• Three Regional Training Camps to be Held Across the Country
• Players to be Scouted for Possible Inclusion in the U14 National Team Program
• Nike Increases Role in 2006 id2 Program

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Oct. 3, 2006) – US Club Soccer’s 2006 id2 program commences Friday, October 6 with the opening of Regional Training Camps in Zarephath, N.J. and Irvine, Calif.  Boys and Girls with ’93 and ’94 birth years will convene for four days of training with US Soccer Youth Development Program staff in attendance to scout the attendees for possible inclusion in the U14 National Team Program.  A third id2 Regional Training Camp, solely for Boys, will be held October 12-15 in Chicago.

“The id2 Regional Training Camps provide many of the nation’s top 12- and 13-year-old players with their first chance to be seen by the U14 National Team scouts,” said Bill Sage, Executive Director of US Club Soccer.  “This exposure, partnered with the high-quality training and games, the program’s cost-effectiveness and Nike’s increased role, presents id2 attendees with a unique opportunity and experience.”

Once players arrive at the id2 Regional Training Camps, US Club Soccer covers all player expenses.  Top club and collegiate coaches will conduct the id2 Regional Training Camps.  Training sessions and matches will be contested in the mornings and evenings at some of the nation’s finest facilities: the PDA Facility in Zarephath, N.J.; the Crawford Athletics Complex on the campus of UC-Irvine in Irvine, Calif. and the Chicago Magic Sports Club in Frankfort, Ill.  In the afternoons, players will receive instruction and engage in Question & Answer sessions with the id2 coaching staff in a classroom setting.

Nike Increases Role in 2006 id2 Program
Nike, the Official Apparel and Equipment Supplier of all US Club Soccer programs, will increase its role at the 2006 id2 Regional Training Camps.  In addition to supplying id2 attendees and staff with all necessary equipment needs including apparel, balls, bags and a variety of other items, Nike will make presentations, conduct small group focus sessions and give id2 Regional Training Camp attendees the first opportunity to experience the latest innovative Nike footwear.

“Nike Soccer is proud and honored to support the id2 Program,” said Joe Elsmore, Nike’s Director of US Soccer Marketing.  “Our strategic partnership with US Club Soccer continues to provide elite players with innovative and integrated opportunities to showcase their talents to some of the best scouts and coaches in the country.”

id2 Identification Process
Scouts from across the country identified players for inclusion in the id2 Regional Training Camps as they competed in their own environment with their club teams.  id2 scouts evaluated players at the 2006 US Club Soccer National Cup V Regionals, as well as matches and tournaments staged throughout the summer.

Parents do not have to pay fees and travel costs to multiple expensive tryout camps to ensure their players are seen by id2 scouts.  The id2 selection process is apolitical as players are identified regardless of their affiliation (i.e. US Club Soccer, USYSA, AYSO, non-affiliated, etc.).

More information regarding the id2 Regional Training Camps can be found online at www.usclubsoccer.org.

About US Club Soccer
US Club Soccer is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop competitive club soccer in the United States. It has been a member of the United States Soccer Federation since July 2001, and has grown to over 1,200 member clubs and league teams in 47 states. In addition to sanctioning tournaments, leagues, and other competitions and conducting a range of programs for its members, it annually conducts the US Club Soccer National Cup, for member teams for boys and girls’ U12 to U17.  The 2006 National Cup V kicked off Memorial Day weekend and concluded in late July.  US Club Soccer also began its own player identification and development program in the summer of 2004, termed id2.  Over the 2006 Easter Weekend, US Club Soccer, in conjunction with Disney’s Wide World of Sports, held the inaugural Champions Cup to determine the nation’s top boy and girls’ clubs.  US Club Soccer’s growing list of National Corporate Partners include: Nike, 24 Hour Fitness, Accor Hotels, American Airlines, Budget Rent A Car, Etriptix, Major League Soccer, Slammers® Ultimate Milk, SoccerPost.com and TEKK Athletic; as well as a supplier group of six additional corporations. For more information, visit www.usclubsoccer.org.