PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers will begin the process of building their U-18 and U-16 Academy teams by playing host to an open tryout for youth players June 30-July 1. The Timbers Academy teams begin play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy this fall for the 2012-13 season.
Led by Timbers Academy head coaches Adam Smith and Mike Smith, the tryout is open to all interested youth players from Oregon and Southwest Washington and will be held at Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District’s Howard M. Terpenning Recreation Center in Beaverton, Ore. Additional tryout information is available online at www.portlandtimbers.com.
Following the open tryout, the Timbers will hold an invitational combine for select players Aug. 1-2; the Timbers Academy coaching staff will make final roster selections Friday, Aug. 3. Preseason activities for the Timbers U-18 and U-16 Academy teams begin Aug. 7, at JELD-WEN Field.
The Timbers Academy teams open play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, featuring a 10-month season, in September and will compete against other MLS academy teams as well as elite youth clubs in the Northwest Division. The Timbers will cover the participation expenses – team travel, operations, equipment – for each academy player for the season.
The aim of the Timbers Academy is to further develop elite youth soccer players throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington through advanced training and competitive opportunities. The Timbers academy program will adopt a holistic approach in developing players, incorporating nutrition, sports psychology, strength conditioning, speed and agility into the coaching curriculum.
Through the Timbers’ development system, which includes the academy teams, the club has created a vertically-integrated pathway from the youth levels to the professional ranks with the Timbers’ first team. The U.S. Soccer Development Academy also provides opportunities for players to be seen by national team and college coaches.
