Headlines
July 22nd 2010
Luggage packed, flight booked, kit ready, books waiting. The first group of Richmond - IASA players will be flying into Manchester Airport in 10 days time to begin a journey of a lifetime at the IASA site in Leeds.
Twenty Seven players from around the world will descend upon the academy as they begin their academic and soccer career in what is their first opportunity to show their stuff to the IASA professional coaching staff, made up of coaches who have played and managed at the very highest level of the professional game.
The Richmond - IASA players will be eligible to play not only for the IASA team but can move through the pyramid system of English football that allows players to move up the leagues should teams want to sign them. Mark Ellis the football director at IASA has developed a working relationship with Eccleshill United, a semi professional club as a first step for players. Mark said, “of course they will need to show they are good enough for this level but the opportunity exists there for them”. The whole mission of the IASA soccer program is to provide a level of development, opportunity and exposure that they could not get anywhere else within the safeguard and framework of an American Degree program.
Mark went on to say, “The buzz is already out in England about some of the American players arriving, as well as some of the other nationalities. I know of several scouts wanting to get a look early at some of our players and the players have every opportunity, over time, to show what they can do. Of course settling into a new country and playing within a new system and culture will take adjustments for some of the players; it not going to be about those with just excellent ability its going to be about those with the will, desire and attitude to succeed at a level they will have not been exposed to”.
On their arrival players will be thrust into three games that will allow the IASA coaching staff to begin their evaluations. Mark Ellis indicated, “although preseason started over four weeks ago in England the IASA players have had the advantage of training through the Scouting Solutions IASA soccer trainer (www.scoutingsolutions.com) which allows the monitoring of players fitness levels regardless of where ever they are. Mark went onto say of the IASA soccer coaching system, ‘The IASA soccer trainer is fantastic, it allows us to set up scheduled training and monitor players anywhere in the world – it will even allow us to monitor their grades too when classes start.”
The IASA players will not be alone, they will also meet another group of American Players from Missouri as IASA Head Scout, John Roeslein, brings over a group of Junior American players to tour and see the IASA program. They have games organized against Premeir League Manchester City FC and Blackburn Rovers FC. They will be travelling with a U17 US National team player a number of regional ODP players.