AUFC Partners with Portland Timbers & Thorns FC
March 4th, 2019 by admin
AUFC is excited to announce its official Alliance Affiliation with the Portland Thorns FC (NWSL)/Portland Timbers (MLS) soccer organization! This transition will take effect starting the 2019/20 soccer season, with the initial kick-off during tryouts in May 2019.
As a result of the partnership & combining of resources, AUFC will be able to provide its kids & members a full range of programming opportunities and a more direct and complete pathway for the beginner through to the collegiate and professional exposure levels on both the youth boys and youth girls side. This alliance will benefit all of AUFC’s members from the YDA players, to the recreational players, to the competitive players.
AUFC players will have direct access to:
Thorns FC Development Soccer Academy (Girls)
Timbers Development Soccer Academy (Boys)
The Thorns/Timbers College Network Center
& More!
“AUFC has a long history of developing New Mexico’s most elite soccer players; this transition clarifies the pathway for those players to reach higher level competition and better exposure to play in college, and beyond.”
Director of Sport, Manni Klar
The Thorns FC and Timbers organization are one of only three in the United States to operate an MLS club (Men’s Professional League), an NWSL (Women’s Professional League) club, a boys’ Developmental Academy (US Soccer) and a girls’ Developmental Academy (US Soccer). AUFC will be the only club in Albuquerque with an affiliation with a women’s professional team.
About AUFC: Our mission at AUFC is to enable the development of Albuquerque’s youth by fostering a fun and exciting soccer environment that focuses on building lifelong values in teamwork, competition, sportsmanship
About The Portland Thorns FC Academy: The Portland Thorns FC Academy program uses a holistic approach in the development of players with thorough information on nutrition, sports psychology, strength conditioning, speed and agility. The goal for all Thorns youth players is to reach the top of the developmental pyramid. From the academy, players will have the opportunity to advance to college or to the Thorns WPSL team (coming soon), a team made up of Thorns first-team reserve players and college players. From there, players will have the opportunity to earn collegiate scholarship offers, national team invites and have the chance to be drafted into the NWSL.
About The Portland Timbers Academy: As an organization, the Portland Timbers are committed to youth development. Our Academy program provides a professional environment pushing players to learn and elevate their game on a daily basis. Our goal as an MLS Academy is to develop professional players. Along the way, players will be provided the rarest of opportunities and be exposed to the highest levels of competition. The many who don’t make the professional ranks are often awarded scholarships to top universities. In addition to these opportunities, our program is focused on developing character traits that will help guide players toward a successful career in whatever they may pursue.
A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is also being established for initial review and will be located on each organization’s websites once finalized.