San Diego’s Albion SC and Arsenal FC of the English Premier League Establish a Four-Year Partnership Through PUMA TCC Elite Program
Player Development is more than a trendy term for top quality youth soccer club Albion SC. Based in San Diego, Albion SC is one of the top soccer clubs in the USA. Albion SC’s Technical Director Noah Gins believes training abroad is important and his club has recently partnered with the EPL’s top rated professional soccer club Arsenal FC through the prestigious PUMA TCC – an elite program for top youth soccer clubs. Just returned from England, Gins shares his excitement on the long awaited announcement on this prestigious partnership and his experience at Arsenal FC.
San Diego based youth soccer club Albion SC, working with PUMA’s TCC Program, has just officially announced a four-year, long-term partnership with England’s Arsenal FC.
Arsenal FC is a famous, professional English soccer club that was established in 1886 when a group of soccer loving workers from the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to form a football team. Now, over 125 years later, Arsenal plays in the English Premier League (EPL) and the club is paving the pay for a new crop of talented youth players to dream of following in the footsteps of some of their greatest players; Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Ian Wright and Patrick Vieira.
Many youth soccer clubs seek to partner with professional clubs abroad but few are able to accomplish this achievement. Albion SC’s Technical Director Noah Gins is well known for his forward thinking and dedication to providing the highest level of player development for his club’s elite players. Just returning from the amazing inaugural program trip to visit Arsenal FC in England, Gins shares his experience going behind the scene at the English club and his excitement on the new partnership.
“Albion SC has kept this long awaited news quiet and the official announcement has just been made by PUMA and Arsenal FC after we returned from an unprecedented trip to train and tour Arsenal with full access to facilities, stadiums, and players,” said Gins. “Albion SC has been named one of two youth soccer clubs in America to have an official partnership with the English Premier League’s Arsenal FC.”
“This groundbreaking partnership will give Albion SC an incredible opportunity to gain access to Arsenal FC and provide Albion SC’s elite players with the opportunity to have a direct bridge to one of the most prolific professional soccer clubs in the world,” said Gins.
Pioneering to create a new exchange of information on player development and to learn from one of the best professional soccer organizations in the world, Gins is inspired by his club’s long-term partnership agreement with Arsenal FC.
“This four-year partnership is a one-of-a-kind deal. For example, we have Bob Jenkins, who is a full time scout for Arsenal FC now on staff with Albion SC and FC Virginia. His role is to assist developing and identifying players and to work with our coaching staff. Bob is also a very connected coach and scout with US Soccer,” said Gins. Jenkins will be creating strategic plans to accomplish the combined goals of Albion SC, Arsenal and Puma.
Gins and his coaching staff visited Arsenal FC earlier this month and shared ideas on player development. Six youth soccer players from Albion SC were identified by Arsenal FC and accompanied Gins on the trip. Fully funded by the partnership, the Albion SC players were invited to travel to England and train at Arsenal FC’s youth academy.
One of the most exciting opportunities to emerge from this powerful, cross Atlantic partnership is year-round Albion SC-Arsenal Academy, which will serve to identify talented youths and train players the ‘Arsenal Way’.
“There are specific measures and precise training sessions that Arsenal FC wants built for the players who they may wish to bring over to their London-based academy,” explains Gins. “This curriculum will be fully implemented into Albion SC program effective next month. Our Arsenal FC scout, Bob Jenkins, will attend these sessions monthly.”
In addition, Albion SC will send a BU14 team to the Disney Junior Showcase to play in a special bracket comprised of the Arsenal FC U14 Academy Team from London, and FC Virginia. Germany’s Borussia Dortmund may also send a BU14 team to this competition.
Arsenal FC’s Head Scout Steve Morrow will be attending the Disney Junior Showcase to watch the action and work with the players and coaching staff.
“This exclusive partnership is going to create so many unique player and club opportunities; it is really a one-of-a-kind deal in the USA,” said Gins. “While in London, I spoke with Arsenal FC and confirmed that one of the goals for our 4-year partnership is to identify and develop a youth player that is capable of playing for Arsenal.”
“For Albion SC and our entire coaching staff, this partnership has brought a ton of excitement and has deepened our desire to develop, develop, develop our players to the next level. While it is true most players will most likely reach the college level before playing professional soccer, it is now an absolute reality for a youth player to play for a dream club such as Arsenal of the English Premier League. Albion SC is now a feeder to Arsenal FC. The important bridge has been built and the relationships forming will only evolve and improve in the years to come,” said Gins. “We fully expect to develop or find a player in Southern California that we can mold into the right player for Arsenal FC and we are very excited for what this will mean for players of high extreme talent and for Albion SC and US Soccer.”
“This is the start of what is going to be one of the most in-depth partnerships in the history of any US based youth soccer club and a highly respected, world renown professional soccer club,” said Gins.
“For the last five years, Albion SC’s goal has been to create a professional affiliation for our staff to gain knowledge and insight, and for our players to have a platform to realize their fullest potential of playing professional soccer in Europe. We are extremely excited to have one of the most dominant and powerful clubs in the world as our official partner. I know what this will mean for all of our coaches and players,” said Gins. “To have Arsenal FC behind us and alongside Albion SC is a phenomenal compliment to our role in youth soccer.”
“We intend to take player development to a whole new level. I will be responsible for overseeing the Albion SC-Arsenal Academy and the player development for Arsenal,” said Andre Schmid, Albion SC-Arsenal, Director of Player Development. “This will entail another day of training for Elite players and players in Southern California that have the qualities to play at Arsenal. These sessions will be dictated by Arsenal and will be done in way that is preparing these players for the next trip or a special trip over for the selected player or players.”
