The New York Red Bulls unveiled a Youth Partner Wall outside of Red Bull Arena last week featuring the logos of Red Bulls’ youth soccer partners from the tri-state area. The wall is proudly displayed at the top of the steps at Red Bull Arena’s Gate B, at the North end of the stadium, for fans to see as they enter Red Bull Arena.
Members of the partnered clubs were invited to attend the Red Bulls match against the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday, April 29, and were recognized at halftime for their excellence in improving youth soccer in the area.
The wall represents community based partnership with over 125 youth soccer programs consisting of over 30,000 youth soccer players.
The Red Bulls provide all youth soccer partners with professional coaching from certified New York Red Bull youth coaches. Partnering with the New York Red Bulls gives youth soccer programs access to team coaching sessions from Red Bulls coaches. The coaches meet with teams on a regular basis, giving them a chance to get to know players and teams and become a part of the community.
The Red Bulls Youth Partnership program is one of several grassroots efforts the organization has in place to continue to develop soccer players of all ages and skill levels across the tri-state area. The Red Bulls also work with their partners to run camps and clinics throughout the year and provide opportunities for organizations to bring their membership to games at Red Bull Arena. The organization also recently launched this year’s Youth Soccer Festival series, presented by Hackensack University Medical Center. The free event is an all-day celebration of soccer that gives youth players of all ages the chance to meet Red Bulls players, learn tricks from the Red Bulls Street Team, and participate in a variety of soccer activities.
The youth soccer partner program is an integral part of the Red Bulls player development platform. The club continually works with established youth clubs raise the level of competition and develop young talent. The partner programs also feed into the Red Bulls Regional Development School program, which feeds into the Red Bulls Academy, and eventually up the pyramid to the USL team and first team.
In March, the organization signed Tyler Adams to a USL contract, making him the first Regional Development School graduate to sign a professional contract with the New York Red Bulls.
“This is the perfect example of how we expect the player development model to work,” said Red Bulls sporting director Ali Curtis when Adams was signed. “Giving a talented local player every opportunity to excel in our youth system, having him earn a spot with the U.S. U-17 National Team, and then transitioning him to a professional environment where he can continue to develop and improve. Tyler has a bright future and we look forward to him representing the club at all levels.”
At the event, Jervis announced the Red Bulls Partner Patch Program, which offers teams that are part of the Red Bulls program and follow the Red Bulls philosophy, methodology and blueprint for player development the option to place the Red Bull partner patch.
