Northeast United Soccer Club
of Hannibal, Missouri has officially signed on as the 12th Academy Affiliate in the
Sporting Club Network
. Rebranded as
Sporting Northeast United Soccer Club
, SNUSC is now the fourth
Academy Affiliate
in the state of Missouri.
“We are delighted to form this alliance with Sporting Kansas City,” said Sporting Northeast United President Marcelo Beroiza. “With our training grounds -- in Hannibal, Missouri and Quincy, Illinois -- only three and a half hours away from Kansas City, we will be able to work with Sporting KC in a variety of ways that will provide benefits to both organizations. These benefits will extend to all of our players and fans throughout west-central Illinois and the northeast Missouri territories.”
Since 2009, Northeast United has been one of the most successful Futsal Academies in their region, providing supplemental training and development to players from more than two hours away. In addition, the club has always made a point to involve international student-athletes from nearby universities in an effort to provide a holistic approach to developing the next generation of soccer players in this country. Sporting Northeast United plans to continue to deliver these results in a unique environment, while adding a host of new benefits to their participants and staff now available to them as the newest Academy Affiliate.
“We’re excited to welcome all the players, coaches and families from Sporting Northeast United into the Sporting Club Network,” said Sporting KC Academy Director of Coaching Jon Parry. “Their addition will make the Academy Affiliate program stronger as it continues to grow across the Midwest. SNUSC has our full support and we look forward to working closely together with Marcelo and his staff.”
Players that participate and compete through the Academy Affiliate program will be directly connected to Sporting Kansas City’s Academy and youth development initiatives. In turn, they will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience while receiving heightened levels of training and development.
Sporting Northeast United players can now be invited to partake in the annual Academy Affiliate Weekend, an event that brings together many of the most competitive and talented youth soccer players from across the Midwest, all under the Sporting Club umbrella. Select SNUSC players will also be named to Academy Affiliate All-Star Teams throughout the year, offering these players a chance to learn the game in the same environment and setting as Sporting KC’s own Academy and first-team players.
As an Academy Affiliate member, Sporting Northeast United becomes an extension of the Sporting KC Development Academy and therefore an extension of the club’s scouting network. The relationship between the Sporting Club Network and Sporting Northeast United will play a large part in the overall growth of soccer in the Midwest by elevating the level of youth soccer in the region, while also offering extensive new benefits that will directly impact the improvement of these players. In the search for the next homegrown star that will wear the Sporting Kansas City crest and win championships at Sporting Park, the areas surrounding Hannibal, Missouri and Quincy, Illinois will now be closely linked with Sporting KC’s search to find and develop future talent.
“This is an opportunity for two organizations who share the same values to work together and develop joint programs aimed at helping to improve players on and off the field,” Beroiza said. “We are really excited to welcome all clubs, teams and players to join us on this amazing journey.”
