A New Era in Western Pennsylvania Soccer
FC Pittsburgh is a youth soccer organization dedicated to soccer player development in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Utilizing investments by the Bouchard Group and Esmark Corporation, FC Pittsburgh has been tasked to create a player development program that mirrors the United States Development Academy within the United States Soccer Federation.
FC Pittsburgh fields teams at multiple competitive levels from U11 through U18. The teams follow a defined training curriculum developed by the FC Pittsburgh coaching staff. The curriculum focuses on creating the most effective blend of age-appropriate training and competition in preparation for local, regional and national competition.
FC Pittsburgh has designed an education model to provide coaching, program design and administrative expertise to local community clubs to promote the soccer skill development of children ages 4 through 11. These partnerships include a complete model of “on-the field” volunteer coach education and administrative support. The purpose of these partnerships is to provide thoughtful program design and professional support to the volunteer-based organizations that serve all children regardless of ability or commitment level. This approach was launched with the Ohio River Valley Football Club located in the Quaker Valley School District 15 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, PA.
Soccer player development takes many years. A child develops different skills at unique times and at different rates of change. To have a true development model, it is critical to have large numbers of children within each age group to create different program options and competitive levels to support the child through this development process. Those executing the model need the ability to move children across these levels seamlessly to mirror the dips and plateaus of the child’s development cycle.
Creating an organization that serves the novice-to-elite player without losing sight of any individual player requires resources. The Bouchard Group and Esmark Corporation have taken a leadership role in sponsoring this initiative. The shareholders of these organizations recognize that it is a different day and age for children. Gone are the days when physical and emotional development occurred primarily on the “playground”. This new age requires new solutions, and the game of soccer is uniquely positioned to promote the health and wellness of children across the community. The key is to use structure to create unstructured learning environments. The game of soccer promotes cardiovascular conditioning, development of gross motor skills, problem-solving and communication skills. By embedding the game into the community structure, more players are served that might not have participated before, and all children are better prepared to deal with the challenges they will face as they become adults.
