MSC United 98 midfielder Bailey Letherman, featured in the camp videos below, recently returned from the 2010 US Club Soccer id2 Regional Training Center held in Casa Grande, AZ. Just over 50 elite boys born in 1997-98, representing 18 different states, took part in the four-day training camp, sponsored by US Club Soccer and Nike.
Attended by USSF National Team staff, Regional Training Camps are part of US Club Soccer’s id2 national player identification and development program, providing an opportunity for the country’s top youth talent to be identified and developed for inclusion in U.S. Soccer’s National Team programs. Each day, MSC’s Letherman and the other players were put through two high-intensity workouts and then had the opportunity to play in evening matches. Including meetings and player seminars covering topics from nutrition, individual training and understanding the collegiate recruiting process, the players spent almost 10 hours a day on nothing but soccer.
Led by McKeown and coaches George Navario (USSF) and Greg Vanney (Director, Real Salt Lake AZ Academy; USSF), 13 staff coaches from some of the country’s most successful clubs ran training and game sessions. In addition to the USSF National Team staff at the event, additional guests included Scott Leber from iSoccer, who took the players through a series of skill assessment drills on Friday morning as part of the National Standards Project. Leber also spoke to the group later in the day about different methods for becoming a better player through individual training.
“Once again, the level of play at the camp was very good and we were able to take a look at some players who would be a good fit for the upcoming id2 National Selection International Tour,” said Gerry McKeown, US Club Soccer’s id2 Boys’ Program Director and also an assistant coach with the U.S. U-15 Boys’ National Team.
Upon his return, the MSC United 98 midfielder noted that the chance to meet, train with and play against the nation’s best was the biggest highlight of the camp. For future MSC players, his advice is to concentrate on developing perfect technique and quicker decision-making to play at that level, where the speed-of-play was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. "There just isn’t any time at that level. If your first touch isn’t perfect, every single time, there is no second touch," he stated. "Decisions must be instant, and correct, or it’s going to end up in a chance the other way. The defenders are fast, physical and smart, the midfielders quick, technically perfect and two-footed and the forwards could finish anything. Every single player there was good."
