PSC Richmond, Virginia Combine Information Pack

Transcription

1 PSC Richmond, Virginia Combine Information Pack Containing: Combine Schedule Hotel Information / Waiver Transport Information Coaches Confirmed PSC European Showcase Contact Details 1

2 Combine Schedule If you have any questions that are not covered in this information pack please do not hesitate to ask, we want you to be as comfortable, and informed, as possible so you can showcase to the best of your ability Facility Location: Ukrop Park, 5300 Ridgedale Pkwy, Richmond, Virginia Schedule: Friday 22 nd June: Saturday 23 rd June: Sunday 24 th June: 10am: Check in at fields 10.30am 1pm: 11 v 11 showcase games 8am-1pm: 11 v 11 showcase games 8am-1pm: 11 v 11 showcase games ***All players to register at fields at 10:00am on June 22 nd to be placed in a team*** >> Gates will not open until 9:45am, do not arrive before then << Waiver: Players are kindly asked to complete the online waiver at this link prior to the combine. Players who have not signed a waiver will not be allowed to participate in the event. The online waiver can be accessed here: We will receive an electronic version of the waiver, you do not need to print a copy and bring with you. Players who have not signed a waiver will not be able to participate. 2

3 Important notes and FAQ s (please be sure to read carefully): The combine will be played on ARTIFICAL TURF so please bring appropriate clothing and footwear. This includes shin guards. Please bring plenty of water to keep hydrated during the event (again, the facility requests bottled water to be used on the Field, not sports drinks such as Gatorade etc) We ask players do not contact the facilities prior to the event or on the day of the event. They are simply providing a facility and will not have any information or details regarding the combine. If you arrive before registration time, please do not enter the field of play, we will give you plenty of time to get warmed up before your game time. Players will be assigned positions based upon their registration form. If you would like to showcase yourself in a different position please let a PSC staff member know. We will do what we can to showcase you in that position, however, if you did not originally list it on your registration form we cannot guarantee it. On day one, you may be assigned to play in the final game of the day as late as 3pm. So please make sure you bring enough water and snacks to last the whole session if necessary. Over the course of the three days, if you are late for your assigned games, this will result in a reduction of playing time. 3

4 Hotel Information Those that have signed up for the hotel package may check in after 4pm on June 21 st On arrival to the front desk, simply give your name and you will be assigned a room. Please do not contact the hotel directly about this booking as your name will not be in the system until 4 hours before check in. On arrival, players simply need to state their name and they will be assigned a shared room with another combine participant. Check in: June 21st 2018 Check out: June 24th 2018 Cost: $225 per person. Room: Shared with another Combine player Included: Wi-fi, Free Breakfast, Free Parking Hotel Address: Best Western Plus Richmond Airport Hotel, 5300 Airport Square Ln, Sandston, VA Nearest Airport(s): Richmond International Airport (RIC) 1.9 Miles *Hotel is located 20 miles from Combine field. *This is a shared hotel room with another Combine player. If you wish to have a single room or share with a family member you will need to cover the additional costs. *Only 16 hotel spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Hotel check in time is 4pm, please do not arrive before 4pm If you have any problems at check in please contact a member of staff using the contact details on the final page of this pack. Transport to and from Hotel / Airport & Training Fields: Players are responsible for their own transport to and from the airport and fields. PSC has partnered with Uber to offer our combine participants the cheapest transportation available. All first-time users of the app will receive a free $15 towards their first ride to further reduce costs. UberX is now 30% cheaper than a taxi and will take all of the stress out of traveling during the combine at the lowest possible price. Download the app today and use Promo Code: uberpscsoccer to redeem your free $15 ride. What to Wear to the Combine: * Black Training Top * T-Shirt Bring white and black training t-shirts * Black Shorts and pants * Black Socks 4 Each player will be assigned to a team and issued a colored vest or jersey with a number. Please be aware numbers, teams and jerseys will change each day. We ask players do not bring their own soccer balls to the field of play.

5 Confirmed Coaches PSC Company Directors hand-pick attending Combine scouts and coaches for PSC events, bringing together a group of experienced individuals who can offer their wealth of elite knowledge and expertise to players present at Combines potentially leading to trial and contract opportunities. Coaches we have confirmed so far are as follows, more will be announced in the coming weeks. IFK Norrkoping: Sweden, Premier League IFK Norrkoping is a top tier Swedish professional football club based in Norrköping which is 1 hour south of the Capital city, Stockholm. The club plays their home games at Östgötaporten. Formed on 29 May 1897, they have won thirteen national championship titles and six national cup titles.the club currently plays in the Allsvenskan, where the season lasts from April to October. They first won Allsvenskan in 1943 and were most successful during the 1940s, when they won five Swedish championships and two Svenska Cupen titles. IFK Norrköping won the 2015 Allsvenskan, their first win since 1989, which also gave them a spot in the second qualification round of UEFA Champions League. They will be scouting at all PSC s combines this June to view potential talent. Pembroke Athleta Football Club: Malta, Premier League A Maltese football club from the town of Pembroke, which currently plays in the Maltese First Division. Originally they were founded in 1962 and recently played in the Premier Division with a number of PSC success stories including Gustavo Villalobos, Kyle O Brien, Austin Martz and James Togba who were a success with the team. Head Coach Joseph Grech will be attending PSC July combines in search for new talent as they aim to bounce back into the Premier Division this season. Malta is a country that has very few restrictions for North American players making it an excellent place for players to start their journey into professional soccer in Europe. 5

6 FK Tukum: Latvia, Division 1 FK Tuku is a Division One side in Latvia who have provided PSC with a mandate to scout and recruit on their behalf from our winter events. The club have trialed 6 PSC players from PSC in the last 3 months and are hoping to bring in more talent during the summer window from PSC s recommendations. FK Jurnieks: Latvia, Division 2 Bodens BK: Sweden Divison 2 FK Jurnieks is a newly formed club playing in the desirable capital city of Latvia, Riga. The club will be scouting from all our events this summer and is based in a prime location with access and exposure to many clubs at the higher levels in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Jurnieks offers players the chance to compete in Division 2 football in Latvia and provides many PSC players with a full-time professional environment to develop and expose themselves to a higher level. In the last 12 months, it has seen 10 PSC players sign with the club and is an excellent first step for an aspiring player looking to break into European soccer. The club does not have a limit on foreign players and is a realistic pathway into the system players that have signed from PSC Include; Carl Rodriguez, Kevin Sanchez, Jefferson, Oscar Aragon, Justin Jennings and Oscar Velasquez. Bodens BK will be looking for potential players at all PSC summer combine and sending representatives to each combine location. They play home games at their soccer-specific stadium that holds over 5000 fans. Over the last 5 years, Bodens BK has signed and trialed over 16 PSC players and have established a long-term co-operation with PSC. Many successful combine and tour players have benefited from this relationship such as Matt Sanner (Princeton), Eddy Prugh (Marshall University) who scored 21 goals for the club and earned a move to Colorado Switchbacks in the USL and Andy Lorei (Rochester Rhinos) who scored 15 goals for the club and earned a move to the Tulsa Roughnecks of the USL. Recent 2018 players that have signed with the club from PSC includes, Willie Clemons, John Quintanilla. 6

7 Mark Miller: European Recruitment (Malta and Finland) Coach Miller has spent 24 years on the island of Malta where he has played and coached his way to four Maltese Premier League titles, two Maltese Cups, one Maltese Super Cup, and managed Maltas national U17 and U21 teams. Teams he has coached in Malta include Hibernians, Qormi, Sliema Wanderers and Valletta and he is a well-respected figure in the country. Mark has strong links on the island of Malta as well as Finland and the UK. The former Newcastle United player has attended a number of PSCs combines and tours in recent years, helping an abundance of players secure trials and contracts with European clubs. Recent success stories that Mark has played a key role assisting include Kyle O Brien, Gustavo Villalobos, Austin Martz, James Togba, Saalih Muhammed and more. Mark Miller Q&A Mark Miller Testimonial Martin O Connor (Bristol City, English Championship, and PSC UK Scout) Martin is a former English Premier League player who played and captained English teams including Birmingham City, Crystal Palace, and Walsall FC, among others. He is currently a scout for English Championship club Bristol City, and represented the Cayman Islands at international level, before becoming Assistant Head Coach at Walsall FC from While playing for Birmingham City, Martin captained the side that reached the League Cup final against Liverpool FC in 2001 a contest that they narrowly lost following a penalty shootout. He has been involved with PSC for a number of years offering expert coaching and guidance to players and assisting with the placement of players into England. He also currently runs the Martin O Connor Soccer Academy in the United Kingdom which provides players aged with fulltime football and education. 7

8 Patrick Walker: (Recruiting for all 5 tiers in Sweden) Patrick Walker has been a head coach in Sweden s and Norway s top tiers for the last 30 years, and has an extensive network throughout Scandinavia. He is the director of PSC s program in Sweden, and has been responsible for the majority of PSC s success stories in Scandinavia. Patrick also runs PSC s Residential Program, which has seen nine players move onto professional contracts in the last two years. He is chairman of Division 3 side Scandinavia Football Club, based in Orebro, Sweden. The club offers a route for players looking to get into full-time football in Europe and provides excellent competition and exposure to players from North America, who are pursuing a pathway into the game overseas. David Irving: Fresno FC: USA, USL The former Everton striker is attending PSC Combines on behalf of Fresno FC in the USL. Irving, who is in the USL Hall of Fame, has a real eye for talent and knows what it takes to be in the league after being involved in the USL as a Head Coach since He has a reputation of picking players out of obscurity and putting them on the path to bigger things such as Glenn Murray who now plays in the EPL with Brighton and Hove Albion (read story here), and Luke Mulholland, who was scouted at a combine and risen all the way to the MLS (read story here). 8

9 PSC AGENCY STAFF: WORLDWIDE RECRUITMENT Since 2002 PSC have forged a respectable reputation in the professional game working with players, coaches and teams from Europe s top leagues including the English Premier League and American leagues such as the MLS, NASL and USL Pro. This long-standing reputation within the professional game has led to a number of former Combine participants both signing and trialing with clubs around the world, who trust the recommendations of PSC Agency staff. Professional clubs trust our recommendations, and after an event our Agency staff will look to recommend players that have proven they are capable of playing professionally. The following list highlights players who attended a PSC Combine or Tour and received no interest from attending coaches, but trialed or signed with a non-attending club following a recommendation from PSC Agency staff. This recommendation can come days, weeks or months after the conclusion of an event. What our Agency Staff, and attending coaches, are looking for? Players often ask what the Agency staff are looking for in a player. First and foremost, we are looking for players who have technical, tactical and athletic ability to play at the professional level. Following that, we are looking for players who display professional attitudes in terms of time-keeping, attitude on the field, attitude off the field, ability to work with fellow team mates and respect shown to attending coaches and staff. Players who do not show the above will not be recommended to professional clubs by Agency staff. 9

10 What happens after the combine? After the combine one of four outcomes will follow: 1. Selected to sign or trial with an attending club (this can involve immediate travel to Europe so please be sure you are ready to accept an opportunity like that) 2. Recommended to trial or sign with a non-attending club through PSC Agency staff recommendation (this can involve immediate travel to Europe so please be sure you are ready to accept an opportunity like that) 3. Invited on a PSC European Showcase tour 4. Not considered ready for the professional level at this time. Players will be contacted by PSC staff within 5 days of the event informing them of their outcome. Regardless of outcome, EVERY player will be contacted via so please be sure to add the domain to your safe senders list or check your junk folder daily following the combine. Contact Details Issues Prior to Event Should you have any questions or issues prior to the combine, you should contact directors Tom Taylor or Simon Deeley via simon@pscltd.co.uk tom@pscltd.co.uk Issues during the Event If you have any questions or issues during the combine or when attempting to check in to the hotel please contact Combine Directors via phone. Please note the phone will only be in use during combine times and is not a year-round contact number: Combine Director Phone Number: *Please be aware that combine directors may not be able to receive phone calls or reply to messages during combine session hours whilst directing the event* Important Links Success Stories Testimonials Combine FAQ We look forward to welcoming you, and evaluating you over the three days.good Luck! 10