USL Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Riverhounds Sign Two Players to USL Academy Agreements

Published on August 2, 2013 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release


Pittsburgh - The Pittsburgh Riverhounds made history in signing their first-ever high school aged players to United Soccer Leagues (USL) Standard Player Agreements for Academy Players. Steven Munn of Cranberry Township (Sewickley Academy High School) and Tyler McCarthy of Wexford (Pine Richland High School) put pen to paper at Highmark Stadium, officially signing to join the Riverhounds team for the duration of the 2013 USL Pro Season, Munn as part of a Training-Only USL Pro Academy Program and McCarthy signing a USL Standard Player Agreement for Academy Players, enabling him to be in consideration for games for the Club. The signings are part of the Clubs' efforts to prepare homegrown talent for the highest levels of the game, offering a first-hand professional experience to young players aspiring to play at top universities, the professional ranks, and the US National Team. The cost-free program, sponsored by Philips, is yet another step forward in the development of local talent from Pittsburgh's professional club.

Having trained within The Riverhounds Academy system since the age of 13, Steven Munn joins the Riverhounds through a Training-Only USL Academy Program that was recently approved by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) and operates within all compliance issues of the PIAA Constitution and its By-Laws. The 2012 PIAA All-State selection has competed in several matches for the Riverhounds Development Academy (RDA), its youth arm, the most recent being a 2012 friendly against the Philadelphia Union Academy in Chester, Pa, in front of a crowd of top Division I collegiate coaches.

Riverhounds CEO Jason Kutney worked hand-in-hand with the USL League Office, the PIAA, and the WPIAL to ensure the Training-Only program would not only fall within the bounds of all Interscholastic compliance guidelines but would also lay the framework for future opportunities as talented high school aged players come up through the Club's highly successful youth system and look for preparatory measures that will validate their abilities at higher levels of the game.

While Munn exemplifies the skill set and approach of a player at the next level, the experience, according to Academy Director Scott Gibson, will be an eye-opener for the young Division I prospect.

"The experience of competing within a professional environment on a daily basis is harsh and demands the very best of each player in every session," said Gibson. "This is something you cannot be prepared for at that age, no matter how many hours you put in on the youth training grounds."

McCarthy, 18, came to the Riverhounds through an opportunity created by his high school coach, James Meara. Meara, who played for the Riverhounds in 2004, contacted Kutney to seek out an off-season training stint for McCarthy at the Riverhounds indoor training center, the Greentree SportsPlex. Showing potential in his time with some members of the first team and a host of reserves throughout the winter, McCarthy joins the roster as the older of the youth signings, a recent graduate of Pine Richland High School with immediate aspirations of joining the professional ranks of the game. McCarthy, who signed an official USL Standard Agreement for Academy Players, was entered into the Riverhounds friendly match against FA Cup Winners, Wigan Athletic FC, on July 19th, in the 85th minute of the match. This fall, McCarthy will continue his education at California University of Pennsylvania while continuing in pursuit of a professional soccer contract.

McCarthy's agreement is a marked change from the training-only agreement signed by Munn, due to the fact that his high school eligibility has concluded and his collegiate has not yet begun. In February, the United Soccer Leagues announced that USL Pro teams would have the ability to expand rosters from 26, which had long been the case, to 31 with the addition of up to five amateur ‘Academy Player' slots that would be available for pre-collegiate players, under the age of 21, from an affiliated youth team, the local region, or the club's MLS affiliate. The announcement from USL was sparked by a recent change in NCAA guidelines that allows pre-collegiate players to play in official competition with paid professional athletes as long as the players abide by all governing rules within the USL Pro Academy contracts (from Bylaw 12, NCAA Manual). As such, as long as the youth player is not compensated throughout his time with the professional club, and as long as the stint concludes prior to the player's first enrollment in college, the player is permitted to train and compete alongside first team members without interfering with that player's collegiate eligibility.

"The USL Academy Agreement offers players like Tyler an opportunity to prolifically enhance their development by playing amongst some of the top professional players in the country, and as evidenced against Wigan, in the world," commented Riverhounds CEO Jason Kutney following the club's first international match at Highmark Stadium.

"This furthers the development of the professional game in the United States, brokering an opportunity to see how some of our brightest young stars can take what they learn on the training ground and see if it can be effectively applied at the highest levels, transforming them from an amateur player to a battle-tested collegiate or pro prospect."

According to Riverhounds Head Coach, Justin Evans, the agreements offer local players a resource that is absolutely unmatched.

"These signings highlight the evolution of the Riverhounds full model," commented Evans. "This bridges the gap from youth to pro in a direct, realistic way and will allow for our Club to accelerate the development of the best youth players from our area, hopefully to the Riverhounds pro team in the future."

The integration of Munn into the Riverhounds professional team-training roster will be used to assess developmental procedures utilized by the Club in its Academy program. While the youth system undoubtedly prepares the players for higher levels of the game through a sophisticated approach to technical, possession-oriented play, the USL Training-Only Agreements will enable Staff to watch these players in an intense, challenging environment, above and beyond what can be offered through participation with a youth club. The players will be involved in first team training sessions, offering an unparalleled soccer opportunity.

According to Kutney, the impact of this program offering should not be understated.

"Our Academy has developed a professional standard that we apply and reinforce at all ages," says Kutney. "We are currently in close discussions with top universities regarding their interest in players from Western Pennsylvania, and it is clear that this will become a major benefit in the recruitment process. These schools need to see prospects competing at the highest level, and that is what we can now offer."

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