IMG Academies News Release - www.imgacademies.com
Monday, March 12, 2012
BRADENTON, Fla. - IMG Academies coach Marcelo Carrera has been named the head coach of IMG’s new USL Super-20 League men's team.
“I’m very excited to be selected the head coach of IMG Academies’ new USL Super-20 team. This is a tremendous opportunity for our IMG players to continue developing their skills within a very competitive league,” said Carrera, who currently serves as Head Coach of IMG’s U19 Girls Team.
Carrera boasts an impressive resume, receiving numerous accolades and honors throughout his career as a professional player and coach. Since the age of 15, he has played professionally within the MLS and abroad with the Argentinean National team. His impressive credentials as a professional soccer player include: 1983 Argentinean Champion, 1984 World Cup Champion, American Indoor Soccer Association Champion, National MVP winner, he was also named to APSL All Star Team in 1989, 1991 outdoor League and NPSL All Star Team, and 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994 for the indoor league.
Since first lacing up his cleats, Carrera has developed into a world-class coach, possessing the rare ability to coach players at all levels of the game and extract maximum effort and passion out of them. From 2000 to 2008, Carrera served as the Director of Coaches with Boca United Soccer Club. In July 2008, Carrera moved to Bradenton, Florida where he started working for IMG Academies as the head of the IMG girls program, and eventual Head Coach of IMG’s U19 Girls Team. His playing and coaching experience, overall enthusiasm and ability to effectively work with talented young athletes have made him a perfect match as the Head Coach for the 2012 USL Super-20 Team.
The addition of the USL Super-20 Team bridges the gap between playing opportunities within the IMG Soccer Academy and the Premier PDL, allowing for much exposure and expanded training for all parties involved.
The USL Super-20 League team will compete with other elite Super-20 teams throughout the region. The season will begin near the end of May, consisting of 8-10 competitive matches during a two-month period.
For more information, please visit www.imgacademies.com/soccer-academy/, or e-mail IMG Soccer Academy Business Manager, Matt Baer, at matthew.baehr@imgworld.com.
About IMG Soccer Academy
The IMG Soccer Academy is the epicenter for developing youth soccer players from around the world. Under the direction of a world-class dedicated full-time staff, the Academy has captured two Dallas Cup Championships (2005-2006 & 2007-2008) and four state championships (2001-2002, 2003-2004 U19 Girls, 2001-2002 U18 Girls & 2010-2011 U15 Boys) with numerous state cup final fours. The Academy’s Premier Development League (PDL) team has earned more than 100 wins and reached the PDL National semi-finals in 2008-2009.
To-date, the Academy has produced more than 40 professional players, including Zarek Valentin (U.S. U20 Team; Chivas USA), Anthony Ampaipitakwong (San Jose Earthquakes), Michael Parkhurst (U.S. Men’s National Team; Denmark’s FC Nordsjaelland), Gale Agbousoumonde (U.S. U20 Team; Sweden’s Djurgårdens), Blair Gavin (Chivas USA), Kofi Sarkodie (U.S. U-20 Team; Houston Dynamo), Zak Boggs (New England Revolution), and Heath Pearce (U.S. Men’s National Team; FC Dallas).
Today, in addition to its academic and training offerings, the IMG Soccer Academy Complex provides a world-class environment for team training and competition. Each year, thousands of players from the youth level through the professional ranks descend on the campus to compete at the highest level.
About IMG Academies
IMG Academies, a division of IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company, is the world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and education complex dedicated to developing the TOTAL ATHLETE™. For more than 30 years, IMG Academies has helped countless youth, adult, collegiate and professional athletes reach their full potential in sport and life, by providing expert coaching, tailored programs and world-class facilities within a 450-acre campus.
Today the Bradenton, Fla.-based campus attracts 20,000 athletes from nearly 100 countries annually. The Academies consists of the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy, IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy and adjacent IMG Academies Golf & Country Club, IMG Madden Football Academy, IMG Baseball, Basketball, Lacrosse and Soccer academies – all supported by the IMG Pendleton School and IMG Performance Institute’s multi-faceted training disciplines. IMG Academies also conducts camps, clinics and events year-round, while providing support to teams and federations around the world. Find more info at www.imgacademies.com.