The tryouts will be held at the fields to be determined. Please check the dates and times below, we advise players that this is the final tryout and the last chance of being selected for the Ocean City FC summer teams.

Please print off and fill out a copy of the 2012 Super Y-League Tryout Registration Form to help us speed up the registration process at the beginning of each session.

For more information on the tryouts or any specific questions please contact our Director of Coaching Leon Brown on (609) 525-9999 or email lbrown@oceancityfc.com

Dates

Saturday March 10th & 24th
Boys U9, U10, U11, U12 - 1pm - 2.30pm
Boys U13, U14 - 2.30pm - 4pm

Sunday March 11th & 25th
Girls U9, U10, U13, U14 - 1.30pm - 3pm

The Ocean City Nor’easters have taken a huge step forward in their attempts to improve the quality of the soccer product being played at Carey Stadium in the summer as they are now being operated by a nonprofit corporation, Ocean City Nor’easters Soccer, Inc. The Nor’easters purpose is to educate and promote the game of soccer throughout Ocean City and the southern New Jersey community, while providing affordable family entertainment. This move was led by club President Giancarlo Granese and South Jersey Pro Soccer General Manager Neil Holloway. The change in structure allows the Nor’easters to help the community in many more ways and to serve the people of Ocean City that host them with such great support.

The Ocean City Nor’easters are a minor league soccer franchise based in Ocean City, New Jersey that competes in the Premier Development League (PDL) - the top developmental men’s league in North America, under the umbrella of the United Soccer Leagues (USL).

The PDL features 73 teams within four conferences across the United States and Canada. The PDL season consists of 16 regular season matches for each team, eight home and eight away, and provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions.

The PDL has proven to be an important stepping-stone for top professionals now playing throughout the world. PDL Franchise Map

2012 marks the club’s 16th season and during that time, 23 former Ocean City players have moved on to play professional soccer, including Jeremiah White who became the first alum to earn a cap with the senior U.S. National Team. Fans can follow the Nor’easters on the club’s website at www.oceancityfc.com, on Twitter (www.twitter.com/oceancityfc) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/oceancityfc).

With cold, snowy weather just around the corner, it signals the beginnings of another indoor winter training season with Ocean City FC. Last years Winter Program had over 70 players aged between 7-14 years old taking part in the eight-week program at the Euro Sports Center in Egg Harbor City, NJ. The Nor’easters are also welcoming players of High School age to hone their skills ahead of the Spring club season.

Players of all ages will be attending the camp where they will work on a variety of skills with the Ocean City FC coaching staff, led by director of coaching Leon Brown.

Our Winter Program offers professional training to the serious soccer player looking to enhance their skills and stay ahead of the game during the winter break. The program focuses on ball mastery to improve ball skills, passing and shooting. The program reflects the Nor’easters aim of improving a players first touch and encouraging quick passing soccer. The Winter Program includes the high level of coaching quality that is now expected from the Ocean City Nor’easters coaching staff.

The players will be split up into age groups so that they can improve at their own level in a comfortable setting.

Ocean City FC are holding 2 sessions of the Winter Program for players aged 7-14 years old and High School age:

Session 1: Jan 11th - Feb 1st
Session 2: Feb 8th - Feb 29th

Players can participate in both sessions to really make the most of this winter break. The sessions will be held on:
Wednesday’s 7pm-9pm at the Eurosport Center in Egg Harbor City, NJ.

The cost of this camp is $150 for one session or $280 if you sign your player up for both sessions.

You can register online by clicking here or to print off and mail the registration form with the check to Ocean City FC, 200 6th Street, Ocean City, NJ, 08226
 

For further information regarding the 2012 Winter Program, please contact Leon Brown on (609) 525-9999 or email lbrown@oceancityfc.com with the subject heading Winter Program.

Anyone interested in finding out more information about the wide range of soccer programs offered by Ocean City FC, follow the club on Facebook and Twitter or call the OCFC office at (609) 525-9999.

Follow www.soccer.com/Navigation.process to buy the latest in Ocean City FC clothing and training gear.

Coach Oswald and his staff were impressed with the turnout of the tryout they held on January 7th and 8th as the Nor’easters look to finalize both their PDL and U20 squad for the 2012 season.

The tryouts were held up at Rutgers University in Camden, NJ. Coach Oswald and the team are looking forward to comparing notes and hope that they have helped discover the next top MLS star. The quality, as ever, was high as the level within US soccer, especially the college scene, rises as a whole year on year.
 

Please contact assistant coach Kevin Nuss for any PDL playing information: knuss@oceancityfc.com

Ocean City FC U15 Girls were drawn in Group B with Seacoast United Warriors, Florida Soccer Alliance and Quickstrike FC. This is their 2nd visit in a row to the Super Y-League National Finals and they were looking to improve on their excellent 2010 performances. The girls, however, narrowly missed out on qualification to the semi-final stage as they finished in second place in Group B with a record of (1-1-1). Ocean City FC recorded a 2-1 win in their final group game against Florida Soccer Alliance with Aimee Mishkovsky and Hannah Richman getting on the score sheet.

The girls would play a fourth and final consolation game being drawn against Mequon United from Wisconsin. In what proved to be a tight affair the Ocean City FC Girls recorded a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Lindsey Jarolmen. The girls can be proud of their achievements in the tournament and look to build upon them in the future. The commitment and openness to learn has allowed the girls to progress so much through each Super Y-League campaign and this player and team development must be congratulated.

Bloomfield College senior forward Terry Gibbs has been selected the 2011 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) men’s soccer Player of the Year, as the All-Conference team was released Monday. The 12 CACC head coaches conducted the voting and saw Terry Gibbs as the standout player of the season, this award goes alongside the 2 Conference Player of the Week awards he picked up along the way.

This is the second consecutive season that the conference Player of the Year has come from Bloomfield, as Dwayne Reid was the 2010 recipient. Gibbs, who hails from London, England, is currently second in the nation in scoring with 18 goals, and leads the CACC in goals and total points with 43. After scoring just a single goal during Bloomfield’s first seven matches, the striker erupted for 17 goals over the team’s final 10 contests, notching hat tricks against three CACC opponents (Concordia, Wilmington and Holy Family). One of the top offensive players in the country, Gibbs ranks fourth in Division II soccer in points per game (2.71) and has recorded at least a single point in Bloomfield’s last 10 matches. Fifth in the nation in total points, Gibbs also ranks second in the country in goals per game (1.14). The senior has registered six multi-goal games and seven game-winning goals this season.

"This is a tremendous honor for Terry, and he certainly deserves it," Bloomfield head coach Peter -John Falloon said. "He has a tremendous work-ethic, and has turned himself into the great player he is through his hard work. He has been a fine example for our program since arriving here, and he deserves any recognition that comes his way. He is truly an outstanding player, and I have no doubt he will succeed at the next level." One of the top collegiate professional prospects in the country, Gibbs is currently ranked #51 on www.Topdrawersoccer.com’s ’Top 100 Senior Professional Prospects’ list, and is the only Division II player to make the rankings.

The Ocean City Nor’easters are proud of our captain and his success this year and throughout his whole career with Bloomfield College. In his senior year now with decisions to make ahead of him, we wish him the best with his future career and hope that we can add him to our ever growing Nor’easters in the Pros list.

Nor’easters Head Coach Tim Oswald has wasted no time in putting together his 2012 Premier Development League team. The Ocean City Nor’easters have come off the back of a disappointing 2011 but the appointment of a new coach has led to a momentum shift throughout the whole organisation. Coach Oswald has now appointed two new assistants to the PDL team, Kevin Nuss and Billy Pinto. The new coaching trio will oversee the development of the PDL players as well U20 Men's team, the plan is to bring the two teams closer together and have more fluidity between the teams with the U20 Men's essentially becoming the PDL reserve team. Players performing well in the U20 Men's will be given the chance to prove themselves at the PDL level.

Coach Oswald told us how excited he is about getting his new backroom team in place. ’I have an incredible personal and professional relationship with both Kevin Nuss and Billy Pinto prior to being named the OC PDL head coach. They have/had been instrumental in our success at Rutgers University - Camden for several years and I felt it was important to take the model that we have created at RUC and bring that to an even bigger stage. Being that both Kevin and Billy have college/PDL playing experience (Nuss - Delaware Dynasty/Pinto - OC) and collegiate coaching experiences. The three of us anticipate a heavy recruiting and identification process that with inevitably bring top young talent to the shore for 2012. We are truly excited to hit the ground running as we prepare for our 1st PDL season together.’

The two assistants are excited about what lies ahead too, former Nor’easters player Billy Pinto said ’I am thrilled to be back involved with OC PDL. I have had some unbelievable times and great success as a player in the past with numerous open cup victories and championships won for the OC PDL team. It’s just great to once again be a part of this team and be back in this amazing city. There is absolutely no where else I would rather be this summer’ and Kevin Nuss agreed ’There is no doubt in my mind that Oz is the right man for the job to return Ocean City FC to heights of the club’s storied past. I am just honored that I am able to be a part of it’

Ocean City Nor’easters President Giancarlo Granese explained how happy he is that old boy Billy Pinto is back in the fold with the Nor’easters and the excitement it has stirred within the whole organisation ’Billy brings passion, excitment, energy, unity and an unmatched love for the game. I’m so happy that he is on my team’.

The Ocean City Nor’easters will announce PDL tryouts shortly, to be held at the beginning of 2012 and the summer schedule should be out in March 2012.

The Ocean City Nor’easters are commited to improving the quality of player in south Jersey as well as instilling the important love for the game that all of our coaches have. The coaches focus on ball skills, SAQ and team work to make practices fun as well as educational. If you do not enjoy practices then you will not want to learn and you will not improve as a player.

See what some of the team managers had to say:

James Clark, manager of the U14 Mainland United Bulldogs, who has a great way with words and had this to say-

"Do you want to know what a good soccer trainer gets you? Start checking the trophy cabinet.
This past spring, the Ocean City Nor’easters took on the task of training the Mainland United U-13 and U-12 boys in a more hands-on way, continuing a relationship with the club that has been built up over the past few years.
And, wouldn’t you know it, both teams won their respective Flight 2 championships in the South Jersey Soccer League ... and that’s no mean feat. While Mainland United has had competitive teams in the past, to win Flight 2 was something that just wasn’t on the radar previously.
"The Nor’easters laid out a plan for us, and it was good to see it come to fruition," said James Clark, the boys’ travel director for Mainland United and the U-13 boys’ coach. "There’s only so much a ’dad’ coach can accomplish during training, especially when it comes to teaching movement off the ball and other finer points of the game. The Ocean City staff brings a tremendous amount of knowledge to the task."
Mainland United club president and U-12 boys’ coach Paul Richards agrees.
"We were always right there knocking on the door, but the training sessions produced by the Nor’easters and trainer Scott Powell really pushed the team over the top," Richards said. "I could see a difference in the games, a real tactical awareness that wasn’t there before."
Mainland U-13 boys’ assistant coach Dave Bishop was impressed by the flexibility shown by trainer Leon Brown, who also serves as the Nor’easters director of coaching.
"Leon came with a meticulous plan, but he was always ready to change on the fly to work on specific requests we would make," Bishop said. "Some trainers would brush you off, but not Leon. He formed a bond with the kids and he helped us reach our goals."
The U-13 Mainland Bulldogs scored 36 goals, the second-most in the 52-team SJSL at the U-13 age level, while the U-12 Redbullz scored 21 goals and allowed just nine. Many of the Mainland players were so buoyed by their club success that they have chosen to play Super-Y soccer for the Nor’easters this summer.
"When you seen what Nor’easters coaches like Dan Ash at the U-13 level and Scott Powell at the U-12 level are builing for the summer, it only whets your appetite for more," said Mainland’s Clark. "The Nor’easters are a top-class organization, but they don’t rest on their laurels. To them, constant improvement of the boys ... as players and people ... is the ultimate goal."

Larry Eimar of the Deptford Chargers had this to tell us - "Just wanted to take a minute as the end of our spring season is quickly approaching, to say what a pleasure it has been to have Scott as our trainer. As you know it is our third season with Scott and the second that we’ve had him with us on a full time basis. My team has grown so much, far beyond how we were playing at this time a year ago. The boys on my team as well as their parents have really taken to Scott being with us and hope to continue this relationship as we move forward. In addition to Scott we’ve also had a few other trainers work with us during the summer through camps or during practice sessions with other teams, etc. It has always been very positive. The trainers are always prepared, on time and able to instruct through drills, games and even fitness exercises and push the boys to work hard and also keep it fun and wanting to come back. Thanks for allowing me a minute to share my thoughts. I look forward to continuing our relationship in the future."

Tom Benitez, manager of the Atlantic United Aces U12 Girls let us know - "The Atlantic United Aces had moved from 8v8 to playing 11v11 full-sided soccer. With this transition the team required a new stlye of training. We contacted the Ocean City Football Club to help us with this transition. Steve Thurlby was our assigned trainer and he has been a tremendous asset for the team. The Aces were able to win their division because of Steve’s training. The Aces look forward to their second year of training with Steve because of his enthusiasm and his energetic and positive training style."

Steve McGlaughlin, manager of the Atlantic United Alliance U14 Girls, wanted to tell us - "Hey, I just wanted to reach out to you and thank you for letting us have Steve this past season.Steve has been fantastic and everything we could ask for and more. We have gone from a team lacking confidence, that had trouble creating scoring chances, let alone scoring goals, that also always seemed to have the bounces go against them, finished near the bottom of our conference transform into a team that really is starting to believe in themselves, that plays as a team, that led the conference in goals (and wins) and created 10 times the scoring chancesfrom the previous season and won the conference with 5 shutouts. Wins and losses aside, the understanding of the game has grown leaps and bounds. The confidence, both individually and as a team is as high as it’s ever been. The technical improvement is evident and morale is sky high!

I have been coaching my daughters travel soccer team for four years and I have always been a proponent of the "professional trainer". Because of my staunch belief in the difference a trainer can make in the overall development of the individual, I have, over the course of those 4 years, Exposed my team to numerous trainers trying to find the right fit. Steve is absolutely the right trainer at the right time for my team. Steve possesses all the qualities I have been looking for in a trainer and none of the traits we could do without. He is absolutely one of the best trainers I have seen and is a perfect match for my team. He knows how to bring the best out of each player and how to build up their confidence. He teaches positively yet pushes accordingly. He understands my teams soccer potential and plans his sessions accordingly. He is always on time and always prepared. He treats my team like they really matter to him, not like it’s "just another hour on the job". He is worth every penny we spend."

Ocean City FC and local clubs honors:

Upper Township - 2010 - U11 Boys U13 Girls, U14 Boys, U14 Girls Fall League SJGSL/SJSL Champions

                           2011 - U13 Boys Runners-Up SJSL League

Deptford Soccer Club - 2010 - U13 Boys Columbus Cup; Deptford Fall Fest and Washington Twp Cup Winners

                                  2011 - U9 Boys Spring Division Champions

                                             U13 Boys Promotion from Flight 4 to Flight 3 SJSL

Mainland United - 2011 - U12 Boys SJSL Spring Champions

                                       U13 Boys SJSL Spring Champions

Atlantic United - 2011 - U13 Girls and U11 Girls SJGSL Northern Division Champions (Spring)

                                     U14 Girls Pittsgrove Labor Day Tournament Winners

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Mid Atlantic Division: Bermuda Hogges, Carolina Dynamo, Central Jersey Spartans, Hampton Roads Piranhas, Ironbound Express, New Jersey Rangers, Northern Virginia Royals, OCEAN CITY FC, Reading United, West Virginia Chaos
Northeast Division: Albany (NY), Brooklyn Knights, Long Island Rough Riders, New Hampshire Phantoms, Ottawa Fury, MPS Portland Phoenix, Vermont Voltage, Western Mass Pioneers, Westchester Flames

Mid-Atlantic team profiles:

Bermuda Hogges: Founded in 2007 as a professional side in the USL Second Division and struggled in their three seasons in the league. They failed to make the playoffs all three years.

Carolina Dynamo: One of the great franchises in USL history, with 16 seasons under their belt. Last year, they finished with an impressive 10-4-2 record and lost in the opening round of the PDL playoffs to the Cary Clarets. The Dynamo have only missed the playoffs three times in 16 seasons competing in the professional and PDL levels of the USL. Carolina ended the Barons’ unbeaten season in 2004 with a 3-2 win in the Conference Finals.

Central Jersey Spartans: An expansion team that will begin play in 2010.

Hampton Roads Piranhas: The Piranhas will enter their fifth season in the PDL after beginning in 2006 as the Virginia Beach Submariners. They were division champions in their first two years, but their last two years, they have fallen short of the postseason.

Ironbound Express: The Express have had success in their first two seasons in the PDL, including a second place Northeast Division finish and a playoff appearance in their inaugural season in 2008. Last year, they struggled, finishing in fifth place in the division with a 6-8-2 record. Originally based in Newark, NJ, the club has dropped the city from their name for the 2010 season.

New Jersey Rangers: The Rangers entered the PDL the same year as the Ironbound Express, but have not enjoyed the same success. Last year, they finished in last place with a 2-12-2 record.

Northern Virginia Royals: The Royals began as a professional club (USL-2) in 1998 but have found little success over the years. They joined the PDL in 2006 and have not made the postseason since 1999. Last year, they finished with a 2-10-4 record. One of their notable former players is goalkeeper Troy Perkins who spent time with DC United of Major League Soccer and is playing professionally in Europe. Fun fact: In 2004, due to a unique scheduling situation, the Barons defeated the Royals 3-1 in a regular season game, despite the fact that Northern Virginia was a professional team in the Pro Soccer League (now known as the USL Second Division).

Reading United AC: The Reading Rage, a long-time rival of Ocean City, will enter the 2010 season with a new name and a new logo. Reading and Ocean City have been playing each other since they were professional teams in the late 90s and the early 2000s. Last year, Reading won their second straight division championship and won their first PDL regular season title. Their 13-1-2 earned them 41 points, the most of any team in the league.

West Virginia Chaos: The PDL side from West Virginia has yet to qualify for the playoffs since they began play in 2003. The Chaos finished in fifth place in the Northeast Division last year with a 5-8-3 mark.

(From left to right) Barons General Manager Neil Holloway, Director of PDL Operations Lee Cohen, and Barons Director of Communications and Youth Academy coach John Thompson pose for a photo after the Barons were named the 2008 PDL Organization of the Year at the USL AGM in Tampa, Fla.

]]> http://www.oceancityfc.com/home/291879.html 01/01/2010 04:15 PM http://www.oceancityfc.com/home/271242.html The South Jersey Barons Under-17 team finished in a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan on Thursday night in an exhibition game in Clark, NJ.

Ryan Finley (Lumberton, NJ / Rancocas Valley HS), who became the youngest player to ever score a goal for the Ocean City Barons PDL team this past season, opened the scoring thirty minutes into the match. Kevin Curran (Upper Township, NJ / Ocean City HS) sent a pass down the right wing for Finley, who dribbled in and scored from a tight angle to put the hosts up 1-0.

Inter Milan, who are the defending Italian Serie A Under-17 champions, answered five minutes later with a goal by Filippo Fracaro to tie the game up, and that’s how the score would remain.

Andrew D’Ottavi (Upper Township, NJ / Ocean City HS) was in goal for the Barons in the first half, 

The South Jersey Barons Under-17 team, led by Reading F.C. coaches  Lee Herron (far right in blue) and Ryan Williams (far left in blue) poses for a team photo prior to their match against the Inter Milan Under-17s.

and was replaced by McKenzey Scott (Cape May, NJ / Wildwood Catholic) after the break. Both goalkeepers played well against some dangerous Inter attacks, but it was Scott that made some great saves, including a few late point blank stops to keep the game level.

A few highlights from the match included MJ Nestor (Avalon, NJ / Wildwood Catholic) who wow’d the crowd with some flip throw-ins, a couple of which lead to scoring opportunities for his team.

Kameron Teel (Glassboro, NJ / Gloucester Catholic) received some post-game praise for his hard work on the offensive end, creating chances for the hosts.

The Barons continued to put on the pressure in the final minutes with their best chance coming from Alec Golini (Lumberton, NJ / Rancocas Valley HS). Golini got behind the defense and was one on one with the Inter Milan goalkeeper, who came out to cut off the angle. His shot was stopped, but the rebound fell to Golini’s high school teammate, Ryan Finley, who’s shot was cleared off the line by the Inter backline.

Curran nearly had the game-winning goal in the final five minutes, but his left-footed drive just curved wide of the upper corner of the goal.

The last chance came with just seconds left in the match when Voltaire Escalona (Blue Bell, PA / Germantown Academy) led a four on three break. He took a shot from about 12 yards out and put it just wide of the post.

The stands were packed with 2,800 fans to watch the two teams square off at Arthur Johnson High School.

"I am extremely pleased with the organizational aspect of the event, the great hardcore, enthusiastic standing room only crowd," said Aldo Tripicchio, the president of Inter Club Facchetti of New Jersey, which organized the exhibition game.

He added, "We were also pleased that the Chief Operating Officer of Inter F.C., Mr. Ernesto Paolillo, was present at the game, a clear sign that Inter is interested in establishing a strong relationship with U.S. Soccer."

Mr. Paolillo has invited members of the Barons organization for a future visit to Milan to see the home of the Italian champions, which is promising for a potential relationship between the two clubs down the road.

"It was a monumental performance by the Barons boys," said Neil Holloway, the general manager of the Barons PDL side. "I think that Inter were a bit shocked about how competitive we were. We also felt it was important to get every player in the game to give them an opportunity to experience a game like this."

Lee Herron and Ryan Williams, a pair of coaches from Reading Football Club in the English Championship, were coaching the Barons squad along with Holloway and were very proud of the team’s performance.

"The Barons lads were fantastic," said Herron. "They were a credit to the organization and their country, and showed that football in the U.S. is of a very high quality." The Reading coaches, who were in South Jersey for the Barons Academy Camp this past week, said afterwards that some of the Barons players could get the opportunity to travel to England to train with the Reading F.C. youth academy.

This friendly was the first of two for Allievi Nazionali, with a match against the New York Red Bulls Under-17 team on Saturday. The games lead up to "Inter Village", the main event of Inter Milan’s trip to the United States, which is organized by Inter Club Moratti, a New York-based fan club led by president Stefano Turriciano. Inter Village will take place August 23-24 in New York City and will give young players an opportunity to learn directly from youth coaches from the Italian champions. The event will be held at Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, NY and features games, clinics, and free Inter Milan merchandise.

South Jersey Barons U17s roster
vs. Inter Milan U17s on August 21, 2008
Number	Player	Hometown	High School
1	McKenzey Scott	Cape May, NJ	Wildwood Catholic
2	Robert Nowlan	Atco, NJ	Hammonton HS
3	Tom Meenan	Marlton, NJ	Cherokee HS
4	MJ Nestor	Avalon, NJ	Wildwood Catholic
5	Alec Golini	Lumberton, NJ	Rancocas Valley
7	Luca May	Easthampton, NJ	Rancocas Valley
9	Ryan Finley	Lumberton, NJ	Rancocas Valley
10	Voltaire Escalona	Blue Bell, PA	Germantown Academy
11	Nick Tierno	Sicklerville, NJ	Timber Creek HS
13	Andrew D’Ottavi	Upper Township, NJ	Ocean City HS
15	Colin McFadden	Ventnor, NJ	St. Augustine Prep
16	Alex Weidman	Linwood, NJ	Mainland Regional
17	Jerry Guzzo	Washington Twp, NJ	Washington Twp Regional
18	Kevin Davis	Clementon, NJ	Highland Regional
19	Kevin Curran	Upper Township, NJ	Ocean City HS
20	Giancarlo Granese	Ocean City, NJ	Ocean City HS
21	Andrew Schuler	Tabernacle, NJ	Seneca HS
22	Joe D’Ascenzo	Spring City, PA	Malvern Prep
23	Kameron Teel	Glassboro, NJ	Gloucester Catholic
25	Giovanni Tacconelli	Mt. Laurel, NJ	Lenape HS
26	Brendan Layden	Ventnor, NJ	Atlantic City HS
27	Rocco Gambino	Mt. Laurel, NJ	Lenape HS
Coaching Staff
Neil Holloway		Ocean City Barons GM
Lee Herron		Reading F.C. (England)
Ryan Williams		Reading F.C. (England)

]]> http://www.oceancityfc.com/home/271242.html 01/25/2010 10:47 AM http://www.oceancityfc.com/home/233804.html OCEAN CITY, NJ (March 19, 2008) In a landmark agreement, the South Jersey Barons organization, fronted by their Premier Development League (PDL) club, the Ocean City Barons, have formed a partnership with Reading Football Club, of the English Premier League (EPL). As part of the agreement, which was organized through Reading’s "Football in the Community Trust" program, the "Royals" will send some of their coaches to lend their expertise and help run the Barons’ youth academy camp in August. Also, Reading FC will continue to host the Barons’ youth teams during Easter weekend, as they expose the young players to some of the top facilities at one of the elite youth development clubs in the EPL.

Both of the South Jersey Barons’ Under-15 boys teams will leave for Reading on Wednesday, March 19 and will train at the club for nine days, during which time they will play against other local select teams. The paramount matchup of the trip will be a game at Reading’s training ground on Saturday, March 22 where the Barons will take on the Royals’ Under-15 academy team. 

Barons U-15 Boys roster traveling to Reading
Name				Hometown	High School
Cory Adamonis				Sicklerville, NJ	Washington Twp
Philip Barbaro				Clayton, NJ	Delsea Regional
Matthew Bryan				Medford, NJ	Shawnee
Vinny Carollo				Delran, NJ	Delran
Cody Chladek				Shamong, NJ	Seneca
Eric Cutry				Medford, NJ	Shawnee
Andrew Lamsback				Marlton, NJ	Cherokee
JT Maurer				Marlton, NJ	St. Joseph’s Prep
Thomas Nowlan				Atco, NJ	Hammonton
Jason Schwab				Linwood, NJ	Mainland Regional
Nicholas Tierce				Voorhees, NJ	Eastern
Brandon Trojak				Lumberton, NJ	Rancocas Valley
Derek Welsh				Medford, NJ	Shawnee
Robert Wiacek				Voorhees, NJ	Eastern
Vincent Wilson				West Berlin, NJ	Overbrook
Kyle Schmid				Woolwich Twp, NJ	Kingsway Regional
Drew Garrett				Vineland, NJ	Vineland
Charles Elmendorf				Medford, NJ	Shawnee
Thomas Niedrach				Medford, NJ	Shawnee
Alex Baroudi				Erial, NJ	Timber Creek
Seth Levy				Cherry Hill, NJ	Cherry Hill HS East
Keaton Goad				Medford, NJ	Shawnee
Edward McCartney				Voorhees, NJ	St. Joseph’s Prep
Kevin Savage				Woodbury, NJ	St. Joseph’s Prep
COACHES
Neil Holloway				Reading, England
Byron Carmichael				Lumberton, NJ

After Saturday’s match, the players will have an opportunity to see an important English Premier League match at the famed Madejski Stadium when the Royals host Birmingham City later that day. There will be a ceremony at halftime of the game where the Barons and Royals will exchange shirts and publicly announce the new partnership.

While this is the third year in a row that the Barons have sent youth academy teams over to Reading, this will be the first visit under the new agreement.

"The Barons have been over to us touring with their teams on a number of occasions," said Lee Herron, Reading’s Community Trust manager. "We have been very impressed with the quality and professionalism of the club and we felt that we needed to formalize the partnership."

The trip is an annual homecoming for Ocean City Barons general manager, Neil Holloway. The Reading native is a product of the Royals’ youth academy, beginning his training at the age of nine. In addition to the soccer education he received, he also spent time cleaning boots of the senior players at the club and cleaning the stands at Elm Park, which pre-dates the club’s current Madejski Stadium. At the age of 18, he traveled to the United States to accept a full scholarship at Wheeling Jesuit University in the state of West Virginia.

"I’m extremely excited, and proud, that my hometown club is partnering with my club here in the U.S.," said Holloway. "Reading Football Club has played a major role in my life. I’ve always been a loyal Royal, and continued to be since I left to pursue my soccer ambitions in the States."

Reading Football Club was founded in 1871, but did not reach the Premiership until the 2006/07 season. Last year, in their first season in the top flight, led by American internationals Bobby Convey (William Penn Charter School / Philadelphia, PA) and Marcus Hahnemann (Seattle Pacific University / Seattle, WA), they finished in eighth place. One of the highlights for the Barons U-15 players on this trip will be on Wednesday, March 26 when they will get a tour of the Madejski Stadium and will take part in a training session at the club’s indoor facility. Later, they are scheduled to have a question and answer session with Convey and Hahnemann.

"We’re very pleased to establish a relationship with the South Jersey Barons," said Herron. "Establishing a strong presence in the United States is an important part of Reading FC’s continued growth and working with a well-organized and progressive club like the Barons is very exciting for us. I am sure this will be a mutually beneficial relationship."

"This partnership is just the starting point between the Barons and Reading FC," added Holloway. "We have a great relationship with everyone at the club and we hope to evolve this into something much bigger in the years ahead."

About the Ocean City Barons

The Ocean City Barons are a minor league soccer franchise based in Ocean City, New Jersey that competes in the Premier Development League (PDL) -- the top men’s amateur league in North America. The PDL is considered the 4th level of soccer in the United States below Major League Soccer, and the United Soccer League’s First and Second Divisions. Players have the ability to compete in the PDL throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest levels of the game, while providing affordable family entertainment to the Ocean City community.

Founded in 1997, the Barons are entering their 12th year of existence in 2008 and are one of the winningest PDL clubs in North America. Since joining the league in 2003, they are 52-16-16, the 5th best record among the more than 60 teams in the league. Since joining the PDL, 16 former Barons have moved on to play professional soccer, including Jeremiah White (AGF Aarhus in Denmark) who recently became the first Baron to earn a cap with the senior U.S. National Team.

They continued their tradition of success on the field in 2007 when they qualified for the PDL playoffs and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, marking the third time in the last four years the club had achieved both in the same season. The highlight of the 2007 campaign came in the First Round of the Open Cup when they upset Crystal Palace Baltimore, a professional team from the United Soccer League’s Second Division, 1-0 on June 12 at Carey Stadium in Ocean City.

The Barons open the 2008 schedule on May 11th at home against the Newark Ironbound Express. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. For a full schedule, click here.]]> http://www.oceancityfc.com/home/233804.html 02/25/2008 12:39 PM http://www.oceancityfc.com/home/228493.html One South Jersey Barons Youth Academy player has been handed the opportunity of a life time, an opportunity not handed out with out to just anyone, but to players at the top level of youth soccer. Through his play at the Super Y-League ODP camp back in January Glenroy Chapman has earned the opportunity to live and train alongside the Youth Academy players of the famous English Premier Leauge Club West Ham United. Glenroy has been a member of the South Jersey Barons Youth Academy since 2002 and is in his 5th season with the club. He is a student at the St Augustines Prep and plays for the Barons U17 Black team.

Glenroy Chapman

Junior will be joined by 11 other players on the trip to England all of whom impressed at this years ODP camps. This group of players represent the best of the best in the SYL program and will hope to impress the coaches of the world famous Academy. West Ham Academy has produced a long list of famous England Internationals over the years. The most recent an d notable players to graduate the Academey are Rio Fe rdinand (Man UTD and England), Joe Cole (Chelsea and England), Glenn Johnson (Portsmouth and England) Michael Carrick (Man UTD and England) Antoine Ferdinand (West Ham and England), and Frank Lampard (Chelsea and England). Glenroy will spend the week boarding at the West Ham Academy House with the West Ham Academy Players gaining the full experience of live as an Academy player at a Premier League club.

The selected players will begin training with West Ham United on Friday, March 28. Ten field players and two goalkeepers will travel to London for the intense training and experience. During their ten day venture, players will train within their corresponding West Ham Academy age group and attend English Premier League matches. The twelve players were selected by the Super Y-League’s national scouting system at the ODP National Camps. US Soccer National Team and Staff Coaches also provide feedback on who was to be recommened.

The West Ham Academy is a new initiative by the USL in 2008, this venture furthers their ongoing mission to develop an international platform for foreign clubs to connect with the North American game and provide the best opportunities for USL players with professional aspirations. The selected players will begin training with West Ham United on Friday, March 28. Ten field players and two goalkeepers will travel to London for the intense training and experience. During their ten day venture, players will train within their corresponding West Ham Academy age group and attend English Premier League matches.

United Soccer Leagues Press Release
West Ham United Academy USA Video