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By Ron P. Coderre
A new soccer club is springing up in northeastern Connecticut, according to a news release sent from Erick Taylor, president of Mavericks Soccer. According to Taylor’s release, the new program “Last Green Valley Mavericks” is a premier soccer club for serious young soccer players, ages 6-12.
Taylor also announced that former professional soccer player Ryan Fitzgibbons has been appointed as the program’s head coach and director of player development. Fitzgibbons is a 2000 graduate of Killingly High School. He attended NCAA Division III Guilford College in North Carolina prior to playing professionally. Fitzgibbons, who was a goalie during his playing career, has had stops in the U.S. Soccer League, the Major Indoor Soccer League and in Mexico.
“Our goal is to follow the “farm-team” process to develop the skills of anyone that wants to play in the U-8 through U-10 programs. Having developed more advanced skills, kids can then try out for the Premier U-12 teams. The end goal is to develop a league with U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-18 Premier teams competing against Connecticut, central Massachusetts and Rhode Island Premier and Elite teams,” said Fitzgibbons.
The Mavericks are beginning the fall season with online registrations at the team’s website, www.maverickssoccer.com. The plan is to begin training sessions in October at several local fields in Woodstock. Players from throughout northeastern Connecticut and surrounding communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island are welcome to participate.
“There is a tremendous amount of support and enthusiasm for the creation of this new Premier Team in the Northeast Corner of Connecticut. We’ve got a terrific team of soccer professionals on board as coaches, board members and volunteers with a common goal of providing the right environment to help children achieve the highest standards in soccer and excel to the best of their ability,” said Taylor.
In addition to teaching basic rules and skills necessary to play the game, Mavericks coaches and staff plan to also focus on game strategy, sportsmanship, accountability and communication, strength and conditioning, diet and health and safety and injury prevention among other things.