FRISCO, Texas -- The FC Dallas family will get a little bit bigger this weekend when Duncanville-based Revolution Premier Soccer Club officially join the FC Dallas Youth Development System.
The club is based on the south side of the Metroplex and consists of eight select boys and girls teams with three additional academy teams in the works. Revolution Premier SC founder and director of coaching Clementin Oancea said the decision came as a result of deeming the FCD Youth program as the best avenue for providing opportunities to his players.
“I believe in the chemistry of professional teams looking after the youth development,” said Oancea. “Seeing that FC Dallas is going in that direction, I felt that it was a good opportunity and a good future for all these boys and girls to dream about.”
Oancea and Chris Hayden, director of coaching for FCDY, have wanted to work with each other for years because of their similar philosophies on youth development. Hayden said the consistent success of a smaller club like RPSC over the years is a positive reflection on the quality of the coaching staff.
“Dallas is very competitive, so something was going right for sort of a smaller club to be competitive with some of the larger clubs here,” said Hayden. “I think it’s an indication of what kind of leadership they’ve had. I felt like they would be a great addition for us to bring them in.
“They’re very excited about coming over and we’re obviously very excited to have them,” he added. “I think they’ll be able to provide some real leadership for us in a part of town where we’d like to have some.”
But just as important as the talented coaching staff is the number of players who will now benefit from training under the FCD Way, a system of player development that emphasizes creativity, individuality and behavioral integrity on and off the field. Hayden said the addition of RPSC represents the desire of FC Dallas to provide opportunities to as many youth soccer players in the Metroplex as possible.
“We have a responsibility to be the leaders in youth development in Dallas/Ft. Worth, in North Texas, in the region,” said Hayden. “Our goals are slightly different maybe than some other clubs in that we really are trying to put the player before the team. We can create opportunities for those kids.”
This weekend will be the first time RPSC officially puts on the FC Dallas colors in competition, and the like-minded coaches are in agreement that it is the individual players who will benefit most from the transition.
“I think one of the biggest benefits is giving every child an opportunity to dream,” said Oancea. “But not just dream – making the dream become a reality for the ones that want it bad enough.”