PSPL, id2 to offer elite player training and identification for top players

SEATTLE – The Puget Sound Premier League is pleased to offer elite player training in conjunction with US Club Soccer’s id2. Top youth players will have the opportunity to try out for id2 camps, receive monthly training and earn a place on one of our league showcase teams that will compete in regional and national events.

This new elite-player training initiative is part of the US Club Player Development Program, or PDP, and id2. Players selected from PSPL clubs will form player pools at various ages to form the showcase teams and participate in id2 events.

“US Club Soccer’s Player Development Programs are additional identification and developmental programs conducted under the id² Program and centered around clubs and leagues in specific geographic areas where top players from multiple local clubs are identified and invited to periodic training sessions.” – US Club Soccer

The PSPL and US Club Soccer will host the first id2 tryout in Washington in early March, for U12 boys and U13 girls – based on calendar birth dates. Tryouts for those two age groups, boys and girls, will be Dec. 8-9.

Jimmy Ball and Mike Washington, two of the state’s more experienced youth soccer coaches, will jointly direct the program. Ball, ISC/Gunners coaching director, will manage the Puget Sound region. Mike Washington, Whitman College men’s head coach, will run the Eastern Washington program.

The PSPL PDP/id2 program will train players separately in eastern and western Washington. For id2 and PDP events, coaches will select players from both regions to form the most competitive team.

“I think this is a great opportunity for the players to be recognized and be able to showcase their talents while being exposed to a training environment that will further enhance their understanding of the game at a high level,” Ball said, a former professional player and longtime youth soccer trainer.

Ball said players would be selected based on talent no matter the club and put into a player pool of up to 26 players.

“Our job is to identify the best players in Washington and I’m confident we will do that,” Ball said. “I am very excited to evaluate and then pass on my knowledge to some aspiring young boys and girls and hopefully help them fulfill their potential and achieve their goals.”

Whitman College head coach Mike Washington said he’s excited to bring a new, regional version of ODP back to Eastern Washington. He is a former ODP instructor and is current technical director for Academy of Soccer Excellence – a competitive youth soccer club in the Tri-Cities.

The PSPL elite Player Development Program has earned equivalent status to the more well-known Olympic Development Program (ODP), according to the US Soccer Federation.

The upside for PSPL players: they benefit from new thinking in an effort to bring them the best and most innovative training. There will be opportunities to play in national and international tourneys, friendlies and showcase competitions. Monthly training sessions that don’t conflict with their clubs will form the cornerstone of the training.

“I would like this program to be transparent from the start,” Whitman’s Mike Washington said. “It is about the players as it should be. The training needs to be of high quality, different from day to day training the players receive. I think this can also be a great teaching tool for our Coaches and ultimately a massive benefit for our players.”

Both coaching directors will be seeking qualified coaches for these initial ages:

• 1999-2000 boys
• 1998-1999 girls
• 1996 boys
• 1996 girls

Tentative tryout dates will fluctuate due to weather, but the goal is to have all tryouts completed by end of the year.

The initial younger-age groups will be preparing for the US Club id2 event in March. The event will take place in the Puget Sound area, where national id2 trainers will identify players for the id2 regional camp later that month.

Additionally, the players selected for these id2 events will form the player pool at those ages and become the nucleus of the league’s PDP teams. Players not only will receive monthly training but will be eligible for national and international tournaments and showcase events.

For high-school age showcase teams, the focus is to prepare players for college, which includes participating in tournaments and residency camp.

Stay tuned shortly for more details and dates on tryouts and player costs.

If you have questions, or want to submit a coaching resume, please email:

• PDP@pugetsoundpremierleague.com,
• president@pugetsoundpremierleague.com
• Phone number: (800)-531-7889
• Mea@pugetsoundpremierleague.com
• Jimmy Ball: jimmy@jimmyball.org
• Gabe Rood, US Club Soccer, grood@usclubsoccer.org

The Puget Sound Premier League is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop competitive soccer in Washington. Sanctioned by US Club Soccer, the PSPL offers a wide range of competitive divisions from U8 to U18.The PSPL is the fastest growing league for competitive teams in Washington State. The PSPL was founded in 2007 with 12 teams and now has more than 1,100 teams in 2012. The PSPL is the second biggest youth soccer league in the state.

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