13 YEARS OF the
SPANISH STYLE OF PLAY
We have the pathway for you to succeed in life, with sport.
We are Eagleclaw FC
Since 2010 OUR Mission has been to develop soccer players, and educate people using the Spanish style of play as a guide for enriching and bettering kids’ lives.
CLUB VALUES
RESPECT
Respect for coaches, teammates, opponents & referees. We strive to inspire our players to carry a sense of respect with them wherever their path leads them.
teamwork
Although Eagleclaw focuses on individual player development, the end result is a team of highly skilled and intelligent individuals who must be able to work together to achieve a common goal. We believe that by focusing on each individual, we can make stronger teams.
effort
What you achieve is directly related to the effort you've put in. This kind of workmanlike attitude will serve players not only in soccer, but in school & their entire working life.
ACCEPTANCe
In soccer, as in life, we will win & we will lose. What matters is what we learn from each result & how we take advantage of the learning opportunity.
ambition
Coaches & parents must collaborate to provide support & encouragement, but in the end the player must be the source of their ambition. It is our responsibility to provide a pathway & learning environment that keeps players in the game & does not unduly burn them out.
Enjoyment
Soccer is a game & an enjoyable form of physical activity. It is the responsibility of coaches & parents to keep the game fun for the children & encourage them. Friendships made in training & in games can last a lifetime.
Eagleclaw FC provides real talent development. From the youngest ages, players are educated in a possession-based style known as Positional Play. This is why Eagleclaw players are widely acknowledged to be the most technical and intelligent players on the field. Eagleclaw is designed to be a comprehensive and holistic player development program. Here we provide an educational and competitive pathway for players beginning from the grass roots all the way to the highest levels of competition. Beginning from our Primary Academy teams to teams in the Official Valencia CF Academy Seattle, our passion and core objective is developing players for success in the game and in life.
OUR STORY
2010
When Eagleclaw began with 8 excited kids, we wanted to provide a new style of club soccer to the Pacific Northwest. We chose to focus all energy on the players and what they needed in order to perform at the top of their ability. We chose to develop players vs turn them away because of their abilities. We were built to provide a high level of soccer education to all players that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives, no matter where they go.
2015
Eagleclaw then began exploring and developing its own curriculum, delving into the origins of the successful Spanish philosophy of Positional Play, or Juego de Posición. This extensive research led to the Netherlands, specifically the Dutch professional club AFC Ajax and its legacy of Total Football. Joe began working with Mr. Bob DeKlerk, a former Ajax Academy coach, former manager at Toronto FC and later the assistant coach at Atlanta United. Working with Joe, Mr. DeKlerk became very familiar with Eagleclaw and the club's ambitions and way of working. He visited Seattle in 2015 for a coach development program and gained firsthand knowledge of the club.
2018
The next step in the development of the relationship called for Eagleclaw FC to send two teams to Spain in April 2018 to train at the Valencia CF Youth Academy and compete in a tournament hosted at the VCF Academy facilities. This event was also extremely successful. Eagleclaw teams performed well in training and tournament matches against high-level Spanish youth club teams. The visit also allowed Eagleclaw coaches to develop more personal relationships with the Valencia CF Academy staff.
2020
In February 2020, VCF coach Toni Navarro traveled to Seattle to oversee and direct Valencia Discovery Program tryouts for high school aged boys.
2022
In February 2022, VCF academy coach Vicente Roch traveled to Seattle to direct and oversee Valencia Discovery Program tryouts for high school aged boys. During his visit, Vicente also conducted education seminars for Eagleclaw coaches, deepening their understanding of the Valencia DNA.
In April 2022, Eagleclaw teams again returned to Spain, including the M06 Valencia Discovery Program team and the M09 Talons. Both teams engaged in intensive training sessions at the VCF Academy training facility as well as friendly matches against Valencia CF Academy teams and teams from Torrent FC, Unión Imposibles-Betero CF, and the Valencia CF Academy - New York.
2013
The origins of the relationship between Valencia CF and Eagleclaw date back to 2013 when Eagleclaw evolved from being a private club with just one team to a more public club developing many teams. Executive Director Joe Campos reached out to his contacts at Valencia CF hoping to bring their proven model of talent identification and development to Washington state. Discussions began and a proposal was made, negotiations ensued but the timing was not ideal for either side.
2017
The first collaborations between VCF and Eagleclaw were modest and intended to ensure the two clubs would be able to work together despite the geographic distances and time zone differences. Paso a paso! Step by step! Bram was the point person for managing and guiding the budding relationship. In 2017, Eagleclaw hosted the first edition of the Valencia CF Summer Academy at Starfire Sports. Two VCF Academy coaches traveled to Seattle to lead the program and work side-by-side with Eagleclaw coaches. One of those coaches was Manu Ruz, a former first team player for Valencia CF and currently the lead scout for Valencia CF’s first team. The program was an unqualified success with over 100 players attending the club-neutral program.
2019
In 2019, Eagleclaw teams again traveled to Valencia to train at the VCF Academy and compete in a tournament. This time, three teams traveled. It was during this trip that officials from Valencia CF Academy, including VCF Academy Director of Operations Luis Martinez, met with Eagleclaw’s Executive Director Joe Campos to create a new program focused on forming a limited number of teams only at certain ages and identifying and developing talented players with the potential to play at a professional level in Spain. The result of these meetings was the Valencia Discovery Program (VDP).
2021
In 2021, Eagleclaw hosted the fourth edition of the Valencia CF Summer Academy. This time, due to travel restrictions, Valencia coaches were unable to travel for the camp. To solve this problem, Valencia CF created an entire curriculum customized for the situation and held virtual sessions with Eagleclaw coaches to study Valencia's game model and training methodologies in the context of the camp curriculum. In addition, Valencia CF coaches participated in a pre-camp Zoom meeting with parents of registered players to explain the objectives of the camp and how it would be organized and conducted by Eagleclaw coaches with support from Valencia CF. This effort represented an important new growth stage in the working relationship between the two clubs.
2023
With the advent of the VCF Academy – Seattle program, Eagleclaw’s Valencia Discovery Program has been sunsetted. Eagleclaw FC continues to thrive and will now become the direct pathway for players to the VCF Academy – Seattle and to the Valencia CF Academy in Spain. Eagleclaw players and coaches also benefit from continued access to VCF training methodologies, coaching education and a direct dialogue with VCF Academy coaches. This is what we mean when we say Eagleclaw is “powered by” Valencia CF.