Top US Youth Club Partners With EPL Giant
Albion SC has officially partnered with Arsenal FC of London, England, home to one of the most legendary youth development systems in the world.
“Being such a young nation in terms of soccer, it has always been a personal desire to partner with a European club, so that we could offer our Albion SC players the wealth of knowledge that our European counterparts possess and create an incredible opportunity for that “special player” to land in Europe,” says Albion SC Technical Director Noah Gins.
“To be able to partner with such a reputable club like Arsenal FC is an invaluable opportunity for all of us here at Albion SC to continue our growth as players and coaches.”
The Arsenal Football Club has a rich history that dates back to the late 1886 when – as the story goes – a gaggle of workers from the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to form a football team. Arsène Wenger took over as Head Coach in October 1996, has developed a world class reputation for triumphant wins and consistent player development. Wenger has transformed relative unknowns into world-class stars – Vieira, Petit, Anelka, Ljungberg and Fabregas and perhaps the best example impact on Thierry Henry and turning him from a talented winger into a superstar striker.
As Gins, his staff and players know, Arsenal FC is by far one of the most successful soccer clubs in the world and has produced some of the greatest players on the planet. Arsenal FC provides an incredible platform for Albion SC.
How did Albion SC become connected to Arsenal FC? As part of PUMA’s Total Club Concept program (TCC), Albion SC from San Diego travelled to the UK last year and met with head scout for Arsenal, Steve Morrow, as well as Bob Jenkins and special guest, Theo Walcott. Morrow is also the International Partnerships Performance Supervisor at Arsenal.
While PUMA’s football program was the launch pad for this exposure to scouts and behind-the-scenes access, it was Albion SC’s player development philosophy that solidified the bridge for the relationship between the professional European club and American youth soccer organization.
According to Gins, “Arsenal is very happy with Albion SC’s structure and approach to developing top youth soccer players. They are pushing us to develop a player for Arsenal and want our assistance to identify the best players in Southern California.”
Albion SC is ready for this challenge and is focused to accomplish finding a player for Arsenal in the next four years. “The relationship with Arsenal FC is constantly developing as their respect for our youth organization continues to be earned as we push to new heights,” said Gins.
One of the hallmarks of an Arsenal professional player is his technical proficiency and ease — and this is achieved through detailed practice. “Arsenal’s approach to player development is so detailed and breaks down the technical aspects to give the player the most polished approach in all they are doing,” said Gins.
“When we see the professionals warming up before a match, we say ‘Wow, they make it look easy.’ This is a result of the repetition and detail of the training,” said Gins. “We are approaching player development the same way. We are giving the players this professional attention that makes a player pro.”
A special Arsenal FC / Albion team now train four times a week. The youth soccer players are highly committing to this very serious program and opportunity. The special Albion/Arsenal group trains on specific drills from the EPL club and these youth soccer players will receive over 50 sessions inside this Academy.
Albion SC has a full time scout, Jenkins, who was hired by Arsenal FC to work directly with Albion SC. Jenkins is responsible for working with the top Albion SC players, and working with the club’s coaches and directors. “Arsenal FC is very serious about developing professional soccer players with this partnership, and it is my responsibility to ensure I am doing everything possible to facilitate the professional development here at Albion SC,” says Jenkins. “
Recently, Arsenal FC has asked Albion SC to aggregate top players from other youth soccer clubs for a possible Arsenal trial. There will be a US Arsenal trial in Orlando, Florida where players will train and play in front of several Arsenal Scouts. This scouting trip will take place in July and will be for the absolute best talent in Southern California.
Select Albion SC players will also have the opportunity to visit the Arsenal FC Academy in London, England. These top soccer players will meet the Arsenal staff as well as the first team, and have the chance to be scouted. All the expenses for this scouting trip to the Arsenal FC Academy in London are paid for and the players are outfitted by Puma.
Andre Schmid is Albion SC’s Lead Director for the Arsenal Pro Partnership and runs all the training sessions for the Arsenal Albion SC Academy. In addition, Schmid is the middleman between Bob Jenkins of Arsenal and Albion SC.
“We have just completed our first 8-week program with a select group of players. It was a great success, and we received wonderful feedback from our Arsenal scout Bob Jenkins. Looking ahead over the next four years through this partnership, we are going to be able to provide and develop our own current players … and as a club, both players and coaches will see its benefits as we begin to incorporate some specific training details across all teams.”
Over the course of the next four years, Arsenal FC and Albion SC will be working closely together to heighten all aspects of player development at the Southern California soccer club; offering players opportunity to strengthen multiple aspects of their game, as the two clubs align their education, programming, and communication, ultimately creating some of the best soccer players our country has ever seen.
Spencer Palmer, captain of the BU13 White team said, “Everything needs to be very quick in our training sessions. Passing and movement off the ball are very important concepts. Arsenal scouts want to see that you can do everything consistently well.”
Gabriel Willadsen, one of Albion SC’s players who traveled to London to train at Arsenal last year said, “To train with Jenkins made me feel professional. I thought to myself, this is where I want to be. We have heard over and over in Arsenal’s training ‘play with purpose.’ And, that is what we do.”
“What a blessing it was to have my son selected to travel to England and train with the Arsenal Academy program. Of course, this experience exceeds any expectation I had for him in terms of youth soccer. How do you describe the experience of training and scrimmaging against potential superstars, or watching professional players in a stadium that you had only seen before on TV? His dreams are no longer fiction,” shared Harry Willadsen, an Albion SC father. “
Southern California’s youth soccer scene is immensely competitive and is well known for developing professional players, now partnering with an EPL giant elevates the game further. “Our partnership with Arsenal FC will allow us to refine and evolve everything we do here for our soccer players and their families, and ultimately allow us to further distinguish Albion SC as the best in the United States,” said Gins. “Our goal is to develop the elite youth soccer players and that is what we do.”
