Everton FC Westchester clarifies New York SC, Soccer Elite Club merger

Following last week’s announcement by New York SC and Soccer Elite Club (AKA FC Westchester Elite) that the two clubs are entering a merger, another Tri-State area club – Everton FC Westchester – sent a message to its members clarifying that it is not involved with the partnership.

According to the message sent by Everton FC Westchester leadership on May 3, the news of the merger had caused confusion due to the use of the FC Westchester name in the original announcement.

Read the full message below:

“To the Everton FC Westchester Community,

Today an announcement was made that Soccer Elite Club (White Plains Girls Soccer Club; which uses the name of FC Westchester Elite only under their agreement with our club), has agreed to merge with NYSC in the very near future. They have decided to do this merger to strengthen the girls program and position the combined girls club to try and attain USSF Development Academy status, a new program for girls soccer beginning in 2017.

The girls program will be branded NYSC Elite. The name FC Westchester should not have been used in the announcement. This inclusion has led to confusion and perhaps misleading information regarding the boys program.

This Girls merger will have no effect on the Everton FC Westchester Boys soccer program. We are not merging with NYSC. We have operated independently and separately from the girls program for over 20 years and will continue to do so. We have a separate Board, separate Director of Coaching and are totally separate not-for-profit entities.

Everton FC Westchester remains the only fully sanctioned USSF-designated Development Academy in Westchester County that has teams in all of the age groups: U18, U16 and U14. Next year the Academy program will be expanded to include U13 and U12.

NYSC was given U14 Academy status in 2014 along with dozens of other clubs in the country when the US Academy was expanded to include U14 age group (in an effort to include more players nationally for recruitment into full academy clubs). However, they do not have full Academy status which includes the U16 and U18 age groups, the most critical years for college recruiting.

Apologies for any confusion but as the landscape of youth soccer continues to change, we remain very stable in our position with the USSF as a fully sanctioned Development Academy.

Sincerely,
Everton FC Westchester Soccer Club”