Western N.Y. Flash announce youth academy
Women’s Pro Soccer may be a thing of the past, but some of its clubs are still very much alive and moving forward.
After the WPS suspended operations for the 2012 season, the 2011 WPS champion Western New York Flash joined the WPSL Elite League along with the Boston Breakers, and on Tuesday the Flash and Sahlen Sport Park announced that they are launching a youth academy for boys and girls in the Under-10 through U-12 age groups (based on August 1, 2002 through August 1 2000 birth years).
“We always have considered ourselves at the forefront of youth soccer in the area from the day that we opened. We have continued to upgrade our staff to meet the demands of the community and our patrons and are excited to be committing ourselves year round to the development of youth players in the area professionally,” Sahlen Sports Park President Alex Sahlen said in a press release.
According to the club, this program is geared towards developing youth players who aspire to play at an elite level. The players will train from October through July, participating in indoor and outdoor leagues and tournaments. This developmental Academy will implement U.S. Soccer’s age-specific curriculum, ensuring that players gain the appropriate skills needed to play at the advanced level.
“Ages 8 through to 12 are what I like to call the ‘golden age.’ These are the years where the children really take in information and are able to apply and learn with ease. Not only do we have a professional staff, but we have a top facility in which we can call our home. Players are able to learn from current and former professional players who know what it takes to get to the highest level of the game,” said Flash head coach Aaran Lines, who will serve as the new academy’s technical director.
“These facets of our club create an unrivaled training environment for the players to improve and progress while competing against top clubs throughout the Northeast and Canada.”
Said Western New York’s new director of coaching, Hubert Busby: “Over the past few weeks I really have had the time to work with some of the youth in the area and it’s been very promising. This area has a lot of potential to make a big impact on the national level if placed in the right environment and curriculum with professional coaches and role models.”
Assessments (tryouts) for these teams are taking place in July.
