Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release - www.tbrowdies.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

TAMPA, FL -- The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced a youth outreach partnership with the YMCA, an initiative of TBR Academy (TBRA). The partnership will include camps for children and clinics for YMCA staff and coaches. The program is designed to develop and nurture youth soccer talent through YMCA camps in the Bay area.

TBRA offers instructional clinics for soccer coaches and camps for recreational and competitive soccer players and teams ranging from five years of age to 14 years of age. The focus of the YMCA camps will be technical skills, such as passing, dribbling, ball control and shooting. Camps will be hosted at YMCA facilities throughout the Bay area during school breaks, beginning Summer 2009, and throughout the year on weekends, beginning April 2009.

“The Academy will give players, coaches and teams an objective perspective on their game,” says Perry Van Der Beck, technical director of the Rowdies. “This can improve their skill sets while teaching them new tactics to use on the field.”

The TBRA reside in Region C of the Florida Youth Soccer Association (FYSA), a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to the growth and development of youth soccer. Region C consists of seven geographic areas including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota and Lee counties with more than 35,000 recreational and competitive players registered. The region has approximately 14,000 female players and 21,000 male players, many of whom will be eligible for TBRA camps and clinics.