Richmond Kickers 14th annual player combine this weekend

KICKERS SEARCH FOR STAR

Players From Across the Globe Attend Open Tryouts this Weekend

RICHMOND, VA - (Thursday, January 19, 2012) – Over 70 players will attend the Richmond Kickers 14^th annual player combine this weekend, January 20-22 at the Kickers state-of-the-art sports complex, Ukrop Park. Players representing countries from around the world, including the U.S., England, France, Germany, Brazil, The Gambia, Nigeria and South Africa, will participate in three days of intense training, including small-sided games, speed testing and full-sided matches.

“The Pro Combine is the most important event of the year for identifying players,” explained Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer and Head Coach. “We typically sign 2-3 players from this event and it has proven to be a valuable resource for the coaching staff. This year, we expect a high level of play with participants traveling from around the globe to try and secure a professional contract with the Kickers.”

Attendance at the Kickers player combine is one of the best ways to ensure that a player’s complete soccer resume and professional evaluation is in front of key decision makers for the Richmond Kickers organization. Training sessions will take place in front of Kickers’ professional coaches, led by Cowlishaw, who will be joined by an array of technical staff and former professional players.

Past Kickers trials have produced such prominent players as Clyde Simms (D.C. United and US Men’s National Team), Ronnie Pascale (Three-time USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Year), Tim Brown (New Zealand National Team) and Robert Ssejjemba (2006 USL-2 MVP and Ugandan National Team).

“Richmond was the first pro team that I played for, playing with the caliber guys that they had there at the time,” commented Simms. “The team was great – the staff and players were very welcoming and professional. I was able to get a good amount of playing time there, which was huge for my development and being able to make it to the next level.”

Discovered at the Kickers 2004 combine, Simms spent one season in Richmond before being recognized by D.C. United and the U.S. Men’s National Team. Simms appeared in 31 games for 2,571 minutes with the Kickers and started more games than any other rookie that season (28). Since then, he has made 182 appearances over seven seasons, posting over 13,000 minutes, in a D.C. United uniform before signing with the New England Revolution following the 2011 campaign.

In franchise history, 22 players have progressed from the Richmond Kickers into Major League Soccer. Established in 1993, the Kickers have consistently been one of the most successful professional soccer clubs in America. Over the past 19 seasons, Richmond has qualified for postseason play 17 times, and reached the title match in 2010 for the sixth time in the past nine campaigns, falling just short of the Championship title. Richmond's seven previous league Championship appearances (1995, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) include winning the Premier League title in 1995, a shoot-out loss to Seattle in the USL First Division final in 2005 and taking the USL Second Division crown twice against Charlotte in 2006 and 2009.