On a crisp winter’s morning on the 16th December, Harrogate Town’s fantastic CNG stadium was the setting for the Sports Recruiting USA Women’s Soccer Showcase event…
Sports Recruiting USA report from their showcase event in December and share some other news and dates, for 2017:
Our showcase event is always the pinnacle of the year for our players, who have the opportunity to play in front of a large number of coaches that have flown over from America. With three squads of 15 players taking to the field, and with over 45 coaches in attendance, it promised to be a great day and a fantastic opportunity for players to impress.
With a number of International U19 players involved, we welcomed coaches from throughout the USA, from San Francisco in the West, to Ohio in the Mid-West, then on to New York on the Eastern seaboard then down to Florida in the South. Coaches in attendance represented colleges from the very highest level to smaller junior colleges, providing the widest possible coverage of the USA Collegiate system.
The day itself was led by UEFA qualified coaches, Jodie Whitford-Stark and Sarah Lowden, who had worked closely with the players throughout the year at a variety of local events. Helen Winterburn, a former standout student athlete herself at NCAA D2 Limestone College also lent her experiences to the players, to give them as much insight into what it is like to become a successful USA student athlete.
We also welcomed Harrogate’s very own Leah Galton to the event, who was back on her Christmas break following a successful season playing for Sky Blue in the NWSL. Leah is an inspiration to many of our players, following a glittering career at Hofstra University which included the top honour, of becoming an All American and Conference Player of the Year for 3 consecutive years, prior to going professional with Sky Blue in New Jersey.
Leah has agreed to be an ambassador for Sports Recruiting USA, and we are proud to have her as part of our team.
The day itself ran with the three squads playing six 30 minute games. The quality on display on the day was exceptional, and we were extremely proud of all the players that were involved. Outstanding goals, great awareness on the ball, great technique and outstanding defending all contributed towards a great afternoon of football.
After the event, players were given the opportunity to speak to coaches with a large number of players receiving interest. This was an ideal opportunity for the players to ask any questions about college and university life and to understand the expectations associated with being a student athlete in America.
Several coaches commented on the high standard of the event, stating that the quality on show was the best they had ever seen at a UK showcase event – the girls should be extremely proud of their performance and attitude both on and off the pitch.
A big thanks must also go to our partners Global Image Sports (GIS) who kindly arranged for staff and coaches to attend the Premier League fixture between the current Premier League Champions, Leicester City, and Stoke. We were joined by a number of coaches who had a great time watching an enthralling 2-2 draw.
Sports Recruiting USA has several events coming up in early 2017 and some of them are listed below.
Sunday 22nd January – Trial Game vs Harrogate Town Ladies
Tuesday 14th February – Trial Game vs Northampton Town Ladies
Friday 17th February – Open Training Session, Accrington & Rossendale College, Manchester.
Wednesday 22nd February – Trial Event and Training Camp – Balby Carr Academy, Doncaster.
http://www.sportsrecruitingusa.com/
