All across the United States, youth players and their parents are concerned about being seen, about being noticed.  They chase certain clubs that play in certain leagues and tournaments, all in the hope of one day in the future being in the right place at the right time to be spotted by someone.   It is a very expensive gamble and often involves choosing a club based on leagues and tournaments instead of the club offering the best soccer education.

 

You don't have to compromise!  What if you could be in the right place at the right time on Day 1 - at your first tryout?  What if professional scouts from top level Spanish club playing in La Liga are watching you at tryouts, selecting you to a high-level team and monitoring your development throughout your season?

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The Valencia Discovery Program (VDP) is about TALENT DEVELOPMENT!  Once you are part of VDP, your development becomes an international project and experience.  You will be trained and monitored on a weekly basis by coaches in Seattle and Valencia.  Your training sessions and matches will be filmed and analyzed.  Your individual performance will be recorded, measured and analyzed using the latest technology available.  There is absolutely nothing else like this in the United States (at least not yet!).  Together, Valencia CF and Eagleclaw FC have teamed up.  

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• To discover future American professional players.

• To accelerate the development of top Eagleclaw players.

• To provide direct scouting of Eagleclaw players by Valencia youth academy coaches.

• To provide continual monitoring by Valencia coaches/scouts of each player's developmental progress.

• To provide the highest level of player and team development.

• To create a potential pathway for each player to the Valencia CF youth academy.

• To provide opportunities for each player to train and be observed in Valencia.

• To prepare talented players for alternative pathways (e.g. college, other international opportunities, MLS academies).

• To provide a superior player development and career development alternative to programs and leagues that are closed or dominated by excessive exclusivity.  

 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

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The "path-to-pro" is difficult.  Very difficult.  There are no guaranties.  It takes commitment, passion and countless hours of hard training.  The path to Spain is even more difficult.  Only one American player - Yunus Musah -  has ever played for Valencia CF; just one player.  That needs to change!  Will you be the next one? 

 

The ultimate objective of the Valencia Discovery Program (VDP) is to develop ambitious American players with the talent necessary to join the Valencia CF youth academy.*  Together, Eagleclaw and Valencia are committed to providing the scouting, training, and monitoring necessary to develop a new generation of players, boys and girls, who can compete at the highest levels.  Along the way, additional talent development opportunities will be presented to top players, including opportunities for extended training in Spain on a temporary residential basis.  This is talent development on a performance-driven pathway, for the performance-driven player.  

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Tryouts are not the only opportunity to onto a VDP Team.  Earning and keeping a spot on a VDP team is a continual process.  Like a professional club, Eagleclaw forms a first team (VDP) and a second team for each team birth year group from Under-9 to Under 18.  At Valencia, there is the "first team" and Valencia B, which is also called Mestalla. 

 

On  a VDP team, everything is measured and everything is earned.  This standard is more flexible for younger aged VDP teams in the Primary Academy, and more rigid for older aged in the Advanced Academy.  VDP is a performance-driven pathway, which means players must constantly work hard to maintain their position on the roster and earn their playing time.  Everything depends on performance and we consider everything, including effort, work rate, skill, technical abilities, game intelligence, attitude, desire, character, personality, speed, team fit, humility, commitment to the Club and respect for teammates, coaches, opponents, referees and the game itself.  

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The Valencia Discovery Program is not a supplemental program.  It REPLACES your current club soccer membership and becomes the core of your soccer training and competition experience.  If you are an ambitious, talented player, its time for you to move beyond the so-called "premier",  "RCL"or ECNL clubs and labels.  It is time for you to be on the path to pro.

 

For the 2020/21 Season, boys and girls born 2009-2003 are eligible for Eagleclaw's VDP Teams.  The program is under the careful supervision of a Valencia academy coach/scout specifically assigned to Eagleclaw as Technical Manager.  During tryouts, the Technical Manager, assisted by coaches and scouts from Valencia CF, will select players for high-performing "VDP Teams".  Training and development is carefully monitored by the Technical Manager over the course of the season.  VDP Teams train and play year-round with talented Eagleclaw coaches.  Twice per year, the Technical Manager travels from Spain to Seattle to conduct training camps with the VDP Teams**  Throughout the year, Eagleclaw coaches and the Technical Manager carefully monitor the performance and development of each player, with the goal of identifying talented players who, in the opinion of the Technical Manager and the Valencia youth academy staff, deserve an invitation to join the Valencia youth academy in Spain.

 

THIS IS IMPORTANT:  Even if you fall short of the goal of reaching the Valencia youth academy, the extraordinarily high level training you receive at VDP will likely have prepared you for a wide range of playing opportunities abroad, with U.S. college teams or even MLS academies.  But since you are a talented, passionate and ambitious player, there is no point in wasting time at clubs or programs that cannot create these kinds of opportunities for you to pursue soccer at higher levels abroad.   

 

There is a debate raging that young players need to be aware of.  Should you only pursue scholarship soccer scholarships with universities, academies at Major League Soccer (MLS) Clubs or opportunities with National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) clubs, or should you pursue learning, development and playing opportunities in Spain or elsewhere in Europe.  For us, it not even a close question.  For the foreseeable future, the highest level and highest quality of player development and education for the aspiring pro is not in the United States.  This means you need to aim higher.  You need a club focused on placing you on a performance-driven pathway that will provide concrete opportunities to accumulate development experiences abroad and be observed by European professional scouts and coaches. 

 

If soccer is YOUR passion, then focus on what really matters - YOU.  You need to become a more intelligent player.  You need to see the real "next level" in Europe.  You need to be scouted, seen and monitored by professional club coaches who know how to spot potential pro players.  You need to make the next move!          

 

TALENT DEVELOPMENT NOT TALENT RESTRICTION

 

Talented players benefit from a wide range of development experiences and training opportunities.  In many cases, these experiences and opportunities are in addition to regular training, individualized and often involve travel domestically and internationally.  Maximizing a player's potential often involves providing the flexibility for players to engage in training or games outside the Valencia Discovery Program.  We are open minded about ensuring players can participate in such activities provided it is developmentally beneficial and there is no undue risk of developmentally inappropriate or unsafe training/playing conditions.  The Valencia Discovery Program (VDP)  is not opposed to players participating on school soccer teams, independent training camps or similar opportunities.  VDP players may participate in such programs provided they have the prior written approval of their VDP Coach and Eagleclaw's Executive Director and with the understanding that the VDP training and playing schedule always takes priority. Participation in Eagleclaw Futsal is highly encouraged and may be required by VDP staff for certain players. 

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Although we strive to be open minded and flexible about outside training experiences, we do have some limits.  The chief limitation is that VDP Players may not train with or "guest play" for another youth club or team in league play or tournaments.  Exceptions to this policy are rare and may only be granted by Eagleclaw's Executive Director.

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KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VALENCIA DISCOVERY PROGRAM (VDP) AND ECNL 

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• VDP IS NOT A LEAGUE - Leagues like ECNL and GAL are closed leagues - plain and simple.  As a closed league, ECNL teams only play against ECNL teams from a small number of other clubs.  The Valencia Discovery Program is not a league at all.  It is a focused Long-Term Talent Development and Identification Program designed to place promising players on the path to the Valencia CF youth academy and other high level playing opportunities abroad and in the United States.  VDP Valencia Teams can compete in any league at any level, unless that league is closed.

 

• VDP PLAYERS ARE SELECTED AND MONITORED BY VALENCIA CF COACHES/SCOUTS - Closed league players are selected by local club coaches.  VDP players are directly scouted and selected by the coaches and scouts of Valencia CF under the supervision of the Technical Manager and continuously monitored by them throughout the course of the season.     

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VDP TRYOUTS

• VDP Teams are formed in April/May each year.

• VDP tryouts are open to ANY player from any club or program, whether they are currently an Eagleclaw player or not.

• Player selections at tryouts are made by the Technical Manager with assistance from other Valencia coaches/scouts and Eagleclaw coaches 

• Pre-tryout training opportunities will be made available in Jan-Apr 2021.  Email info@eagleclawfc.com for details.

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Cost:  Annual fees for VDP Teams are $2450 per player.*** 

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Training Location:  All VDP Teams will train at Starfire Sports.

 

Click here to join the mailing list for news and information about tryouts and pre-tryout training opportunities.

 

*     NOTE:  Subject to compliance with applicable FIFA Regulations.

**   NOTE:  Training Camps are not included in the Annual Player Fee

*** Note:  Annual player fee does not include uniforms, training camp fees, tournament fees or travel expenses