Emily Brutnell dribbles around a Point Pleasant defender during an U11 game at Veterans Park Sept. 21, 2013. (Staff photo by Samantha Sciarrotta.)
After 10 years of business, Hamilton girls soccer program partners with nation soccer organization
While the Hamilton Wildcats travel soccer program went about its business for the past 10 years, it turns out a few people were checking them out.
This past July, those folks sprung into action, as members of the New Jersey Rush staff approached the Wildcats board and coaches about forming a partnership. It took little time to hammer out the details and everything was in place for the start of this fall season.
“As our club enters its 41st year and the Wildcats celebrate their 10th year anniversary, we are excited that this partnership strengthens our club development model,” Hamilton Soccer Club President Tom Slater said. “We can continue to offer a soccer-rich environment designed to improve individual and team skills, teach fair play and emphasize fun as well.
“This partnership truly makes Hamilton Girls Soccer Club the strongest full-service girls program in the region.”
For those unfamiliar with why this is a big deal, the New Jersey Rush Soccer Club was established in May 2010 in partnership with Rush Soccer, a national organization with more the 35,000 members in approximately 26 states and nine countries. NJ Rush notes that its partnership allowed the organization to gain instant credibility and to have access to assets that would ordinarily take years to achieve.
And now, the Wildcats are in line for those assets.
“The Rush staff had been looking to establish roots in Central New Jersey,” Slater said. “They said they were attracted to a few aspects of our club. We had had success at several age groups, which was one factor. Another was we already had a player developmental program in place that was very similar with theirs.”
New Jersey Rush executive director Sandeep Mehtani felt that the Wildcats and the Rush would make a perfect marriage considering the philosophies both share.
“Our focus is different,” Mehtani said. “Cognitive and physical development together are happening rapidly at ages five through eight. Kids at these ages are like sponges, they absorb everything.
“Unfortunately, most Academy programs ignore these ages. We aim to change that. By affiliating directly with select local clubs in various regions of the state, we can influence player development and education on a grassroots level at much younger ages and continue that advanced development progression through the formative years. This is why affiliating with Hamilton Girls Soccer Club and Hamilton Wildcats was a top priority for us.”
The Hamilton Girls Soccer Club was established in 1972, and the Wildcats FC was formed in 2004 as the competitive travel arm of the club.
The way the new partnership is set up, the entire club—both recreation and the Wildcats—are affiliated with the Rush. The U13 and U14 White Wildcats are now known as NJ Rush teams and are academy teams playing at the highest level. They incorporate professional trainers and coaches, rather than parents.
The U11 team, which won the State Cup last spring, is a Hamilton Wildcat Rush team that maintains a parent coach but is looking to advance to academy status.
“These teams will have access to the highest level tournaments, league play and guest trainers,” Slater said of the benefits. “They will also have participation in other Rush-related activities such as festivals for Rush teams in multiple states.”
The remaining teams will still be referred to as the Hamilton Wildcats, and the recreation leagues remain the same. However, they too will benefit from the new set-up.
“The New Jersey Rush provides a curriculum and access to other resources such as training and coaching help,” Slater said. “This will help our club maintain consistency from rec ball through the Wildcats. We have been working with the Rush to strengthen our coaching education program and introduce the player development curriculum club-wide.”
Slater will remain the club’s president and oversee both the rec and travel side. Vice President of Travel Warren Lewis will continue to oversee day-to-day operations of the Wildcats and Vice President Karole King will do the same on the recreation side.
Former Steinert great Lisa Gmitter Pittaro, a travel coach, will have added responsibilities as Director of Coaching “and will begin to take a more active role with working with our coaches and trainers,” Slater said.
The technical advisor is Princeton University women’s assistant coach Ron Celestin, one of the most respected coaches in the state.
“Ron will be a critical component as we move forward,” Slater said. “Ron’s knowledge and skill in working with teams, clubs and coaches will be invaluable. He will be guiding the club moving forward to ensure that our coaches, trainers, parents and players are all on the same page.”
Slater added that the reaction by the parents and coaches has been positive.
“The parents on the two academy teams and the pre-academy team were approached first since they were directly affected and there was little hesitation about participating,” the president said.
One parent who is all for it, also happens to be one of the most renowned women’s college coaches in the country, as Princeton University head coach Julie Shackford has two daughters in the program.
“This is great for the Central Jersey players to have an Academy Club in their background,” Shackford said. “Merging coaches like Gmitter and Celestin brings special talent, energy and expertise to the whole situation. I am thrilled two of my children will have the opportunity to be part of it.”
Sounds like a win-win for all involved.
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While the partnership was the biggest news coming out of the program, there are other noteworthy events concerning HGSC. The Senior Recreation Division is now competing in a new Mercer County League and will go up against teams from Lawrence, Hopewell and Ewing in a first-time effort for all the clubs.
Hamilton has also partnered with the Hamilton YMCA in its Special Kids Organized Recreation (SKOR) soccer program. Senior rec players and older Wildcat teams will be joining their coaches at the YMCA in Sawmill on Sunday mornings to run soccer programs for their developmentally disabled athletes.
And finally, HGSC has signed a partnership with Performance Spine and Sports Medicine, who will serve as a main sponsor and provide coaches and parents with sports medicine education, specifically concussion awareness.
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