id2 West Regional Training Camp held in Pleasanton, C.A., targeting ’11 boys and girls

Rosters | Photos & videos on Instagram

PLEASANTON, Calif. (Jan. 19, 2025) – US Club Soccer hosted the second and final id2 Regional Training Camp for boys and girls born in 2011, Jan. 17-19 in Pleasanton, California. In total, 85 players participated, representing 57 clubs and 14 states. Athletes were challenged on and off the field, competing during field sessions at the Stanford Medicine Sports Complex and learning from various presentations in a classroom setting.

The West Regional Training Camp followed last month’s East Regional Training Camp, serving as the penultimate stage of the age group cycle’s programming. Eleven one-day id2 Selection events initiated id2 programming for ’11 players and spanned September to early December. Top performers from those id2 Selections are then selected to either id2 Regional Training Camps. The final progression is the coveted id2 National Selection International Tours, which features 18 boys and girls selected from these regional camps. Those players will compete internationally in April, playing against top academies in Europe. The dates and locations of those international trips will be announced soon, followed by player rosters.

During the id2 West Regional Training Camp, players were treated to instruction from a collection of the country’s best club coaches. Curriculum was designed by id2 head coaches Benjamin Ziemer (boys) and Erin Sharpe (girls). Ziemer and Sharpe, both representing NorCal Premier Soccer, were complemented by four assistant coaches apiece. On the boys side, those coaches were: Darel Russell (Heat SC), Cris Gilmore (SOCAL Soccer League), Duke Hashimoto (Leahi SC) and Matt Bernard (US Club Soccer). And on the girls side, those coaches were: Meg Morris (United Futbol Academy), Sarah Fawcett (Pleasanton RAGE), Brooke Reece (Seattle United) and Madison Holland (Tudela FC). U.S. Soccer personnel were also on-site throughout the weekend to scout for potential invitations to U.S. youth national team programming.

The id2 Program is a leader in player identification and development, as it provides opportunities for elite athletes to be identified, developed and scouted for inclusion in U.S. Soccer’s youth national team programming. The id2 Program is an Olympic Development Program approved by the United States Olympic Committee and the U.S. Soccer Federation. There is no cost for players to participate or be scouted, and all meals, lodging and gear are provided by US Club Soccer and Nike. This approach to eliminating barriers to entry helps ensure the best players are able to participate.

id2 PROGRAMMING:

Scouting / invitation process

The id2 Program is invitation-only. The scouting process relies on a network of scouts throughout the country who evaluate players during competitions and in their local markets. US Club Soccer also receives recommendations from Directors of Coaching for player leads.

id2 Selection events

id2 Selection events are one-day programs that include scouted, tactical training sessions and an 11v11 match. Regional leagues – like National Premier Leagues member leagues – throughout the country co-host these events with US Club Soccer to facilitate a more comfortable scouting and developmental experience for players. Top performers are then invited to participate in id2 Training Camps. Typically, 30 boys and 30 girls participate in id2 Selection events.

id2 Regional Training Camps

id2 Training Camps are three-day regional identification and development camps, in which players – typically 36 boys and 36 girls – participate in a multi-faceted experience of training sessions and games, as well as off-the-field presentations and discussions. There will be two id2 Regional Training Camps in the current cycle targeting 2011-born players. id2 staff lead the camps alongside a collection of top club coaches from around the country. Camps include carefully curated itineraries, balancing on-field training and scrimmages, classroom presentations, nutrition and recovery. Players receive evaluations from their camp coaches to help continue their developmental journeys in their club environments back home. id2 staff share player ratings and feedback with U.S. Soccer youth national team staff for potential invitations to future youth national team programming. Watch a “day in the life” of an id2 participant from a past training camp here.

id2 National Selection teams

The final programming element of each id2 cycle is the selection of id2 National Selection boys and girls teams. Selected players travel internationally to train with each other and compete against some of the world’s best academy teams. Numerous professional players are former id2 National Selection team members, including: Christian Pulisic, Lindsey Horan, Tim Weah, Trinity Rodman and Tyler Adams. In addition to meals, lodging and gear being provided by US Club Soccer and Nike, travel for all players is also covered. The id2 all-time Best XI lists are available at usclubsoccer.org/id2.