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NASL FC Edmonton

Toronto Trip a Success for FC Edmonton Academy

June 1, 2016 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
FC Edmonton News Release


FC Edmonton Academy recently concluded the busiest month of the year, opening the Edmonton District Soccer Academy (EDSA) Premier Men's soccer season and travelling across the country to Toronto, Ontario to compete in the Umbro Top Rated Invitational Soccer College Showcase.

The cross-continent trip was the first of its kind outside of the province for the entire Academy group, and an opportunity for the Academy coaching staff to introduce the program's younger group of players to life on the road.

"The experience of travel is important for a players development," FC Edmonton Academy technical director Jeff Paulus explained. "To get away from home, get away from their surroundings and see how they are on the road and being away from family. You always want to test young kids in that social setting."

The Umbro Showcase is recognized as one of North America's top showcases and stands alone as Canada's top-ranked showcase for Canadian clubs and college coaches. To date, the showcase has hosted over 1,500 teams and more than 30,000 players.

"It was important for our Academy to go and do well in the Showcase," Paulus added. "We want our players to get recognized for their play and we always strive to have a Plan B for these players by helping them receive scholarships. We have already been approached by several universities and schools in the States about our players, so right off the bat that was encouraging. The weekend was a success on the field and off of it.

Both Academy groups put forth strong performances over the weekend tournament, with the U-16 group going undefeated with three draws while the U-18's captured three wins.

"Every game was demanding," added Paulus. "Every game pushed them, every game there was high pressure on the ball, they had make decisions quickly and our opposition pushed our players to play much quicker than they are used to. At the end of the day it was a competition that was so vital for these players' development."

In addition to the Umbro Showcase, both Academy groups competed in an exhibition match against MLS' Toronto FC Academy program. It was another positive experience for the Edmonton club, with both age groups playing to 0-0 draws in their respective matches. For Paulus and the Academy staff, the significance of the match went beyond the results on the pitch.

"The importance of the TFC matches was not necessarily the result, but to find out where we are as an academy when compared to an MLS program," Paulus concluded. "It was important for our kids to see that they could compete against some of the best players in Canada. For us as a staff and for me directly as the director of the Academy it was a proud moment, knowing that we're on the right track. Of course we would love to have the resources of Toronto FC; however, we can be proud in having validated that we are doing very good things with the resources that we do have, while acknowledging there is still lots of room for improvement."

FC Edmonton Academy began in January 2012 and now in its fifth year, continues to be a fully funded program by FC Edmonton owners Tom and Dave Fath. One of the goals of the Academy is to provide an opportunity for the elite player to focus solely on their individual growth within the playing philosophy of FC Edmonton.

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North American Soccer League Stories from June 1, 2016


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