For the last eight years, Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s academy in Prince George has given rising soccer stars opportunities to develop as if they were part of the professional club.
This week, the Major League Soccer (MLS) team has decided to bring the local youth soccer association under its training umbrella to help provide a clearer path for young northern B.C. athletes to the professional and college levels of the beautiful game.
The announcement comes prior to Spring training for the Prince George Youth Soccer Association (PGYSA) and seven months after it hosted the B.C. Provincial 'B' Cup on pitches across the city.
Bronze for the boys 🥉 @PGYSA U18 Impact defeat Guildford (Surrey) 2-1 in the 3rd place match on their home pitch at the 2019 Provincial ‘B’ Cup ⚽️ | #CityOfPG @1BCSoccer @PGMatters pic.twitter.com/zNMeMKK6bH
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) July 7, 2019
The Prince George Impact are also included in the new partnership and will be led by Terrol Russell, the current Director of Club Operations, who joined the program in April 2018.
According to a release from the Whitecaps, Russell brings a great deal of knowledge from his experience leading the Saskatchewan Soccer Association provincial programming, which has seen players make it to MLS, Girls Elite, Canadian National teams, and collegiate level.
“The opportunity to partner with the largest soccer association in northern B.C. which is being led by a highly talented team of technical staff will open opportunities for players to grow and love the sport,” said Marinos Papageorgopoulos, Director, Whitecaps FC BMO Academy Centres in the same release.
Prince George IMPACT/WFC BMO Academy HP centre. Providing individual training within a group context. Tracking players with @PolarGlobal to ensure health and wellness, continually evolving session design to stay inline with our annual training plan. Building for the future. pic.twitter.com/CW5nS993lv
— Terrol G.G. Russell (@TerrolRussell) February 25, 2020
The Impact/Whitecaps partnership is for soccer players aged six to 18, with a goal to keep them in top form through a development-first approach as they take part in what are called identification events in Prince George and Vancouver.
“The Acceleration program philosophy incorporates Individual development within a group context,” reads a statement on the PGYSA website.
“Taking a Holistic approach during both on and off-field training initiatives, our curriculum incorporates teachings from each of the Five-Pillars of Development (Technical/Tactical/Physical/Psychological/Social) and is supported by our Sport Science and Health & Wellness programs.”
PGYSA’s Spring 2020 season is nearing, which means the organization is looking for players to sign up for teams, training and development camps.
More information is available on the PGYSA/Impact website.
