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CHARLESTON, S.C. (May 10, 2011) – US Club Soccer has announced the creation of the Florida Premier League, the most recent addition to US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues (NPL), which are leagues throughout the country with the highest level of competition in a given area.

The Florida Premier League, which will include the U-13 through U-18 boys’ and girls’ age groups, is comprised of seven clubs:

The NPL now includes eight leagues across the country: the Florida Premier League, the Midwest Developmental League, the NorCal Premier League, the Northeast Pre-Academy League, the Northern Illinois Soccer League, the Oregon Premier League, the Southeast Pre-Academy League and the Texas Pre-Academy League.

“The creation of the Florida Premier League is another step in improving player development by creating more stable club and competition platforms for top players,” said Christian Lavers, US Club Soccer’s Executive Vice President. “Throughout the country, the NPL is bringing technical leaders of the youth game together to raise standards and create a more unified and improved player development model.”

“As it is a very fertile soccer market, we are pleased to take this step forward,” said Bill Sage, US Club Soccer’s Executive Director. “We also foresee expansion of the Florida Premier League in the future.”

Set to kick off in fall 2011, Florida Premier League participating teams will play each opponent home and away for a total of 12 games.

Florida Premier League champions, determined by points at the conclusion of the regular season, will compete at the inaugural National Premier Leagues Champions Cup in July 2012.

About the National Premier Leagues (NPL):

The NPL offers a platform for long-term player development by providing consistent and meaningful games between the region’s top players and also provides opportunities for players to be scouted by U.S. Soccer national staff. Winners of each league within the NPL will qualify for US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues Champions Cup.

The NPL is an important component of US Club Soccer’s 10-year vision to refine the landscape for competitive youth soccer. The vision recognizes that:

• Properly-structured youth soccer clubs are the vehicle through which player development does and must occur in the United States.

• Clubs should play in leagues that provide meaningful games, allow establishment of the proper training-to-game ratio, and eliminate calendar congestion.

• National Premier Leagues, as well as the best clubs, should be integrated in US Club Soccer’s id² national identification and development program, include Player Development Programs in select local markets, and work closely with U.S. Soccer staff regarding player identification, and player and coach development.

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