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FC Buffalo is pleased to announce a new initiative in the club’s growth and community outreach: the FC Buffalo Academy Affiliate Program (AAP).
The AAP is beginning as a collaborative effort between FC Buffalo and the Lockport Premier Soccer Boys U-16 team. The team has rebranded itself as FC Buffalo Academy, and has begun play for the 2015-16 premier season.
The side has made it to the finals of their first showcase tournament. In addition to defending their title as New York State Cup champions, they are attending additional top tournaments including the Jefferson Cup, Adidas Blue Chip Showcase, Potomac Memorial, EDP Cup, and others.
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FC Buffalo co-owner Scott Frauenhofer: “The boys are at a critical stage in their development as players where they’re competing at a very high level now, but have an eye towards what’s next as far as their college careers.
“The Academy Affiliate Program is designed for them to see and experience FC Buffalo’s first team training, which is very similar to a professional training environment; It lets them experience firsthand how fast the sessions are, how competitive they are, and hopefully gives them an advantage when they get to college.”
In addition to FC Buffalo staff and players helping with training and technical aspects of the premier team, the Lockport boys will also benefit from FCB’s preferred vendors, camps, and game day experiences.
“Hopefully the mentality is ‘OK, I’ve seen it, done it, I can jump in right away,’ and we know coaches are looking for that sort of thing,” Frauenhofer added. “How fast can you adapt to a system? Are you keeping the ball? Are you winning it back quickly? All the little things that make the difference in games.”
The boys come off a very successful U15 season where they won State Cup & EDP Cup and are now ranked No. 1 in New York State West. The team is coached by Scott Moreland, Ian Martin and Brad May.
“Since joining with FC Buffalo, the boys have changed,” said Martin. “They are more driven and focused. It shows in our training sessions and in our first tournament. Last year they fell short in Regionals, this year with FC Buffalo’s help they believe they can get to Nationals.”
Contact scott@fcbuffalo.org for more information.
