| Real Salt Lake and the Tampa Knights Futbol Club in Tampa FL. announce five year partnership |
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| on 26 Dec 2006 | |
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December 20 2006Tampa Knights Players and Families Real Salt Lake, a professional Major League Soccer team based in Salt Lake City Utah and the Tampa Knights Futbol Club in Tampa FL. announce a formal five year partnership in which the Tampa Knights F.C. is now designated as a Youth Development Program of Real Salt Lake (RSL). The Tampa Knights will now be known as "RSLFlorida". This partnership promises to be an excellent opportunity for local soccer players as the Knights become the exclusive Youth Development Program in the entire state of Florida for RSL. Earlier this year Major League Soccer (MLS)launched a new initiative to restructure player development in the US. Next year each of the 13 MLS clubs are required to establish a youth amateur program separate from the professional club. These youth teams will give talented young soccer players with professional aspirations an excellent opportunity to pursue their dreams and progress under professional guidance at a rate not currently seen in America. MLS clubs will invest in scouting and developing talented players who will have the opportunity to train and grow under a MLS team's coaches and resources. MLS Youth Program participants will not jeopardize NCAA eligibility. The RSL-Tampa Knights F.C. partnership is the first announced in the country to comply with the new MLS rule in which the professional team is associating with an out of state youth program. This exciting new partnership entitles RSLFlorida players to participate in youth clinics camps training sessions tournaments and reserve player matches offered by RSL coaches. Real Salt Lake strongly believes in promoting and advancing coaching education and will do this through annual coaching symposiums clinics and support services to the new RSL Florida teams to further enhance player development. Additionally RSL will provide financial support to the local club and it's teams for travel and competition. Steve Pastorino General Manager of RSL quotes "RSL is excited to partner with an organization that shares our vision on how to develop young soccer players. We are proud to provide inspiration and aspiration to boys and girls in Tampa and all of Florida. We can't wait for RSL Florida kids to take to the field representing us."Earlier this year Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid announced a ten year agreement to affiliate and share resources and among other things work together to build a Youth Soccer Academy in Salt Lake. The possibility exists now for the RSL Florida club to benefit from the larger affiliation and see Real Madrid offer camps coaching assistance and expertise. John Ellinger Head Coach of the Real Salt Lake has local ties to Tampa and is excited about the joint venture knowing the depth of talent from this area. John previously coached Adrian Bush General Manager with the Tampa Knights and Head Coach of Men's Soccer at the University of Tampa when Adrian played on the US National B Team. John will remain Head Coach of RSL and become RSLFlorida's Technical Director having oversight of competitive player development at the youth and senior levels. The new RSL Florida club anticipates significant direct interaction with the MLS coach as he and/or his staff will be involved in training tryouts camps and clinics. John Ellinger states his intention is to assist RSL Florida to become the number one club in Florida and in the country. Adrian Bush remains General Manager of the new RSL Florida and states; "The affiliation is a great opportunity for soccer in the Tampa Bay area and the state of Florida. Our partnership with Real Salt Lake will provide more stability and structure in the program not only for the players and their development but for the coaches and their ongoing education and development. I look forward to the day that one of our own players who comes up through our system ends up playing for RSL or even Real Madrid." |
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