PDL News Release
Monday, December 10, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. – The Premier Development League is pleased to announce the addition of the Reál Boston Rams for the 2013 season. Reál Boston, a newly established men’s amateur team, is led by President Michael Madden and General Manager John Barata and will be dedicated to fielding players from the talent-rich Greater Boston area while providing an affordable entertainment option for the local soccer community. 
“Our vision is to become the area’s top soccer club that identifies elite college-age players in our back yard to give them an opportunity to play for a club and to further their ambitions for a professional soccer career,” Barata said. “In the process, local soccer fans will get to see some of the nation’s top youngsters competing in a setting that is both competitive and family-friendly.”
The community is already supporting the new club and is sharing the excitement of being able to join a professionally run academy. Reál Boston will feature a full service soccer academy providing programs for players at all levels of development and ages.
"Not only am I excited about the prospect of getting to work with some of the area's top collegiate players on our team, but I also look forward to the opportunity of developing our aspiring kids, boys and girls, through our academy," Madden said. “The opportunity to feature a PDL team certainly adds to the excitement.”
To help carry out this vision, Madden and Barata have appointed Jimmy Costa as the team’s manager to ensure the club is running to the highest standards of USL and the soccer industry. The native of Portugal is a former standout at Massasoit College and is currently coaching at Lesley University.
“Jimmy has an excellent knowledge of the game and creates a positive soccer environment wherever he goes,” Barata said.
“I’m so excited to be involved with the Reál Boston Rams and to be part of the top amateur league in the nation,” Costa said. “Reál Boston is a forward-thinking club committed to winning, player development and community involvement. With a wealth of area talent and the local passion for the game, I felt this was the ideal scenario for me to embark on a new journey in my coaching career.”
The Rams have yet to announce their home venue for 2013, but already have started recruiting players for their inaugural PDL campaign. The club will hold its first invitation-only tryout in January, and another “Elite College Player” tryout is scheduled for February. In March the club will host an “Open” tryout. More information about the club and academy will be available soon at www.bostonrams.com.
The Rams will play their inaugural season between the months of May-August. The PDL is the top supplier of talent for professional soccer in North America, and an impressive 26 of the 38 players selected in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft - including six of the top 10 - had PDL experience. That included No. 1 overall selection Andrew Wenger, who previously played for Reading United AC and the Carolina Dynamo.
The PDL has now had 111 alumni selected in the past three years of the MLS SuperDraft, an average of more than 70 percent of the selections made.