VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today that the Northern Academy Centre has expanded to include a Cariboo Prospects Academy that will act as a satellite program to the main Academy Centre in Prince George.
The Cariboo Prospects Academy is being launched in partnership with Quesnel Youth Soccer Association (QYSA) , Williams Lake Youth Soccer Association (WLYSA) and 100 Mile House & District Soccer Association (OMHSA). The Prince George Prospects Academy continues to be run in partnership with Prince George Youth Soccer Association (PGYSA).
“After establishing the Prince George Prospects program more than a year ago, the goal was to eventually link in other key Northern satellite areas and associations,” said Whitecaps FC director of soccer development Dan Lenarduzzi. “The next natural step was to move into the Cariboo region and set up this satellite program. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with QYSA, WLYSA, and OHMSA to further grow the game for local players in Northern BC.”
Training sessions at the Cariboo Prospects Academy will be delivered by Whitecaps FC Northern Academy associate head coaches Ross Holtom and Sonny Pawar. All selected players follow the official Whitecaps FC training curriculum. Selected Cariboo Academy players will have an opportunity to train with the Prince George Prospects and the Vancouver Academy programs. The Cariboo Prospects Academy will also receive a visit from Whitecaps FC Vancouver-based coaching staff.
Participation in the Cariboo Prospects Academy is by invite only. All players must go through an evaluation process to be selected. The inaugural evaluations will take place on Sunday, January 4, 2015 at the QYSA Indoor Facility. The evaluation is free, however players must register online to be eligible. Register now at whitecapsfc.com/cariboo.
The program will be for motivated and advanced boys and girls from U-10 to U-18 and will run over a 10-month period in three phases: Winter, Spring, and Fall. The Winter Phase will launch the program with 10 sessions from January 10 through April. Sessions will be held on Sunday afternoons at the QYSA Indoor Facility.
Whitecaps FC Academy Centres are a network of regional training hubs linked through key staff, curriculum, and standards that provide professional supplemental club training for serious, motivated players. Whitecaps FC now have a network of seven primary academy centre locations, including the Northern Academy Centre, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Okanagan, Kamloops, the Kootenays, and the Saskatchewan Academy Centre – the first such centre outside of British Columbia.
For more information on the Cariboo Prospects Academy, visit whitecapsfc.com/cariboo or contact Ross Holtom at rholtom@whitecapsfc.com or 250.981.4401, or Sonny Pawar at spawar@whitecapsfc.com or 250.649.5856.
