Richmond Kickers and Strikers unite top level female programs to compete in ECNL as Richmond United Girls
RICHMOND, VA – The Richmond Strikers and Richmond Kickers announced the Richmond United Girls, a collaborative program that will compete in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Following in the footsteps of the Richmond United Academy boys announcement this winter, this new venture will join two of Central Virginia’s top girls programs to compete on the national stage.
“It is rare to find two competitive soccer organizations that are able to cooperate and build the best possible platform for elite player development,” expressed Jay Howell, Richmond Strikers Executive Director & Director of Soccer. “The Kickers and Strikers creation of Richmond United will enhance the developmental experience and opportunities for all youth soccer players in the Richmond area.”
“Richmond United’s vision is simple – establish the top girls program and attract the region’s best players by creating an inspirational development environment that will allow the players to train together and represent Richmond against the nation’s finest teams,” explained Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer.
The mission of the newly formed Richmond United is to provide the most comprehensive player development environment in Virginia.
The Richmond Strikers and Richmond Kickers will be hosting membership-only informational meetings on Thursday, February 13. The Richmond Strikers will hold their meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Deep Run Recreation Center (9910 Ridgefield Parkway, Henrico, VA 23233) while the Richmond Kickers meeting will be held at 8:00 p.m. at The Collegiate School Aquatic Center at Ukrop Park (5300 Ridgedale Parkway, Richmond, VA 23234). Additionally, the two clubs will jointly host a Town Hall meeting at 6:00 p.m. on February 16 at The Collegiate School Oates Theater (103 N. Mooreland Road, Richmond, VA 23229). This Joint Town Hall meeting is open to the public.
“This is a great opportunity for our two nonprofit organizations to work together to further our missions by providing the most promising female soccer players in the Richmond area with the opportunity to train and compete at the national level,” added John Mumford, Richmond Strikers Chairman, Board of Directors.
“We are excited to collaborate with the Richmond Strikers on this new initiative, following in the footsteps of the boys Academy announcement a few months ago,” commented Rob Ukrop, Richmond Kickers President, Board of Directors. “By uniting our club’s players and sharing resources, we have created the perfect player development environment for Richmond’s top female players. The Richmond United brand will be consistent with the Kickers current player development model, enabling our top girls players to continue competing with the best clubs in the country.”
Slated to begin play in the fall of 2014, Richmond United Girls will field teams from the U13 through U18 age groups and will be led by technical staffs that include Jay Howell, Aaron Brunner, Celia Mosier, Ihor Dotsenko, Andy McIntosh, and Rob Ukrop. The teams will train and play home games at Striker Park, Ukrop Park, River City Sportsplex, and West Creek. The Richmond Strikers and Richmond Kickers will continue to field separate girls teams in all age groups.
