanks also go to the food trucks and vendors who took part in this year’s Riverhounds Classic: P’s Bird Wagon, Benvenuti’s Pizza, Sin Nombre, Kona Ice, Pittsburgh Poster Company and Crumbl Cookies.

Most of all, thanks go to the coaches, staff and volunteers who helped make this year’s Riverhounds Classic a success.

On the field, 21 teams were crowned as champions of their respective divisions. Congratulations to each of them and to all the teams who took part last weekend. Below is a gallery of photos from the weekend’s action and a list of the winners in each division.

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2024 Riverhounds Classic champions

PITTSBURGH (July 3, 2024) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is introducing four additional coaches to lead the Riverhounds Development Academy’s newly founded Prep teams. Among the new additions are Cory Northrup, Dan Visser, Phil Harder, and Alesha Kostrzewa to take on the RDA Prep teams.  

Cory Northrup, the Volunteer Assistant Coach at St. Vincent College, will be lending his talents to the 2013 and 2016 Boys for the 2024-25 season. Northrup began his coaching journey in the fall of 2022 after graduating from St. Vincent and playing in the program for four years. In addition to his coaching experience, Northrup has his USSF D Coaching License. In his next role, he will lead the RDA Prep 2013 and 2016 Boys in the upcoming season.  

Dan Visser, Pittsburgh Riverhounds Sporting Director, also will be coaching the Prep teams for the upcoming season. Visser is in his ninth season with the club, but his first as Sporting Director, which has allowed him to be more involved with the Academy. In addition to his time with the Riverhounds, Visser coached and played at the collegiate level and has obtained his USSF A License. Visser will be coaching the 2014 Boys for the 2024-25 season.  

Recent Point Park University graduate Phil Harder also is joining the RDA Prep coaching staff. Harder played for Point Park men’s soccer for two years before graduating from the university in May. After training with the First Team during the preseason, Harder is ready to bring his skills to the Academy during the upcoming season and has obtained a UEFA B License. He will be coaching the 2015 RDA Prep Boys.  

Alesha Kostrzewa, the fourth and final addition to the RDA Prep coaching staff, is joining the club to coach the 2013-14 Prep Girls this season. Kostrzewa previously coached at the collegiate level, serving as the assistant coach for Albany State’s women’s soccer team. She has also obtained her USSF D License.  

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is thrilled to be introducing these talented additions to the RDA Prep team and offers a warm welcome to all the new coaches and directors for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Other recent additions to the staff include Boys Regional League Director & Academy Scout, Josh Kremers, Director of Satellite Locations and Partner Programming, Joenal Castma, and many others.  

It’s championship time in the Elite Clubs National League.

As the curtain comes down on the 2023-24 competitive season, four Riverhounds Development Academy teams have the opportunity to travel cross-country in a bid to claim titles at the ECNL National Playoffs from June 22 to July 1.

Two boys teams — the 2007 and 2010 squads — will be headed to Del Mar, Calif. to participate in the 64-team Champions League, which will crown the top ECNL teams in the nation. A few days earlier on the girls’ side, the 2007 and 2008 Hounds will make the journey to Redmond, Wash., where they will be playing in the Showcase Cup A and Showcase Cup B tournaments, respectively.

As those teams continue training ahead of their trips in the coming weeks, their coaches took a moment to reflect on how they reached this point and what to expect at nationals.

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2007 Boys

The Hounds’ two boys teams making the trek to the San Diego area had to be among the very best to qualify, as the ECNL’s boys playoffs only take the 64 Champions League teams in each age group. For the 2007 Boys coached by Justin Evans, that required going 3-1-1 in the final five games — including a huge 6-0 win over runner-up Cleveland Force — to claim the fourth and final spot out of the Ohio Valley Conference.

“We started the season off all right — the first game against Western New York, we won 3-0 — so expectations were pretty high,” Evans said. “We dropped a couple games that we shouldn’t have, but the group really came together. We made a couple changes to the lineup, and the group really took to it. They’ve worked hard all year to qualify.”

It is the first time the 07s have qualified for the Champions League, and it comes at a great time to raise the profile of the high school-age players on the team. Not only do they have a national trophy on the line for the team, but the players will have plenty of coaches from the next level with eyes on them. 

“This is a big recruiting year for them, so going to nationals where you only have 64 teams there — 64 times 18, and that’s where you’re at in terms of players they’re looking at,” Evans said. 

“Obviously, we still have to compete and show what we can do, but it’s really good for them. We just came back from the ECNL showcase in Richmond (Va.), which was very good for us. The first game, we went out and played Charlotte SA Academy, and they mopped us up. We lost 5-1. But we had a meeting afterward and said this is the level it’s going to be from now until the end of nationals.”

The team responded with a 3-3 draw and a 1-0 win to finish the weekend in Richmond, and Evans said he hopes that momentum carries into nationals and beyond into next season, when the 07s will become the 06/07 team and have a chance to become the first Hounds boys team to reach nationals in the U-19 age group.

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2010 Boys

While nothing comes easy with the quality of teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, the 2010 Boys were the first of the Hounds teams to clinch their spot, doing so with a weekend of games still to spare. The team finished third in the conference and just three points back of second-place Ohio Elite.

As the youngest of the Hounds teams going to the National Playoffs, coach Bryan Cartwright says the trip — the longest by far for this group — could be an eye-opener for the players.

“They’re going to see competition and the landscape of soccer. We’re in our own bubble in our conference, but now this gives them an opportunity to see what’s out there outside of our conference, and the top players and teams outside of that conference to compare themselves against the best,” Cartwright said.

While the regular season ended with a loss to Louisville City with nationals already clinched, the 10s gained a fair bit of momentum by winning three of four prior to that and scoring a 1-1 draw with conference winner Nationals SC in the other match during that stretch. That confidence should have the Hounds in the right mindset as they take the field in Southern California.

“We have one player who isn’t able to go because of a schedule conflict. … He said to me and Justin, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll make sure next year I’ll be ready to go and they’ll be no conflicts,” and we’re thinking, ‘Next year?” Cartwright said. “So the boys are already thinking this is something that’s a goal every year, and we want them to be that confident. There’s that fine line between confident and cocky you don’t want to go over, but hopefully we maintain that confidence and we build on (qualifying this year).”

Regardless of the outcomes, Cartwright wants to make sure his players are ready to perform their best while still enjoying their moment in the spotlight.

“At this age, it’s tough, because what are you going to do, tell them not to go in the ocean and have fun?” Cartwright said. “For the first year (going to nationals), you just hope the players and the parents are responsible and they don’t wear themselves out. Some down time is good, too, because it keeps them mentally fresh for the games.”

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2007 Girls

It sounds odd to say qualifying for the National Playoffs is a disappointment, but placement in the Showcase Cup A tournament was not the target for the 07s and coach Scott Gibson.

Runners-up in last year’s North American Cup — the tier above the Showcase level — aspirations were high for a repeat performance or better this season. And while the team overcame setbacks and injuries to post an 8-6-2 conference record, they fell agonizingly short of returning to the North American Cup, missing out on goal difference by a single goal in a three-way tie for third.

“The 2007 Girls have probably been in the most competitive conference, and we’ve been blighted with injuries, but it’s provided other girls the opportunity to step up and really make a mark, which they have,” Gibson said.

Last year, the girls playoffs were held in San Diego, so the Pacific Northwest is a new destination for the group. But while it is a new part of the country to explore, the experience gained from last season’s North American Cup run will only benefit the 07s.

“Being runners-up in the North American Cup was a great journey for them, and we hoped to be there this year,” Gibson said. “But I think the girls are hungry. They have the feeling of losing that final last year, and they’re itching to get back this year and win the Showcase Cup.”

And if there was any worry of a let-down from not appearing in the higher bracket, the chance to be only the second Hounds team ever to win an ECNL National Playoffs event is plenty of motivation.

“There’s only so many trophies out there, and having the opportunity to bring an ECNL trophy back to Pittsburgh is amazing,” Gibson said.

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2008 Girls

Unlike the group a year older, this will be the first appearance in the National Playoffs for the 08s in the Showcase Cup B.

The team went through a coaching change during the season, as John Rotz took over for Rob Vincent in December after Vincent was named the assistant coach for the Hounds’ professional team. The group continued to progress and produced some late-season highlights, including a 3-2 win over the team with the conference’s best record, FC Alliance, in addition to picking up a win and two draws two weekends ago at the ECNL North Carolina showcase.

“The team had some very good pieces, and there was some role-playing that needed to take place. I think as the course of the season went on, we were in every game with those pieces, but we couldn’t manage some games out.” Rotz said. 

“We had six one-goal losses in a very tough conference, and if some of those results go the other way, we could be playing a much higher event. But I’m glad the girls are going, because they’ve fought hard, so now, let’s go out and win a title.”

Rotz feels confident his players are ready for the standard of play in Washington because of their performance against many of the Champions League-bound teams from the Ohio Valley Conference.

“We beat FC Alliance, who won the conference. We tied Ohio Premier and were winning 2-0. We lost to Ohio Elite early in the season… but they were winning 2-0 and ended up losing 3-2,” Rotz said. “I think the girls are prepared, because they went to another quality event in Greensboro (N.C.) and showed well in front of a lot of college coaches, and now they’ve given themselves an opportunity to be seen again at nationals.”

PITTSBURGH (May 22, 2024) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and the Riverhounds Development Academy are pleased to announce Pittsburgh Football Club as an affiliate club for the 2024-25 season.    

Located in the South Hills, Pittsburgh FC prides itself on developing players from Thomas Jefferson, Chartiers Valley, Baldwin, Keystone Oaks and others.   

Kelly Mehalko, Pittsburgh FC Director of Coaching, is thrilled about the new partnership stating: “We are very excited to unite with the Riverhounds Development Academy! This unifying force will enhance the mission of individual holistic growth and player development with a pathway that meets the players’ needs and allows them an opportunity to reach their full potential.” 

The RDA’s Director of Satellite Locations and Partner Programs, Joenal Castma, added, “I’ve known Kelly and Shari (Sinclair, President of Pittsburgh FC) for many years and couldn’t be more excited to partner with their club to the benefit of young players in the Pittsburgh region! Opportunities to collaborate will benefit both clubs immensely.” 

Benefits of the affiliation include talent identification and pathways to elite platforms, coach education, training opportunities, professional player and mascot appearances, tournament discounts, and tickets to Riverhounds and W-League games. Also, the clubs will have the opportunity to share players between clubs to provide players with extra playing opportunities when appropriate.  

For more information regarding the RDA’s affiliate relationship with Pittsburgh FC, contact Castma at jcastma@riverhounds.com. 

PITTSBURGH (May 17, 2024) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Riverhounds Development Academy are excited to announce a new satellite location in North Huntingdon.  

RDA North Huntingdon will be directed by Matt Paradise and will operate out of the North Huntington Sports Complex after construction is completed. Prior to the facility’s completion, teams will train at All-American Fieldhouse in Monroeville and other fields in the North Huntingdon area. 

Paradise’s commitment to the education and development of young athletes is evidenced by his role as a health and physical education instructor in the Keystone Oaks school district. In addition to his coaching and teaching tenure, Paradise holds an Advanced National Coaching License from United Soccer Coaches.  

Paradise is “thrilled” to be bringing the RDA to North Huntington, stating that the new complex “will provide a professional environment for player’s development right in their backyards.”  

He discussed plans for the North Huntingdon location, stating, “This initiative revitalizes an area bursting with talent, offering teams for ages U8 to U18.”  

Paradise’s extensive background in coaching and education will allow the new location to flourish. The RDA’s plan for expansion will provide the organization with a wider reach across the Pittsburgh area.  

Joenal Castma, RDA Director of Satellite Locations and Partnerships, expressed his excitement, stating: “With over 20 years living in the North Huntington area, I’m excited about the plans for this location. Our young athletes deserve the best fields and platforms to reach their full potential.” 

With the addition of RDA North Huntingdon programming, the Hounds’ existing RDA East location will take on the name of RDA Connellsville while continuing to host the same, complete offering of teams and training programs for players in that area.  

RDA North Huntingdon will be hosting tryouts for the upcoming season beginning in late May. Complete tryout details can be found here.