CHESTER, Pa. (February 27th, 2023) - Philadelphia Union and Highland Youth Soccer Club announced today a youth affiliation to aid in the development of the players as both athletes and community members.
The partnership between the Union and HYSC will bring new opportunities to the players of HYSC. The Club Affiliate Program will expand HYSC’s Player Development Pathway and will create a direct talent ID pipeline to Philadelphia Union Youth teams and programming.
The Union and HYSC will work cooperatively to offer club development programs, specialized positional training, Union Select team opportunities, and invitations to elite programs.
The Union and HYSC will also team up to provide coaching education, coach workshops, session planning preparation, and club coaching methodology alignment.
Please click here to learn more about the Philadelphia Union Club Affiliate Program.
“Really excited to have Highland Youth Soccer Club as part of the Philadelphia Union Family. To be a part of Highland’s story is a huge honor. We can’t wait to help grow the game in the Highland community by offering Union Youth Programming to continue to foster fans of the game,” said Andrew Vanover Director – Youth Operations, at Philadelphia Union Youth.
” Highland Youth Soccer Club is excited to become an official youth affiliate of the 2022 MLS Eastern Conference Champion Philadelphia Union. As one of the largest youth clubs in southern New Jersey, the dedicated volunteers of HYSC have consistently provided quality and affordable recreational and competitive youth soccer programming for thousands of families and athletes in the South Jersey region.” Said James Mergenthal, President, HYSC. “Affiliating with the Philadelphia Union provides a unique youth soccer experience for our families - cost-effective programming and opportunities as an extension of our club programs - and a direct connection in our community to the professional club. As a Union Youth affiliate, our players will be able to access training opportunities, camps, clinics, and player development programming supported by the Philadelphia Union's internationally recognized development model. Our volunteer coaches will be supported by continuing education, best practices, and technical resources aligned to a proven training curriculum, and our club will leverage direct access to Union technical staff to continuously evolve our programs to meet the needs of our developing players. Finally, our families will have access to special events, discounts, and exclusive unique experiences fostering lifelong Philadelphia Union fans.”
Click here to learn more about Philadelphia Union’s youth programs and upcoming camps and click here to learn more about HYSC.
