• Josmer Altidore (Generation adidas, Red Bull NY, US Men’s U20 National Team)
• Michael Parkhurst (Generation adidas, NE Revolution, MLS Rookie of the Year ‘05)
• Brad Guzan (Generation adidas, CD Chivas USA, US Men’s National Team)
• Maurice Edu (Generation adidas, ’07 MLS #1 draft pick, Toronto FC)
• Chris Seitz (Generation adidas, Real Salt Lake, US Men’s U20 National Team)
• Pat Noonan (NE Revolution, US Men’s National Team)
• Danny Szetela (Columbus Crew, US Men’s U20 National Team
• Jonathan Spector (West Ham United, US Men’s National Team)

All are graduates of adidas ESP!

Will you be next on the list? adidas ESP demonstrates one aspect of adidas’ commitment to player development and one of the many reasons why adidas is the world’s leading soccer brand. Since being founded in 1997, adidas ESP has served over 1,000 of the finest youth players from across the United States and become the most recognized development camp in the country. adidas ESP is where the top high school age players come together to improve their soccer skills, test their competitive ability, learn about managing off the field challenges in preparation for college and other growth opportunities, and get scouted by college and professional team coaches.

As the partial list of graduates shown above illustrates, adidas ESP has helped advance the skills of some of today’s top young stars. adidas knows what it takes for players to be at their best. That is why everything at adidas ESP is first class: the adidas gear used by the players, the facilities, the curriculum, the coaches, and the players themselves.

In 2006, adidas ESP was held July 5-10 at The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut.

The 2007 program will be held at California State University – Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) from July 4- 9.

adidas ESP is run in conjunction with US Youth Soccer as a sanctioned Olympic Development Program event.

No applications are solicited or accepted for adidas ESP. The participants are selected based on recommendations from a national scouting network. adidas ESP is by invitation only. Participants will be notified on a rolling basis throughout the first half of 2007 by written invitation in the mail or via email, if they have been selected for adidas ESP 2007.

ADIDAS AND MLS TO HOST NATION’S TOP YOUTH SOCCER PLAYERS FOR 2008 ADIDAS ELITE SOCCER PROGRAM AND SUM U-17 CUP

youth soccer events are aligning for the first time to provide an enhanced experience of US Soccer’s future stars.

The combined programs will host more than 350 of the nation’s top high school soccer players July 3-8 at Dick’s

Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado.

Sanctioned by the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program, adidas ESP was founded in 1997. ESP has

become the premier youth development program designed to identify America’s best high school soccer players

and provides a platform for them to showcase their individual skills. The program helps the participants prepare to

achieve their academic and athletic goals by supplementing a top level training program with a diverse off-field

educational curriculum. The adidas ESP event in July 2008 features MLS Player Development Director Alfonso

Mondelo as Technical Director and includes MLS Ambassador Mark Santel, former Men’s National Team and

MLS coach Bob Gansler and Former MLS and National Team standout Chris Henderson.

“Together, adidas and MLS are striving to elevate the status of soccer in North America by promoting the game

from the grassroots to the professional level,” said Antonio Zea, Director of Soccer, adidas America. “adidas ESP

has become an integral part of the development of the elite soccer player. The program has helped many of these

players realize their dreams of playing in a professional soccer league.”

2008 is the second year for the SUM U-17 Cup. The program features 14 MLS U-17 Youth Development teams,

each representing a Major League Soccer club. These elite youth players go head to head in tournament play and

are given the opportunity to interact and learn from MLS coaches, players and administrators. The SUM U-17

Cup champion will represent MLS at the Trofeo Quixote youth tournament in Madrid, Spain in 2009.

“We continue to work to develop the game through our partnership with adidas, and our collaboration on the

SUM U-17 and adidas ESP. Both organizations believe that our efforts in developing young players will form the

foundation for the game’s future success,” said Alfonso Mondelo, MLS Player Development Director. “We are

very excited to be part of the adidas family as we develop the process of identifying and developing the best

young players in North America.”

Past adidas ESP and MLS U-17 Cup participants have gone on to play at the collegiate, professional and World

Cup levels of soccer. Notable alumni include: Pat Noonan (New England Revolution, US Men’s National Team),

KC Wizards), Michael Parkhurst (NE Revolution, 2007 Rookie of the Year) and Jonathan Spector (West Ham,

US Men’s National Team).  In addition, nearly have of the top twenty draft picks at the 2006 MLS SuperDraft

attended ESP.

Portland, Oregon (June 12, 2008)- adidas and MLS are excited to announce their collaboration for the 2008

ADIDAS AND MLS TO HOST NATION’S TOP YOUTH SOCCER PLAYERS FOR 2008 ADIDAS ELITE SOCCER PROGRAM AND SUM U-17 CUP

ADIDAS® and MLS are excited to announce their collaboration for the 2008 adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) and Soccer United Marketing’s second annual SUM U-17 Cup. These premier youth soccer events are aligning for the first time to provide an enhanced experience of US Soccer’s future stars. The combined programs will host more than 350 of the nation’s top high school soccer players July 3-8 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado.

*Congratulations to Williams Nieto-Flores (BU16 Black), Sung Moon and Julio Velasquez (BU16 Blue) for being chosen to represent South Bay Force at the adidas ESP Camp.  Good luck boys! 

adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) and Soccer United Marketing’s second annual SUM U-17 Cup. These premier