With our vision and values aligned, Jersey United is a perfect match. Together we'll provide youth soccer players in New Jersey even more paths to grow on and off the field.
CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J. (PRWEB) April 30, 2018
UK Elite Soccer, home to more than 300 coaches and 60,000 players and its The Football Club USA (FCUSA) have acquired Jersey United Soccer Club in north-central New Jersey.
FCUSA’s New Jersey club and Jersey United each serve Morris, Somerset and Hunterdon counties with programs for players of all skill levels. They include boys and girls teams competing in elite leagues and high-level college showcase events throughout the northeast, and an Academy to introduce younger players to FCUSA play. The merger doubles FCUSA New Jersey to a 30-plus team club.
FCUSA is one of the nation’s largest growing soccer clubs with operations in seven states: New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, Maryland and Rhode Island. The club currently fields over 150 teams and 2,500 players. FCUSA New Jersey was founded eight years ago after competing under the Everton NJ name.
“With our vision and values aligned, Jersey United is a perfect match,” said Mick Smoothey, UK Elite CEO and FCUSA Board Member. “Together we’ll provide youth soccer players in New Jersey even more paths to grow on and off the field.”
Jersey United was formed as a training services company in 2004 and has evolved into a multi-faceted organization consisting of camps, clinics, facility management and a college showcase soccer club. It has graduated over 250 players into college programs.
“In this ever-changing landscape of youth soccer, it’s important to innovatively stay ahead of the curve, and this merger achieves that,” said Martin Brown, Jersey United owner and new FCUSA Director of Operations. “Working together under the FCUSA banner gives our players greater advancement opportunities in a national network.”
Owned by Steel Sports Inc., UK Elite Soccer features FCUSA teams, camps, clinics, tournaments, international tours and other events. The company is known for improving the youth sports experience and enriching children's lives by emphasizing a positive and fun environment while instilling core values of safety, teamwork, respect, integrity and discipline.
“The Jersey United management team and coaches fit well within the Steel Sports culture, and the integration of our Coaching System and Commitment to Excellence will further ‘wow’ families joining FCUSA,” said David Shapiro, CEO of Steel Sports. “The timing of the acquisition is serendipitous as a recent Physical Activity Council study shows boys and girls ages six to 12 hold greater interest in soccer than basketball, football, volleyball, bicycling, swimming and other individual and team sports.”
FCUSA New Jersey recently completed spring tryouts, and its new teams will begin play in August 2018. To learn more about FCUSA: TheFootballClubUSA.com.