After an incredibly successful inaugural year, the FC Wisconsin - Madison program will be significantly growing and expanding in the fall of 2016!

FC Wisconsin entered into a development partnership with Verona Area Soccer Club for the 2015-16 season to provide new opportunities for Madison area players, advance the daily development environment in Verona, and bring more resources to the Verona Area Soccer Club.  In its first year, this partnership had 3 primary components:

• Creating the first FC Wisconsin - Madison team (2004 girls)
• Conduct coaching development programs for coaches in Verona Area Soccer Club
• Host player clinics for U7-U10 players in Verona Area Soccer Club

The players in the FC Wisconsin - Madison U11/12 girls team have shown fantastic development and growth in their year under the FC Wisconsin training methodology, with their progress noted across the Madison soccer community this spring.  "So many people believe that great players are just born, or that they are a product of good fortune and luck," said FC Wisconsin Director Christian Lavers.  "The reality is that great players are developed through hard work within a training methodology that teaches them to understand the game and how to execute the skills required in the game.  The growth of the young players in our Madison program over the past 10 months is a testament to this, and the outcome in several years will ultimately be players with unmatched opportunity to compete in college soccer.  It is really exciting to watch these players and their parents experience this transformation."  

Beginning this fall, the FC Wisconsin - Madison program will expand to include teams for players in 3 age groups (2004, 2005 and 2006 birth years).  "I am so excited to see the continued growth of our first group of players, and to have a new group of aspiring players coming this fall will make our culture even more fun and vibrant," said coach Christina Toda.

The FC Wisconsin partnership with Verona is going deeper at the U9 and U10 age groups this fall.  Beginning in September, the FC Wisconsin staff will conduct weekly age group training sessions through the fall and spring with the Verona U9 and U10 girls and boys teams.  These sessions will allow the training methodology within FC Wisconsin to be experienced by more players, and for Verona coaches within these age groups to work hand-in-hand with the FC Wisconsin staff.  FC Wisconsin will also continue to provide formal coaching development programs several times a year with Verona coaches for in depth discussion and presentation on training methodologies and coaching techniques.  

"Verona has a great number of aspiring young players, and we are so excited to be able to help provide these players with the foundation that they will need for long-term success," said coach Hayley Siegel.  "This process isn't about needing more hours of training each week, or making soccer a really serious endeavor; it is about making sure that these players are really learning during the time they are on the field, and creating a fun and inspiring environment where they love the game more every day."