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. View their experience by clicking on the 'video player' link located above.
 

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.

Are you next? Players can be selected for this experience by attending a COE program. This past summer, Sunderland AFC Youth Academy Coaches Wayne Walls and Ian Dipper were on hand to coac h the program. In February, US COE International Operations Director Andy Grant travelled from the UK to the US for a three day Development Program.
 
   
Stefan Skoff
11 years
  
Bryce Clark
12 years

The following players have been selected for
the 2009 Opportunity of a Lifetime Program to experience a week of training at Watford FC.

Please check the Events Schedule for additional selection opportunities and development programs.

Proven Success In 2008 Bryce Clark, from Los Gatos, CA, was selected and spent a week at Sunderland AFC. Bryce quickly asserted himself as

  the impact player positioned in the midfield and defensive areas. Players like Bryce who impress may be furthered monitored by the US COE and invited to return to the UK for further coaching and in exceptional cases a future professional contract.
US COE l +1.408.378.3893 l Email COE l Los Gatos, CA
 
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