FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/30/2015

Piedmont Triad Football Club

Piedmont Triad Football Club Expanding

Kernersville/High Point, NC – The PSA, KSA, JSC and PTFC Board of Directors have unanimously voted to expand the PTFC umbrella to allow PTFC to manage all youth travel soccer beginning with the 2015-16 season. This expansion will encompass all travel-level players, beginning in the U10 academy and proceeding through U18, when our players leave for college. This exciting change will increase the pool of advanced level players of all ages, allowing all players to more readily find their fit on a team matching their abilities and competitive desires. It is our expectation that bringing these travel-level athletes together at an earlier age will not only foster a stronger sense of camaraderie between players, but will also serve to increase the competitiveness of our teams moving forward. Players will benefit from increased familiarity with each other, consistent exposure to PTFC’s coaching strategies and training practices, and a stronger sense of club identity.

The move will additionally allow our city-specific clubs, PSA, JYL, and KSA, to focus 100% on providing the optimal playing atmosphere for the recreational soccer player. Historically, our clubs were formed to serve the recreational needs of our local communities. Over time, the increased numbers of talented players expressing a desire for a greater degree of competition led to the clubs’ expansions into travel-level programs as well. Now, by allowing PTFC to oversee all efforts pertaining to this higher level of play, our local staffs will be able to again concentrate their time and talents on their missions of providing an environment where children can learn the game of soccer as well as the value of teamwork and good sportsmanship in a fun and healthy environment.

PTFC will finalize plans in the coming weeks, but some of the changes that PTFC families will see include:

1. A single Academy Director will oversee the activities of PTFC’s U10 Academy program. This system will allow greater consistency between training groups and will allow for cross-training as appropriate, in order to ensure that all players receive equal opportunities for growth and development. KSA, PSA, and JSC will continue to host the 10U Academy at their home fields (based on numbers), with many of the same outstanding coaches that current Academy players know and love.

2. The procedures for the U11 and U12 age groups will now follow the same guidelines as current PTFC teams; this will include centralized tryouts and team selection to a year-round team, consisting of both a Fall season from August-November and Spring season from January-April/May. Practice nights, times and locations will be determined by team and space. PTFC is mindful of the fact that time is precious and logistics can be difficult, and as such does its best to split training between its facilities in order to maximize convenience for all families.

3. PTFC will hire its first-ever full time Operations Manager. This individual will focus on the administration of our club, freeing coaches from administrative duties and allowing them to do what they do best, coach. The Operations Manager will provide a point of centralized operations, serving as liaison between parents, coaches and the Board of Directors to facilitate a greater flow of timely communication, allow for enhanced sharing of information and ideas, and provide a more seamless operation for all.

4. The prospect of enhanced team success and greater club recognition brought about by this change is expected to increase the opportunities for elite players to be accepted into and seen at the highest quality tournaments. Not only do such tournaments provide greater competition and growth for our players, but they also provide a platform for exposure to college coaches, which is key for those wishing to continue to play soccer competitively after high school.

5. PTFC will continue its focus on providing the highest quality soccer programs at an affordable price. While some players and/or teams may choose to supplement their soccer experience by attending additional tournaments or training sessions not included in their yearly dues, PTFC’s fee structure does include club and NCYSA registration, pre-season camp, coaching fees, tournament entry fees for a pre- and post-season tournament, referee fees, pool training sessions (Fall and Spring), and winter agility sessions. This structure allows us to provide the best soccer value in the Triad and one of the best values in the entire state.

6. PTFC will also increase its efforts to expand sponsorships and community visibility. Success in this area will allow PTFC to continue to keep costs low while simultaneously building the strength of its programs.

7. PTFC will continue to receive support through our newly renegotiated Nike contract, which secures us as one of the few Nike clubs in the state and the only Nike club in the Triad. Nike has agreed to increase what they provide to the club in terms of support that will benefit all players and staff. Along with this announcement, we are excited to share the new uniform kits for the next two seasons. You will find larger PTFC logo presence and an exciting new dark jersey tailored after the US National Team’s kit, and a color scheme exclusive to PTFC. You will also see a full Goal Keeper’s kit available for the first time. You will receive a separate email with images of our new kits soon.

We hope you share our excitement as PTFC enters this new period of expansion and look forward to welcoming our club’s newest members.

Please direct questions to: