Sporting Futures USA's South African Star heading for Maine

Sporting Futures USA is delighted to announce that our South African starlet, Junaid Williams, will be joining perennial national tournament contenders, the University of Maine Fort Kent, in time for this upcoming Fall Season.

Junaid, who lives in the Western Cape of South Africa, currently plays his soccer with Florida Albion FC and has turned in some classy performances in defence this past season. Junaid's performances caught the eye of our Chief Scout in South Africa, Dylan Kerr, who subsequently recommended him for our program.

Ironically, after travelling more than 7000 miles around the world to make a new career for himself, Junaid will find two of his countrymen currently on the roster of his new team. Spencer Jacoby and Jarryd Phillips, both from Johannesburg, currently star for the UMFK Bengals and will be extremely important for Junaid during his settling in period.

"Junaid is the  2nd South African player to take up a place at an American University having completed our PSA Mentoring Program and we are looking forward to watching Junaid Williams achieve the same success as our previous client, David Preston, who is currently starring for Mountain State University. Dylan Kerr recommended Junaid to us last year and we have been extremely impressed by his willingness to work hard at his soccer development before gearing up for his new career in the United States. We are extremely confident that Junaid will go on to have a great career at UMFK under the expert guidance of Head Coach Bill Ashby," commented Dave Binnie.

Congratulations and good luck in your new career, Junaid, from all at Sporting Futures USA.

Burgess Hill Town FC Rising Star Joins SFUSA Program

Sporting Futures USA is delighted to announce that Burgess Hill Town FC starlet, Josh Fawssett, has joined to our PSA Mentoring Program and has set his sights on progressing his career in the United States in 2012.
Josh currently stars with Ryman League team, Burgess Hill Town FC, and was a member of their highly successful Sussex County FA Cup Winning side in 2011 under the guidance of Head Coach Ashley Carr and his assistant Nick Ben.

According to Sporting Futures Manager, David Binnie:

"Josh is a powerful striker with a keen eye for goal. He links very well with his team-mates and is capable of scoring goals from differant areas of the field, ranging from the spectacular to the very simple, which we have identified as being a very attractive quality to his game. We believe that by joining our PSA Mentoring Program, Josh Fawssett provides another example of the quality of player that we always aim to bring to the attention of US coaches who trust our judegment when recruiting in the UK."

Josh is also a good student who gained some excellent high school grades. He is now focused on joining a top US University in 2012 and is relishing the opportunity to test himself in a new country.

Welsh Dragon to be a Warrior at Midland University

Former Ely Rangers FC goalkeeper, Lewis Wilcox, has committed his future to Midland University in Nebraska.

Sporting Futures USA's Dave Binnie commented:

"Lewis is a confident, brave goalkeeper with a big future ahead of him. He is an impressive keeper with all the attributes required to make a real name for himself within the Great Plains Athletic Conference and we expect him to grab the gloves for the Warriors this season. Above all else, Lewis, is a great lad with an infectious personality and will be a very popular lad on the team."

Midland University are led by Head Coach Dan Sullivan and will be lookin to progress to the NAIA National Tournament  this year after their last appearance in 2009! They have had a number of British players on their roster over the years as well as a number of others from around the world. This will be an exciting adventure for Lewis and one which we hope will lead to a lot of success for him and his new team.

Congratulations & Good Luck from all at Sporting Futures USA

Crows Dressed for Victory

Crowborough Athletic FC will be taking to the field feeling like champions next Saturday as the sport their brand new kit, sponsored by Sporting Futures USA.

The new kit will certainly catch the eye and with a bit of luck we will see them embark upon a very successful season.

New 2011/12 Season Kit Below:

Young Scottish Player Graduates from US College System and signs with Blackpool

Proof, if every it was needed, that the US College system is productive in the development of young up and coming professional players was highlighted further this evening when young Scotsman, Craig Sutherland, made his debut for Blackpool FC against Hibernian FC having just signed a professional contract with the English Championship side.

Remarkably, Craig had never been on the books of any professional club before embarking upon his US collegiate career with NCAA DII's Midwestern State University. The George Watson's College graduate quickly established himself as on of the universities top talents and moved on after 2 seasons to sign with top NCAA DI, North Carolina State.

Like many of the young British players currently over in the States, Craig dreamed of one day making it as a professional back home and his ambition was realised when Ian Holloway snapped him up. Craig will be playing alongside Scottish International, Barry Ferguson, and other highly talented pro's who were recently cutting it at the highest level in the English Premiership. In fact Craig will be hoping to emulate the success of fellow Scostman, Charlie Adam, who recently won his dream move to Liverpool in a £7m deal which will see him become one of the countries top earners.

"It is absolutely terrific to see a young Scotsman achieve his dream of making it back here in the UK as a professional footballer", commented SFUSA's Dave Binnie. "I believe that it perfectly demonstrates the opportunities that are available to our top youngsters who leave the UK to develop their careers within the US system. The US College System is fast gaining a reputation as being a hotbed of young emerging talent and the very fact that Craig has had this level of success if testament to the US system and of course to his own ability and determination to succeed."

Good luck in your new career Craig.

Article on Blackpool website can be read here: http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~2402590,00.html

Moody Signs for the Blues

Sporting Futures USA is delighted to announce that our England & British Colleges National Team player, Tom Moody, has signed with top NAIA side, Lindsey Wilson College.

Tom, a native of Ivybridge near Plymouth, will be jetting out to begin his career next month with the Blue Raiders and hopes to provide an attacking flair to the left side of their team.

He is product of the English College's Champions, The City of Plymouth College, which is led by Charlie Legg. Under Charlie Legg's guidance Tom's career has blossomed and he was chosen in two consecutive seasons to represent the full England College's team in international competition against Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Australia to name but a few.

"Tom joined the Sporting Futures USA Mentoring Program in 2010 and has been one of our most sought after players," commented SFUSA's Managing Director, Dave Binnie."Tom is an extremely gifted player with terrific athleticism and pace. We are tipping him to become one of the college games standout performers and we are thrilled that he will be joining a team which can more than match his ambition."

Lindsey Wilson are led by Head Coach Ray Wells who is about to take charge of the team for a 22nd season.

The seven-time NAIA National Coach of the Year has led the Lindsey Wilson to eight NAIA national titles. He has guided the Blue Raiders to all 401 program wins since creating the program from scratch in 1990.

Over the 21 years, Wells has led Lindsey Wilson to a 401-67-22 overall mark for a .841 winning percentage.

In addition to winning the eight national titles -- 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2009 -- Wells guided the men's soccer program to 18 conference titles and 16 conference tournament championships.

Congratulations to Tom! All at Sporting Futures USA wish you well on the next step of your career!

Catch the footage which caught the eye of Head Coach Wells:

USA Star joins Glasgow Rangers FC

Bedoya playing for Boston College.

Yet another US National Team star has jetted in to the United Kingdom to star in the SPL with Scottish Champions, Rangers FC.

Alejandro Bedoya will join his countryman and fellow US National Team player, Mo Edu, in the Glasgow clubs ranks in January when his contract with Swedish club Orebro finishes.

Ironically, Glasgow Rangers may line up in the Champions League this season with three members of their team who have come through the US college game. David Weir - Evansville University, Mo Edu - Maryland and now Bedoya - Boston College.

What a lot of people don't know is that both Bedoya and Edu are products of the US Collegiate System! Edu played his soccer at the University of Maryland while Bedoya competed on the Boston College means soccer team before going onto make the grade as professional players as well as national team players.

Both players join a burgeoning list of US players to come through the US College System before plying their trade as professionals here in the UK.

The English Premiership has long established itself as a prime destination for the top American players and people like Jonathan Spector, Brad Freidal, Clint Dempsey and Claudio Reyna all lit up the British game and continue to do so.

It is very interesting to note that the US College System is gaining a reputation for the quality of their players who go onto achieve their ambitions of playing in the professional game at the very highest level.

Ball for Buffs

Former Faversham Town FC goalkeeper, Daniel Ball, has committed his future to Milligan College in Tennessee.

 Sporting Futures USA's Dave Binnie commented:

"Daniel is a confident, brave goalkeeper with a big future ahead of him. He is an impressive keeper with all the attributes required to make a real name for himself within the Appalachian Athletic Conference and we expect him to grab the gloves at Milligan this season."

Milligan College are led by Head Coach Adam Laney and will be looking to win the AAC this year! They have had a number of British players on their roster over the years as well as a number of others from around the world. This will be an exciting adventure for Daniel and one which we hope will lead to a lot of success for him and his new team.

Congratulations & Good Luck from all at Sporting Futures USA.

Check out Dan in Action Below:

Sporting Futures USA to attend Just 4 Keepers Residential Week

Sporting Futures USA's David Binnie will be attending the Annual 'Just 4 Keepers Residential Camp' on the 22nd August and will spend two days, out on the pitch, working closely with the talented young keepers on the course.

Sporting Futures USA will be seeking to identify whether there are any keepers who catch the eye and who have the talent to be considered for the US College system.

Just 4 Keepers currently operates in 13 countries. In their 11 years of operation J4K has helped nearly 250 young keepers achieve their dream of getting to a professional club.

J4K's success is second to none worldwide and they have more for young goalkeepers than any other goalkeeper school in history!

Sporting Futures USA's David Binnie and J4K founder Ray Newland have a close working relationship and have developed a pathway for J4K goalkeepers to find top level scholarships within the United States Collegiate system.
In 2010/2011 the following keepers have enjoyed the benefit of our unique partnership and are currently enjoying or are about to embark upon their new careers in the United States.
Michael Doran - New York Institute of Technology, New York

Jan Skorupinski - Notre Dame College, OhioNathan Dean - Elon University, North Carolina
Andrew Metcalf - Union College, Kentucky
For more information on Just 4 Keepers please visit the website: www.just4keepers.co.uk

Sporting Futures USA's Sam Crocker Heads to Borneo for Trip of a Lifetime

Sporting Futures USA's rising star, Sam Crocker, will be embarking upon an experience of a lifetime next week when he jets out to Borneo to spend 4 weeks travelling and working on various community projects including preservation work connected to the natural habitats of orangutans.

We will be following Sam's progress during and after his trip and will be posting updates and pictures on our blog Site: http://sportingfuturesusa.blogspot.com/ 

Sam is one of our top recruits for 2012 and is a very promising center back with all the attributes to make a big impact next year. He will be spending the next year developing his game and also completing his final year at high school.

By taking the time to fill his summer with such an exciting project, we believe that it demonstrates the type of motivation and character that Sam possesses. Attributes that we believe marks Sam out as a PSA who will be in high demand next year!

Sam describes his preparations below in his own words.

"On Friday 22nd July I will be travelling to Sabah in North Borneo for four weeks. Over the four weeks I will be climbing Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South East Asia at 4095 metres. This will be a 7 day trip all together including treks through heavy jungle to get to the mountain itself. Most of the time spent in Borneo will involve working in a tribal village called Bongkud in the jungle where I will be helping to cut trails through the rainforest, building a new community centre and teaching English to the locals. I will also spend a week in Batu Puteh, working at an Orangutan Sanctuary (Borneo is one of only two places in the world where you can still find Orangutans in the wild), doing wildlife surveys and planting trees to replace the deforested areas. To get to Borneo I had to fundraise £3500 and money for kit, I raised this in lots of different ways including a sponsored climb of Mount Kinabalu (4095m) on my school climbing wall last Christmas."

 

If you would like to to find anymore info, I have some more on my website which is here http://www.crox101.com/index.html

 

From the staff at Sporting Futures USA: Good luck & enjoy your trip Sam!

The role of the US College Soccer Assistant Coach - Chris Little, Elon University, NC

The summer season is in full flow in the United States and Elon University Mens Soccer Assistant, Chris Little, talks about his role and working committments during one of the busiest periods of the year.

Extracts of this interview are courtesty of the Elon University Athletics website: http://www.elonpheonix.com/

Explain a bit what it is like for you as the assistant soccer coach at Elon during the summer. What are the main goals for this time of year?

CL: It’s busy. We obviously have our camp programs going on that take up a lot of time. Our Elite Camp has now become a big recruiting camp for us, so it’s a lot of work to facilitate and encourage our recruits to come to camp. Also, summer has now become a big recruiting period for soccer. It makes for a busy summer with recruiting in full-swing, camps and then all of the preparation work for the season: our equipment, travel, all the items that need taken care of ahead of time to make the season runs smoothly.

What are the goals for the Elon players throughout the summer? How much contact do you have with the group in these off months?

CL: We have quite limited contact. Obviously a lot of the players go home, but there is a growing group that will stay and do summer school, so we obviously get to see them.
The summer is their preseason, because our season starts very early in August. The guys have conditioning packets they have to follow, and they really have to work very hard over the summer to make sure they are in the right shape and the right condition when we start in early August for the season.

Some of the current players are playing with PDL/U23 teams, such as the Carolina Railhawks and Carolina Dynamo, or their respective U19 club teams this summer. How does that experience help their development as players?

CL: Obviously it’s good to get the guys some games over the summer. Our main season is in the fall, and in the spring we are only allowed to play on five dates, so the guys haven’t played a great number of games. In the summer if they can go back to their U19/U23 team or a PDL team and get games and train on a consistent basis, that is the best way to get them sharp and ready for our season. We’ve got a good core number of guys that have done that, and then we individualize their training plans based on what they’re doing, as far as playing games and training in the summer.

Young Dundee Utd Starlet signs to SFUSA Program

Sporting Futures USA is delighted to announce that ex Dundee Utd starlet, Jordan Danks, has joined to our PSA Mentoring Program and has set his sights on progressing his career in the United States in 2012.

Jordan was recruited to the prestigious Dundee United FC Academy on a scholarship status from Rossvale FC Soccer Academy and quickly made an impact under the expert eye of Brian Grant and his staff. Jordan made regular appearances for the U-17 and U-19 teams and was very highly rated by Craig Levein and Peter Houston who are now in charge of the full Scottish National Team.

Jordan was selected to represent the club at an interactive skills session run by England legend, Kevin Keegan, and came out of the session as Dundee Uniteds top performing player.

According to Sporting Futures Manager, David Binnie:

"Jordan is a player who possesses terrific technical ability and is ambidextrous in his ability with both feet. He is quick in the brain when it comes to reading the game and can impact matches with his incisive, darting runs. He has the ability to win matches and is an exciting talent who will light the game up in the United States."

"We are delighted to have identified a young man with so much talent both in terms of his academic ability and in his soccer potential. Dundee United FC's Academy has produced some of the top talents in the British game over the last 20 years including Richard Gough, Kevin Gallagher, Duncan Ferguson and current SPFA Young Player of the Year David Goodwillie. Jordan has been coached by the very best and will be a huge hit in the States."

 We believe that by joining our PSA Mentoring Program, Jordan Danks provides another example of the quality of player that we always aim to bring to the attention of US coaches who trust our judegment when recruiting in the UK.

Jordan is also a very talented student who gained some excellent high school grades. He is now focused on joining a top US University in 2012 and is relishing the opportunity to test himself in a new country.

Check out this news item on our website at the following link:
http://www.sportingfuturesusa.com/latest-news/120-young-dundee-utd-starlet-signs-to-sfusa-program.html

The Dream Begins Here for Crowborough Athletic

The long road to Wembley and the FA Cup Final has begun and the dream is well and truly on for Crowborough Athletic FC.

Crowborough Athletic have been paired with Erith Town of the Kent Premier League and will be hoping to kick off their campaign with victory over their close county rivals.
The match takes place on Saturday 20th August.

As the clubs main sponsor for the 2011/12 season we will be sharing the dream of seeing the club walk out at Wembley Stadium with our logo emblazoned on their shirt.

Crowborough's FA Vase & FA Youth Cup draws have been made and they are as follows.

FA Vase: Saturday 10th September away to Arundel FC

FA Youth Cup: VCD Athletic TBA

Good Luck Crows!!

See Crowborough Athletic Website: The Dream Begins -http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/crowboroughathletic/news/the-dream-begins-336488.html

Stenhousemuir Starlet, Drew Wingate, Joins Top New York College

Sporting Futures USA is delighted to announce that Drew Wingate has committed his immediate future to the College of Saint Rose in Albany New York.

Drew has recently come to the end of a long and successful association with Stenhousemuir FC. He progressed through the youth ranks where he was the captain of the U-19 team which finished 6th in the SFL Youth Division in 2010. Drew was offered a part-time professional contract to join the first team for next season but the bright lights of New York and the chance to combine his soccer with his studies proved to be the deciding factor for Drew and he has put pen to paper on a terrific scholarship which will see him pull on the jersey in the centre of midfield for the Saint Rose Golden Knights this season.

"Drew is the type of player who will make an immediate impact at the College of Saint Rose!" Commented Sporting Futures Dave Binnie. " Drew has the leadership qualities and the ability within his game to become an outstanding player for Coach Jones and his team."

The Staff at Sporting Futures USA are confident that Drew will go on to have a terrifc career at the College of Saint Rose.

Good Luck Drew!

Watch Drew in Action Below



Huge boost for Crows as pre-season begins

Sporting Futures USA is delighted to announce an exclusive sponsorship of top Ryman League Club, Crowborough Athletic FC, who are based out of East Sussex.

We will have exclusive access to the new Crowborough U-18 Academy and will be aiming to identify the stars of tomorrow for the US System to follow in the footsteps of Matt Kenton of Grand View University and Elliot Kelly of Notre Dame College.

Check out the article in the Kent & Sussex Courier:
http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/Huge-boost-Crows-pre-season-begins/story-12860684-detail/story.html

Indiana calling for Alex Clarke

Sporting Futures USA is delighted to announce that Alexander Clarke has committed his immediate future to Holy Cross College of Notre Dame in Indiana.

Alex is a left sided winger with flair and technical ability. He has a real eye for goal and attracted the interest of Head Coach Rhet Zych who had a need for a left sided player to provide goalscoring opportunities for his strikers this upcoming fall season.

"Alex is the type of player who will excite the fans at HCC!" Commented Sporting Futures Dave Binnie. " The American game places a massive emphasis on goal assists and Alex is certainly the type of player who is capable of making an immediate impact in this department. On top of that, he is a great lad who will be popular amongst his team-mates and we tip him to have a great career at HCC."

The staff at Sporting Futures USA are confident that Alex will go on to have a terrifc career at Holy Cross College of Notre Dame.

Good Luck Alex!

Check us out: http://www.sportingfuturesusa.com/latest-news/116-alexander-clarke-is-indiana-bound.html

Catch Alex in action below: