RICHMOND, Va. (January 16, 2012) –The roster and schedule for the Elite Clubs National League Player Development Program – Philadelphia have been announced. The event will take place Jan. 21-22, 2012, with 58 of the best players from nine ECNL clubs in the mid-Atlantic region: Bethesda SC (MD), FC Bucks (PA), FC Delco (PA), FC Virginia (VA), Freestate (MD), McLean SA (MD), Penn Fusion (PA), Richmond Strikers (VA), and Virginia Rush (VA).

 

Player Development Programs (PDPs) are regionally-based identification and development programs within US Club Soccer’s id2 Program with three primary goals: (i) provide the top players within specified elite leagues with an opportunity to be identified and evaluated for higher levels of play; (ii) provide a developmental experience; and (iii) recognize and reward individual performance and achievement. PDPs are operated in conjunction with elite leagues sanctioned by US Club Soccer.

 

The Player Development Program – Philadelphia will begin with a training session on Saturday morning designed to get the players familiar with each other and to teach team tactical concepts. The players will then play an 11v11 match on Saturday afternoon. The players will play another match on Sunday morning to conclude the event.

 

Players are selected for the Player Development Programs based on their performance in ECNL competitions and by recommendations from ECNL coaches. The ECNL will be hosting 10 PDP events across the country over the next six months, providing an opportunity for the top players in every ECNL club. There are no costs for participation in Player Development Programs. The ECNL covers all staffing, facility rental, and equipment costs for the ECNL PDPs. The only responsibility for participating players will be the cost of travel and accommodation.

 

Full roster of the participating players below: