There is a charm and innocence to the U.S. U14 Girls National Camp that you won’t find at a typical week stay at the U.S. Soccer home base in Carson, Calif.

Because for the 36 players present at the Home Depot Center, along with a few of the straggling parents tagging along, this week represents the first time.

The first extended stay away from teammates; the first time clad in the nation’s colors; the first call to camp.

“A lot of the players are nervous; they’ve never been to the national training center or in the locker rooms,” said coach Mike Dickey, who will be guiding the young players on their week-long orientation. “They’re really out of their comfort zones and things are starting to become more serious than it was just a couple weeks ago.”

This special group of neophytes was weeded out of the 101 players who competed at the U.S. U14 Girls’  National Team I.D. Camp in Pomona, Calif. Still coming down from the anxiety-filled week of waiting for that invitatory phone call, the girls arrived Sunday and hit the field for their first intra-squad scrimmage.

With more players present than at older camps, Dickey has broken the 36 into two 18-player teams for the week. The Red and Blue squads will train and scrimmage against outside competition separately but they first faced off in a friendly won by the Blue 2-1.

The Red group consists of: Mariel Adams, Joanna Boyles, McKenzie Bricker, Jane Campbell, Jenny Chiu, Kaitlyn Clark, Frannie Crouse, Gianna Dal Pozzo, Brittain Dearden, Alessandra Dutto, Rachel Hill, Darian Jenkins, Lauren Kaskie, Jill Maloney, Kelly McCann, Amber Munerlyn, Shea Newman and Antionette.

On the Blue side is: Elizabeth Bartels, Madeline Bauer, Elizabeth Boon, Alexandria Carter, Donish Cole, Jaclyn DiMartino, Annabella Geist, Summer Green, Emily Morgan, Cynthia Pineda, Tierra Renos, Jenna Romano, Kylie Schwarz, Lydia Simmons, Morgan Stanton, Morgan Stearns and Claire Winter.

“I wanted the players to be in a team environment,” Dickey explained. “Until this point all these players have done things as individuals in trying to be recognized and selected to be here. But it’s about working together and which players take ownership and leadership. That’s how our senior teams are set up - collectively trying to achieve a goal, and we want these girls to get into that mindset. It’s not easy trying to get stars of club teams to adjust and learn that we don’t have any stars here.”

This week will serve as the only meeting of the year for the majority of these players - with the exception of a few who could be called in for the older U15s - and there is plenty to cover beyond the on-field aspects.

“We’re watching past U17 women’s cups trying to give them an idea of what U.S. soccer should look like and what the expectations are,” Dickey said. “There’s a lot that goes in to this: how are they dealing with the pressure? How are they dealing with being away from home?

“It’s really a 24-hour evaluation process.”

 

U.S. U14 Girls Training Camp Roster:

GOALKEEPERS (4): Jane Campbell (NASA Elite II; Kennesaw, Ga.), Annabella Geist (Lake Oswego SC; Milwaukie, Ore.), Jill Maloney (Roswell SC; Alpharetta, Ga.), Morgan Stearns (McLean; Burke, Va.)
DEFENDERS (11): Mariel Adams (Real Colorado; Highlands Ranch, Calif.), Madeline Bauer (Slammers FC; Newport Beach, Calif.), McKenzie Bricker (Collierville Lady Lobus; Collierville, Tenn.), Donish Cole (Schulz Academy; West Palm Beach, Fla.), Gianna Dal Pozzo (Sockers FC; Naperville, Ill.), Brittain Dearden (Mount Laurel United; Princeton Junction, N.J.), Kelly McCann (So Cal Blues; Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.), Emily Morgan (Lower Merion Heart; Chester Springs, Pa.), Taylor Nelson (Arsenal FC; Fort Collins, Colo.), Jenna Romano (Team Chicago; Naperville, Ill.), Kylie Schwarz (Minnesota Thunder; Plymouth, Minn.),
MIDFIELDERS (11): Joanna Boyles (CASL Spartan Elite; Raleigh, N.C.), Alexandria Carter (Arkansas Rush; Conway, Ark.), Kaitlyn Clark (KC Select; Liberty, Mo.), Frannie Crouse (Beadling SC; Jeanette, Pa.), Rosie DiMartino (Albertson Fury; Massapequa Park, N.Y.), Lauren Kaskie (Neusport FC; Las Vegas, Nevada), Antionette Payne (BUSA Elite; Birmingham, Ala.), Cynthia Pineda (Chicago Fire Jrs.; Bolingbrook, Ill.), Lydia Simmons (Seacoast United; Londonberry, N.H.), Morgan Stanton (Colorado Rush; Lakewood, Colo.), Claire Winter (Lamorinda United; Lafayette, Calif.)
FORWARDS (9): Elizabeth Bartels (Toro Booya; Omaha, Neb.), Elizabeth Boon (Columbia Timbers Premier SC; Washougal, Wash.), Jenny Chiu (Rio Vista FC; El Paso, Texas), Alessandra Dutto (Mustang; Danville, Calif.), Summer Green (Michigan Hawks; Milford, Mich.), Rachel Hill (Seacoast United; Rollinsford, N.H.), Darian Jenkins (Sparta Premier; Harriman, Utah), Victoria Manfredonia (San Diego Surf; Escondido, Calif.), Amber Munerlyn (So Cal Blues; Corona, Calif.).