Tulsa Soccer Club Hurricane Announced as Sporting Kansas City Juniors Affiliate
Published on February 2, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Club announced Thursday that Tulsa Soccer Club Hurricane has joined the Sporting Club Network as an affiliate of the Sporting Kansas City Juniors. TSC Hurricane will be the first Juniors affiliate in the state of Oklahoma, giving the club's players a direct connection to the Sporting Kansas City Juniors program and senior team.
"We're very excited about it," Sporting Kansas City Juniors director of coaching Jon Parry said. "They've got a great arsenal of talent down there, and it's something we think we can tap into."
The largest club in Oklahoma, TSC Hurricane formed in 2011 as the result of a merger between Tulsa Soccer Club, Hurricane Soccer Club, MetroTulsa Soccer Club and Broken Arrow Soccer Club. As a Juniors affiliate, talented players from TSCHurricane may be invited to train with Sporting Kansas City's junior and senior teams as part of their professional development. Sporting Kansas City will also have the ability to add members of TSC Hurricane to the club's Home Grown Player list. Every player in the club will wear a Sporting Club patch on their uniforms for competition.
"We are very excited to become the exclusive Juniors affiliate for Sporting Kansas City in Oklahoma," TSC Hurricane executive director Jim Tindell said. "This is an important milestone in the implementation of our overall strategic plans and will lead to a new era of Oklahoma soccer for all levels and ages of players. We can't wait to roll up our sleeves and begin working with such an impressive MLS franchise with a very engaged ownershipgroup and staff."
As part of the six-year partnership, coaches from Sporting Kansas City's technical staff will travel to Tulsa to provide and administer coaching education workshops, mini-clinics for players of all ages as well as speed and agility sessions.Coaches from TSC Hurricane will also be given access to come and observe Sporting Kansas City training sessions along with traveling with Sporting Kansas City to Orlando to observe the team's preseason preparations for the Disney Pro Soccer Classic.
"MLS clubs have continued to expand their reach in player development and we feel this new partnership will provide aunique platform for Oklahoma players to reach their goals," TSC Hurricane director of coaching Mark McIntosh said. "All of our players-regardless of ability, age or gender-will benefit from the engagement of Sporting KC into our programs. We're going to leverage this relationship with Sporting KC to take our club to the next level."
For a detailed breakdown and reaction to the partnership from Parry and Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes, click here.
Additionally, Sporting Club also announced Thursday the addition of five new area organizations to the Sporting Club Network, a groundbreaking membership of athletes and athleticorganizations created to affiliate all interested soccer and other organizations in the Midwest with Sporting Club and Sporting Kansas City. The newest members of the Sporting Club Network are the Kansas Rush, Brookside Soccer Club, Puma FC, Smithville Soccer Club and the Kansas City Gaelic Athletic Club. As part of the Sporting Club Network, each organization's membership will become members of Sporting Club, the parent organization of Sporting KansasCity.
Players that participate and compete through a Sporting Club Network member organizationwill receive a Sporting Club patch to wear during competition, as well as access to exclusive clinics and trainings. Local member coaches will also have the ability to take advantage of a coaching licensure program and premium coaches experiences at both the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park as well as at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on matchdays.
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