Players First; The US Club Soccer Initiative Intended To Revolutionize The Club Soccer Experience
US Club Soccer inspired by coaches and players who play the game, are changing the game and kicked off a new approach. US Club Soccer CEO Kevin Payne and Executive Vice President Christian Lavers have offered a collection of resources and best in class providers to help take US Soccer to the next level and turn our country into a real soccer nation.
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Soccer News: Among about a dozen new and prospective partners, US Club Soccer launched its ambitious Players First initiative, Aug. 8-9, at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
“Nike is proud to partner with US Club Soccer and host such an esteemed and diverse group of speakers at Nike WHQ to continue building on efforts to elevate Soccer Club, Coach and Player Development in the United States,” said Joe Elsmore, Director US Soccer Sports Marketing at Nike.
Players First is a holistic club soccer experience for parents and players, which emphasizes the development of each individual to his or her full potential, and helps parents make better choices about where their children should play. This is accomplished by providing a suite of resources geared towards clubs, coaches, parents and players. Players First encompasses the beautiful game through its five founding pillars:
- Club Development
- Coaching Development
- Player Development
- Parent Engagement & Education
- Player Health & Safety
The platform is able to reach a global audience through its best-in-class partnerships, engaging digital presence and future seminars. More details about regional and national Players First seminars will be coming soon.
At Nike World Headquarters this past weekend, an exclusive group of some of the country’s top youth soccer leaders were given a glimpse of various Players First partnerships through presentations and field sessions. US Club Soccer CEO Kevin Payne and Executive Vice President Christian Lavers led the event with visionary messages to inspire an effective youth soccer environment that empowers clubs, coaches and players.
“We’re on a mission to change the sport,” said US Club Soccer CEO Kevin Payne. “In order to achieve our mission, we need a vision, courage, enthusiasm, resilience and a plan.”
“The reason we should be attempting to embrace a Players First philosophy is not because it will be easy, but because it will be hard,” Payne added. “I believe with a shared mission, we can accomplish this.”
Among the milestone offerings of Players First to the sport is through a long-term, technical partnership with La Liga, which came into effect Saturday at a signing ceremony. Fernando Sanz, General Director of La Liga Middle East and North Africa, brings La Liga’s global resources to the United States. Complete details of the comprehensive partnership – which advances the Players First pillars of club, coaching and player development – will be announced soon.
Colleen Hacker, a Mental Skills Coach and Performance Psychology Specialist of the United States Olympic coaching staff, delivered a keynote speech Saturday night that served as one of the highlights of the event. “You have to inspire others to do more, care more, be more passionate and push the limits,” Hacker challenged the group.
“Even the expert was once a beginner… Challenge the status quo. Take risks. That’s what Players First is all about.”
At this time, the following Players First partners are helping to advance the five founding pillars. Additional partnerships will continually be added to the impressive Players First portfolio.
- La Liga
- Introduced by Nike, US Club Soccer’s long-term technical partnership with the renowned Spanish professional league is a staple of the Players First initiative. La Liga’s intentions of advancing soccer in the United States finds a logical fit with the forward thinking of Players First.
- Beast Mode Soccer
- US Club Soccer and Beast Mode Soccer have launched the Players First Video Training Series as a way to inspire players via digital and social channels to effectively train on their own. The first video installment features New Zealand women’s national team Emma Kete demonstrating footwork drills.
- FIFA 11+
- US Club Soccer encourages members to take advantage of the FIFA 11+ complete warm-up program as an injury prevention method.
- Fit for 90
- As the Official Player Monitoring System of US Club Soccer, Fit for 90 helps coaches and players optimize performance while minimizing injury risks.
- KYCK Registration
- KYCK Registration is a tool for clubs to reach parents and take administrative burdens off club volunteers and staff.
- Positive Coaching Alliance
- Positive Coaching Alliance has a mission of developing better people through athletics. This Players First partnership provides resources and materials for coaching development and parent engagement & education.
- SoccerPrep
- As the exclusive College Planning and Test Prep partner of US Club Soccer, members and parents have special access to a platform offering academic and athletic guidance.
- SportSessionPlanner
- US Club Soccer member clubs enjoy special access to an internal sessions library, as well as insider access to id2 Program and Player Development Program curriculum.
- Sports Leadership Program
- US Club Soccer will be introducing a Sports Leadership Program as part of Players First to develop the next generation of youth soccer leaders.
- TopYa!
- The TopYa!-powered mobile app “My Soccer Moves” provides an interactive environment where players can challenge other players around the world at any time.
Join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #P1soccer.
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