3 SOFC Teams Make National League
The roster for the 2016-2017 US Youth Soccer National League (NL) was posted today. Sporting Omaha FC is proud to announce we have 3 team accepted into the league:
• Under-15 (2002’s) – SOFC 2002 Girls Elite coached by Alex Mason
• Under-16 (2001’s) – SOFC 2001 Boys Elite coached by Tim Walters
• Under-17 (2000’s) – SOFC 2000 Girls Elite coached by Neil Hope
Sporting Omaha FC is first Nebraska club to send multiple teams to compete in the prestigious National League, and the 2001 Elite Boys is the first boys team EVER from Nebraska to play in this league. This league is the highest level of play under the USYS umbrella. Our teams will play against the best players in the country, and receive exposure from hundreds of college scouts and the National Team staff that attend each National League weekend.
“We are excited to have these teams to participate in the National League. It shows that SOFC is leading the way in player and team development in the state of Nebraska. The amount of collegiate exposure these teams will receive while attending the league events can’t be replicated. They will represent the state of Nebraska very well!” – Tim Bennett, Executive Director, SOFC
Participation in this league by each of our SOFC teams selected is a reflection of the large amount of work done by these individual players and our SOFC staff coaches, both current and previous. Over 70% of the players of the combined rosters were products of the SOFC in-house Academy program. This is a truly amazing accomplishment. We cannot say enough about our player, parent and coaching commitments at Sporting Omaha FC. Our goal at Sporting Omaha FC has and always will be player development at every level. This next step into the National League is just another reflection on the strength and dedication of our soccer community.
What is National League:
[The National League is an extension of the highly successful US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues (Region I Champions League, Midwest Regional League, Southern Regional Premier League and Far West Regional League). The National League provides an avenue for teams to play in meaningful matches against top competition from across the country for continued development. In addition to recruiting opportunities, National League teams compete for the National League title for their gender age groups and 4 slots in each gender age group of the annual US Youth Soccer National Championships Finals, the oldest and most prestigious youth soccer national championships.
Teams that earn their spot in the National League have a proven track record of success in US Youth Soccer regional and national competitions, and are among the nation's best. Hundreds of college scouts attend each National League weekend, creating another significant opportunity for the nation’s collegiate and National Team coaches to see National League players in an environment of meaningful play, citing the competitive level of each game as every team has to earn their spot in the competition, regardless of club affiliation or location. Teams either automatically qualify for National League spots, or are selected by the NL Committee for remaining open slots.]
