Stoddard rises to the Premier Team Challenge
Premier Development programs continue to succeed 
 

Waltham, MA, 9th July 2008; In June 2007, Daniel Stoddard accepted a place in the U15 MPS Crusaders PD Black squad for the forthcoming season. 

Fast forward ten months, and with a season of Premier Development soccer under his belt, Stoddard was identified by U15 Crusaders Head Coach Graham Munro as a potential Premier team player.

At the conclusion of the PD season, Stoddard completed the transition to the Premier team program and highlighted his deserved inclusion by

Daniel Stoddard
MPS U15 Crusaders

scoring the winning goal for the U15 Crusaders in a 1-0 victory against Seacoast United in a recent USL Super-Y League contest.  Two weeks later and he again scored the winning goal at NH Phantoms in a 2-1 victory which keeps his side at the top of the league.

"After watching Daniel play for the PD team I was very interested in getting him to some Premier sessions to see how he coped in this training environment," said U15 Crusaders Head Coach Graham Munro.  "While he continued to play games for the PD team, he gradually made the transition by coming to one session a week with the Premier squad."

Stoddard's commitment to improvement allowed him to succeed in this environment and he soon began to stand out within the Premier sessions.

"Daniel has continued to work hard at his game and always comes to sessions with the mentality that he wants to improve," said Munro.  "His inclusion in the Premier team is just rewards for his efforts and his game-winning goals at Seacoast and NH Phantoms should act as a sign of what can be achieved by the PD players at our club."

Stoddard is not the only success story from the 2007 / 2008 MPS Premier Development Program.

At the Needham Memorial Day Tournament, the MPS U14 Bulldogs PD Black side walked away with the D1 trophy.

MPS Director of Coaching, and U14 Bulldogs PD Black Head Coach, Peter Bradley, is a firm believer that the high level practice environment is the key to the success of the PD program.

"We aim to create a positive and challenging environment for all players within the MPS program,” said Bradley.  “We have seen that there are some very motivated players emerging from the PD program who have aspirations of playing at a higher level and we want to make sure that we can provide them with that opportunity."

MPS U14 PD Black - Needham U14 Tournament Champions

"The creation of good habits at the PD level gives players every opportunity to take the step up to the Premier team level if their development warrants it," said Bradley.   "The PD and Premier team coaches work closely together in order to monitor player progress and to ensure that players, such as Daniel Stoddard, are placed in the correct training environment that best suits their development."

Other players of note who have come through the Premier Development system include Duncan Orlander (U14 Bulldogs) and Amanda Ray (U14 Renegades).

As a graduating School of Excellence player, Orlander was offered a place in the Premier Development program at the U13 level.  The defender, who had aspirations to play in the Premier setup, asked coaches Peter Bradley and Andrew Moir what he needed to do to show he was at the Premier level.

With dedication over the next six weeks, Orlander was invited in to the U13 Bulldogs Premier sessions and made the transition with ease.  As the defender moved to the U14 level, Orlander was given the Premier team captains armband merely 12 months after playing in the PD set-up.

The Premier Development setup on the girls’ side has also been a success as demonstrated by current U14 Renegades player Amanda Ray.  As a forward with natural speed and ability, Ray made the jump to the Premier Team setup at the end of the 2007 season. 

As a member of the Renegades U13 PD White team, Mark McDevitt and Lee Billiard identified Ray as a player who would enhance her development within the Premier Team environment.

Billiard, Head Coach of the U14 Renegades, has since utilized Ray on his forward line and she is now one of the leading forwards in a team which tops the New England U14G Super-Y League bracket.

“The Premier Development program has numerous success stories to date and we expect this to continue through the years,” said Bradley.  “Our PD teams act as a conveyor belt to the Premier program and we have a firm belief that we will move players on as they continue to develop in the correct training environment.”

For more information on the Premier Development system, please contact MPS Premier Team Director Mark McDevitt on 781 891 6900 ext 12 or mmcdevitt@mpsbr.com

 

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