Midwest Pro Soccer Combine Announces Inaugural Dates
The inaugural Midwest Pro Soccer Combine will be held on December 19th and 20th, at Ultimate Soccer Arena in Pontiac, MI.
The new combine is the brainchild of Eric Rudland, Sporting Director & Head Coach of AFC Ann Arbor, Director of Coaching for the Michigan Bucks, Gary Parsons & former Major League Soccer player Boyzzz Khumalo. The three believe that a stage should be set in the Midwest for players to find work as professional footballers.
The Midwest Pro Combine will foster the nation and region’s elite talent seeking to bring in the top 4 players in each position for professional coaches, scouts and agents to identify and evaluate. To ensure the highest quality of talent, along with maximum exposure for the players, the combine will be capped at 60 players, matches will only be played on one field and player applications will be vetted thoroughly to ensure a high standard. Every professional franchise in North America will be invited to the event and early commitments we have already received include clubs from MLS, NASL & the USL. Along with North American clubs we expect a handful of international clubs to attend the combine as well.
Rudland, who will be taking the reigns as combine director, knows there is a demand for high level talent exposure in the region and wants to do something about it.
He added, “The Midwest Pro Combine is really ALL about the players. We want to provide a platform for them to showcase their abilities and foster connections between them, professional franchises and trusted agents. With that said, the early response from MLS, NASL & USL clubs has been outstanding. I see the Midwest Pro Combine as a key event for professional franchises as they build their team’s for the 2017 season.”
Joining Rudland on the combine staff will be Assistant Director, Gary Parsons and Talent Scout & Coach, Boyzzz Khumalo. The two have long standing relationships with Rudland as well as a great deal of knowledge and connections to the combine.
Parsons led the Bucks to a PDL National Championship (2014) and has finished 1st in the Great Lakes Division 5 of his 7 seasons with the club. Along with success on the field, Parsons has been instrumental in the process of former Buck’s players regularly drafted in the MLS Super Draft. Many of his former players are currently employed as professional footballers with MLS, NASL & USL teams in North America.
Khumalo directs and operates the Umhlaba Vision Foundation-a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 in Soweto, South Africa. Through his foundation and professional network, Khumalo has helped numerous players sign professional contracts both domestically and internationally.
For more information on the Midwest Pro Soccer Combine, please contact us.