In a continuing effort to create a high quality soccer environment for our players, we have been invited to participated in the EDP program.

The league offers our teams the following:

• Highly competitive matches while limiting travel
• Best Practices for required league games.
• Teams have the opportunity to customize their schedule beyond the core games with additional friendly games and occasional tournaments and showcases type events.
• Responsive management team directed board of coaches committed to a grass roots approach that puts “Football First”.
• Selected Festivals, showcases and tournaments to showcase the players to present the leagues talent to college coaches and top talent evaluators in the US.
• College Placement of players seen as the league’s number one priority.
• EDP Talent Identification Program (TIP) team selected by league coaches.
• International coaches to offer extraordinary summer camp.   Additionally 18 players will be selected at MAPS Cup and Summer
• Camp to be invited for training and games at respected UK professional youth clubs Spring 2012
• The EDP brackets are being judiciously expanded to better allow for geographic continuity, and to create the possibilities for promotion and relegation that prevents “staleness” from setting in over time.

EDP teams will be allocated to geographic groupings to limit travel, utilizing tournaments and showcases to provide opportunities for inter-group play. There will also be room in the schedule for teams to arrange friendlies against more distant teams if they so prefer.

Fall 2011 EDP will offer two levels of play, with a top bracket dedicated to the most competitive teams chosen strictly on the basis of merit, and a second bracket for relatively competitive teams aspiring to the highest bracket and for teams from EDP member clubs that are not yet consistently superior in each age group.  

To showcase the league’s talent at a single venue, teams will participate in the MAPS cup held in late June as each year’s seasons finale.  Teams that are accepted for the Fall 2011 EDP are eligible to apply for the MAPS Cup.

Smithtown Kicker Soccer Club committed

Smithtown Kickers Soccer Club is pleased to announce that it will be registering all its top teams to play in the EDP next year.  The Kickers’ leadership believes it to be a privilege to be asked to participate in EDP.

Smithtown President Pasquale LaManna stated, “We have been waiting for a program that contains the structure for the high level youth player development, without the all out pressure of winning.  In our view the EDP provides the ideal environment for high level soccer, while maintaining a cost and travel sensitive structure.  The value proposition for our players makes this a great opportunity by allowing them to achieve the goal of playing high quality soccer.”

Some of other the clubs that have joined

Beachside SC of CT, New York Soccer Club and Lehigh Valley United of PA-E announce their commitment to the program. The league offers teams the following:

• Highly competitive matches with limited travel
• Best Practices" for  required league games. Teams have the opportunity to customize their schedule beyond the core games by requesting additional matches and occasional tournament and showcase type events.
• Responsive management team directed by Executive Board committed to a grass roots approach that puts "Football First".
• Selected Festivals, showcases and tournaments to showcase  the league talent to college coaches and top evaluators in the US.
• College Placement of players seen as the league's number one priority.
• EDP Talent Identification Program (TIP) team selected by league coaches.
• EDP Teams attend Top-Ranked MAPS Cup and 4th Inside Soccer Summer camp with top international coaches. Qualified teams outside the league may attend.

Beachside Soccer Club of CT committed   

Beachside SC of CT announces that it has registered its U13 through U17 Boys teams and U13 and U14 Girls teams to compete in the EDP for the 2011-2012 seasonal year.

Beachside Coaching Director Mickey Kydes commented,;"Looking at what our coaches want in a league,EDP offers all the elements and more. It's a program that is responsive to our needs and offers a collegial environment where the clubs and coaches act as excellent role models for the players to compete, get better and show respect for opposing players and coaches. It's exactly the program we need: with weekly matches with great teams through the year."

"90% of our graduating players go on to a college program: our mission is to serve players with high aspirations and potential for collegiate play and beyond, " said Kydes, "EDP is great arena for professionally managed clubs like ours to compete in."

New York Soccer Club committed   

New York Soccer Club announces that it will be registering all its top teams to play in the EDP next year. In our opinion, the best structure for a youth league is one that provides a competitive game week in week out without the players having to drive extreme distances to games. The EDP provides this platform.

"We also fully support the EDP commitment to best practices such as , wherever possible, playing one game per day and trying to ensure at least three training sessions per competitive game. In our opinion, such a structure and best practices is very much in the best interests of the players from a player development and health perspective," says Mark Heffernan of NYSC.

"Virtually all of our players will go on to play college soccer and we feel that the EDP offers them the best opportunity to excel as scholar athletes while providing the level of competition necessary to enable them to develop to their full potential as soccer players.

Lehigh Valley United committed

Lehigh Valley United is pleased to announce its participation in the 2011/2012 EDP season. LVU has committed participation for its U12 - U17 Boys teams and selected Girls teams in the Eastern Development Program for the upcoming year.

"The EDP experience far exceeded our expectations," said LVU DOC Greg Ramos.  "The league did a terrific job balancing a high level soccer experience within a very economical and travel sensitive framework.  LVU looks forward to continued participation in EDP this coming year."LVU's mission is to promote the development of youth soccer in the Lehigh Valley and the Northeast Pennsylvania region through high quality training, committed players and parents and by competing at the highest level.