MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Juniors Announce Partnership With Chicago Wind Soccer Club To Create Chicago Fire Junio

Published on October 12, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


CHICAGO, IL (Oct. 12, 2009) - The Chicago Fire Juniors today announced a strategic partnership with the Chicago Wind Soccer Club to form the Chicago Fire Juniors-North soccer club. In addition, Chicago Fire Soccer has named Sole Antonijevic as Director of the Chicago Fire Juniors-North program, as well as Head Coach of the Under-18 Chicago Fire Academy team.

The first step in the transition will take place on Sunday, October 25th when the CFJ-North hosts the high school boys supplemental tryouts in Lake Forest. The tryouts will take place from 1-4 p.m. at Lake Forest Academy, located at 1500 W. Kennedy, in Lake Forest, IL. The full transition from Chicago Wind to Chicago Fire Juniors will be complete in June of 2010. For more information on this event please call 847-433-7107 or visit www.chicagowind.net .

"The youth soccer landscape is continually evolving. Chicago Fire Soccer is excited to bring the CFJ and Wind together to form the new Chicago Fire Juniors-North and provide unprecedented soccer opportunities to players in the North Shore area for many years to come," said John Dorn of Chicago Fire Player Development and Director of Fire PDL. "We are also pleased to bring in a coach like Sole Antonijevic who has over 20 years of coaching elite youth teams. This is a positive step for the Chicago Fire Player Development Program as we continue to cultivate area youth into players that can someday make an impact on the Chicago Fire first team."

"This is an exciting opportunity for players on the North Shore and we are proud to be affiliated with the MLS organization in Chicago, the Chicago Fire. The ability for our players to grow within a fully integrated player development system that begins at the youth level and reaches to the professional level is an incredible opportunity," said Sole Antonijevic, Director of the new Chicago Fire Juniors-North.

Antonijevic's resume includes a ten-year professional playing career in Yugoslavia before coming to the United States where he played for teams in the MISL, USISL and NPSL. The Belgrade native finished his career in Chicago as a member of the Chicago Power. He was named USISL Coach of the Year in 1993 while with the Arizona Cotton, served as the Director of Coaching for the IYSA, and since 1999 has served as the Director of Coaching for the Chicago Wind Soccer Club. While serving as the U-16 Academy Coach for the Chicago Magic U16 Academy Coach the team qualified for the Academy Finals in 2007 and 2009. He was named Conference Coach of the Year in 2007. The "A" licensed coach resides in Buffalo Grove, with his wife (Mimi) and two sons (Stefan, a member of the 2008 Chicago Fire U-20 National Championship team and Nikola).

The Chicago Fire Juniors program was formed to train area youth in a professionally run environment and has since expanded to include branches in Chicago, Michigan, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Through the CFJ program, players from eight-years-old up to 18-years-old receive professionally developed curriculum to help build skill and knowledge of the game. The Chicago Fire Juniors and the Chicago Wind currently hold state championships at the U-14, U-15, U-16 and U-19 age groups and were regional finalists at the U-17 age group.

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