Elite Player Program
Purpose
The United States Adult Soccer Association’s (USASA) Elite
Player Program, originally known as the Select Teams
Program, identifies players that exhibit skillful qualities with
the intent of becoming a part of the USASA National Select
Team player pool. Once selected, the player will be showcased in
competitions against professional and international teams. The
exposure that our elite players may gain by competing against
those professional and international teams can result in
professional opportunities for those players. In addition
to identifying our elite players, the program provides our
coaches the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and
knowledge in highly competitive game situations.
Goal
The goal of the USASA Elite Player Program is to form
the USASA Men and Women’s National Select Teams. The National
Select Teams will represent the USASA in competition with other
professional and international teams. Through these competitive
games identification and selection of our elite players into the
professional ranks is the ultimate challenge for each player, as
well as providing the USASA an identity through this Elite
Player Program.
Structure
The structure of the Elite Player Program begins at the
State Association level, where scouts or coaches are recruited
to seek out the best available players in their areas. Once
these players have been identified, they are invited to attend
the USASA Elite Player National Camp. At the Elite Player
National Camp players will be tested in training sessions and
games to determine a USASA National Select Team. The USASA
National Select Teams then schedules events/games during the
following year to provide the players opportunities to display
their talents in front of professional and international
competitions.
In addition to players being invited to the Elite Player
National Camp, all National State Association Select Teams
and/or League Select Teams within a National State Association
are invited to compete in the USASA’s National Select Teams
Championship, also known as the George F. Donnelly Cup.
George F. Donnelly Cup
The USASA National Select Teams Championships is also
known as the George F. Donnelly Cup. Annually, National State
Associations and State Association Leagues are invited to
participate at the George F. Donnelly Cup. As part of the USASA
Elite Player Program, in addition to teams playing for a
National Championship in a tournament format, players are
scouted throughout the tournament by the USASA National Coaching
Staff for recommendation to the National State Association to
represent that National State Association at the USASA Elite
Player National Camp for possible selection to USASA National
Select Team.
This event was established in 1990 to determine a National
Championship for State Select Teams. In the past has been held
during the Thanksgiving Day weekend, but in 2003 the tournament
was changed to January during the Martin L. King Holiday
weekend. In 2009 this tournament will start a new era where
League Select Teams within a National State Association are also
invited to compete for the National Championship.
USASA Elite Player Program
Benefits and Opportunities
I. Elite Player National Camp
II. National Championship for State and League Select
Teams - George F. Donnelly Cup
III. USASA National Select Team
V. Games versus professional teams
V. Games versus international teams
VI. Scouting by professional teams
VII. Scouting by USSF National Coaching Staff
VIII. Evaluations by National Staff Coaches
IX. Games versus US National Teams
X. Add other benefits - e.g. competing against other players
of high level
Players
From the inception of the USASA Elite Player Program,
originally known as the Select Teams Program, a vast number of
players have been selected through the USASA Elite Player Program
to participate in either the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Olympic,
National or World Cup Teams. Brian McBride and Clint Mathis are
amongst a substantial number of players that are or have been
members of the Men’s World Cup Team. Many players have
graduated to the MLS and most MLS teams have several players on
their rosters having benefited from the USASA’s Elite
Player Program. From our Women’s World Cup/Olympic Team,
LaKeysia Beene, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain,
Tiffany Millbrett and Jamie Pagliarulo are among those players
who have been participants of the USASA Elite Player Program in
addition to our current Women’s National Team Head Coach, April
Heinrichs. The USASA Elite Player Program was a large
contributor to filling every team’s roster in the now defunct
WUSA. As was the case when the USSF decided to start a Women’s
National Team in the 1980’s and once again with the start of the
WUSA, the USASA and its Elite Player Program has been a key
ingredient in their early successes.
USASA National Select Teams
This year the USASA made great strides in establishing annual
events for both Men’s and Women’s USASA National Select Teams.
The Men’s National Select Team, after an absence of over ten
years, went back to Europe and played a two game series against
the Ireland National Amateur Team in Ireland with games on July
25, 2007 in Cork followed by the second game on July 29, 2007 in
Tipperary Town. Our National Select Team was successful in both
games by winning 1:0 and 2:0 against a well-respected team that
has been very successful in European international competition
over the last several years.
The Women’s National Select Team will be in Mexico at the end of
the year for a set of games similar to the games which were
played in the previous year when our National Select Team played
to a 2:2 tie against the Mexican National Team in Mexico City
and a second game versus Mexico’s U-20 National Team where our
team was victorious with a 3:0 win.
These type of events give our professional and U.S. National
Teams programs an up close and personal opportunity to evaluate
USASA players in a direct setting wherein the USASA players
showcase their talents against the very players they hope to
join.
