With the objective to expand and improve the Women’s and Girls’ Youth National Team player pool, U.S. Soccer has launched a new Under-14 Talent Identification Program for the Girls’ Youth National Teams and will host the Central Region Mini-Camp from March 4-8 in Dallas.

The first Regional Mini-Camp, for players in the West, was held from Feb. 5-9 in Chula Vista, Calif., and the East Region Mini-Camp will be held from March 25-29.

U.S. Soccer Talend ID Managers Katie Cole, Marieke Laurens and Diane Drake will oversee the event and have named 62 players from the Central region, all born in 2006.

This new scouting model will function as a collaboration between the U.S. Soccer Talent Identification Department (TID) and the Youth National Teams program.

The YNT U-14 TID Program is designed to discover and introduce a larger base of top talents at the U-14 age group into the scouting funnel of the older U-15 to U-20 YNTs. A mini-camp format will help evaluate and inspire high-potential players while accelerating their development in an engaging and challenging environment. Players from three regions – West, Central, East – totaling around 180 players nationwide will be called into the mini-camps.

The program starts with the in-market scouting process as players are continually being evaluated and monitored in games, and top talents are selected to attend YNT Identification Centers. Formerly known as Training Centers, Identification Centers are scheduled to be held in 25 key markets nationwide and will be overseen by U.S. Soccer TID Managers and YNT program scouts. These single-day sessions, hosted at local clubs or U.S. Soccer member organizations, will gather more than 600 top talents each year in the U-14 and U-15 age groups. Depending on the number of top players identified in each market, YNT Identification Centers will be held two to three times each year in the fall, winter and spring.

After the Regional Mini-Camps this winter/spring, 60 players will gather for a U-14 National Identification Camp this summer. Roughly twenty players will come from each region. Held for a full week in the manner of a traditional YNT training camp, the U-14 GNT head coach, all three girls’ TID Managers and six U.S. Soccer Development Academy coaches will be on-hand to guide the camp.

In addition to expanding the YNT player pool at its early stages, the new scouting and identification structure changes programming for U-14 players by allowing them more time to absorb core principles of the YNT philosophy and accelerate their development. Additionally, travel is minimized through the first stages of the program, helping minimize days away from home, school and club.

The new program also offers the opportunity to bolster U.S. Soccer’s national network of scouts to further their education and development while also building its connections with clubs across the country.

While the past model has featured girls’ U-14 GNT programming in only even years, this new program will be held every year, always starting at the beginning of the calendar year.

The 62 players for the Central Region come from 37 different youth clubs with multiple players coming from Solar SC (6), FC Dallas (4), Lonestar SC (3), St. Louis Scott Gallagher (3), Michigan Jaguars (3), Sporting Blue Valley (2), Sting SC (2), DKSC (2), KC Athletics (2), FC United (2), Cleveland Force SC (2), Nationals (2), Sockers FC (2) and the Houston Dash (2).

From May 18-23, U.S. Soccer will hold the U-14 National Team Training Camp with around 60 total players culled from all three Mini-Camps.                             

U.S. UNDER-14 GIRLS’ REGIONAL YNT TID MINI-CAMP CENTRAL ROSTER BY POSITION:

GOALKEEPERS (6): Taylor Gardner (SLSG Missouri; St. Louis, Mo.), Sierra McCluer (Albion Hurricanes FC; Katy, Texas), Elizabeth Passwaters (Oklahoma FC Energy; Oklahoma City, Okla.), Ella Stevens (FC Prime; Parkland, Fla.), Ariana Vakos (Upper 90 North; Avon, Ohio), Avery Vukmanic (Sporting Columbus; Westerville, Ohio)                                       

DEFENDERS (17): Bronwynn Blair (Sting SC; Frisco, Texas), Lauren Ciss (FC United; Glenview, Ill.), Alexis Claiborne (Lonestar SC Academy; Georgetown, Texas), Elle Crenshaw (Ohio Premier; Dublin, Ohio), Mia Gildea (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Gibson Graham (Sporting Arkansas; Bentonville, Ariz.), Aly Guthrie (Solar SC; McKinney, Texas), Isabella Hartofelis (Classics Elite; San Antonio, Texas), Sydney Hooks (Michigan Jaguars; Southfield, Mich.), Audrey King (Javanon FC; Louisville, Ky.), Emily Kolodin (Michigan Jaguars; Grand Blanc, Mich.), Lilly Lund (Kentucky Fire Juniors; Louisville, Ky.), Lilly Reuscher (KC Athletics; Kansas City, Mo.), Chloe Robinson (Sockers FC Chicago; Chicago, Ill.), Tabitha Sine (Dallas Texans; Dallas, Texas), Maison Smith (SLSG Missouri; Eureka, Mo.), Gillian Wilson (Houston Dash; The Woodlands, Texas)                                               

MIDFIELDERS (25): Emeri Adames (Solar SC; Red Oak, Texas), Finley Bates (Sporting Blue Valley; Overland Park, Kan.), Morgan Brown (Sting SC; Wylie, Texas), Anisten Cabantac (KC Athletics; Olathe, Kan.), Brianna Carrigan (Challenge SC; Houston, Texas), Brooke Dawahare (Cincinnati DA; Lexington, Ky.), Amaya Dawkins (FC Dallas; Wylie, Texas), Lola Foley (Solar SC; Frisco, Texas); Eleanor Klinger (Internationals SC; Cleveland, Ohio), Riley Lucas (FC Alliance; Knoxville, Tenn.), Arabela Martinez (Cincinnati DA; Monroe, Ohio), Abigail Mayock (Lonestar SC Academy; Round Rock, Texas), McKenna Moran (DKSC; Rowlett, Texas), Mya Nugent (FC United; Long Grove, Ill.), Juliette Rayo (Solar SC; Wylie, Texas), Grace Restovich (SLSG Missouri; St. Louis, Mo.), Avery Robinson (Florida Elite; St. Johns, Fla.), Phoebe Scott (FC Alliance; Knoxville, Tenn.), Kaleigh Shafer (Nationals; Shelby Township, Mich.), Sarah Shelburne (Houston Dash, Houston, Texas), Georgia Shields (Tennessee SC; Franklin, Tenn.), Bella Smith (Oklahoma Energy; Wichita, Kan.), Kyra Tuesta (Team Boca; Parkland, Fla.), Amalia Villarreal (Michigan Jaguars; Lansing, Mich.), Kelly Wilson (Sockers FC Chicago; Naperville, Ill.)                                       

FORWARDS (14): Alexa Baker (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Sophia Brelage (Weston; Pembroke Pines, Fla.), Audrey Bryant (DKSC; Dallas, Texas), Cameron Byrd (Solar SC; Mansfield, Texas), Lauren Contini (Cleveland Force SC; New Philadelphia, Ohio), Ella Jablinskey (Nationals; St. Clair, Mich.), Cayla Jackon (Florida Rush SC; Clermont, Fla.), Hannah Killings (Cleveland Force SC; Cleveland, Ohio), Taylor Person (FC Dallas; Fairview, Texas), Alicia Riggins (Solar SC; Arlington, Texas), Carla Small (IMG Academy; Waipahi, Hawaii), Jaden Thomas (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Grace Vest (Sporting Blue Valley; Raymore, Mo.), Mabry Williams (Lonestar SC Academy; San Antonio, Texas)

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