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Welcome to the U.S. Center of Excellence (COE). The five local Bay Area youth soccer players pictured above have experienced an opportunity of a lifetime - a week of training and playing matches in the Northeast of England at the English Premier League team Sunderland AFC's Academy of Light. The COE is the only program in the United States that has identified and selected players for elite player training at the Sunderland AFC Youth Academy with other players dreaming of and preparing to become professional soccer players. View their experience by clicking on the 'video player' link located above. |
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THANK YOU SUNDERLAND AFC YOUTH ACADEMY OF LIGHT! From the moment we walked into the lobby and met the coaches, our week at the Sunderland AFC Youth Academy it was totally first class. "I have coached soccer for over 10 years and I couldn’t believe at how organized, technical yet extremely fun and positive they were with boys during every session we had," states parent Troy Buchanan who attended with his son Cody. |
| Are you next? Players can be selected for this experience of a lifetime by attending a US Center of Excellence program held each spring, summer and winter. This past summer, we were lucky enough to have Sunderland AFC Youth Academy Coaches Wayne Walls and Ian Dipper on hand to coach the program. For complete details, click on the 'Programs > Center of Excellence' link located above. |  |
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Proven Success. In 2007, Lyndon Gooch was selected and spent a week at Sunderland AFC. Lyndon quickly asserted himself as the impact player scoring four goals and assisting in three more in just two matches versus Leeds City FA and Charlton Athletic. Players like Lyndon who impress may be monitored by SAFC and invited to return to the academy for further coaching and in exceptional cases a future professional contract. |
