Grand Rapids Crew Juniors U14 Boys win State Cup

Story courtesy GRCJ Public Relations

Grand Rapids, Mich. (June 6, 2008) - Grand Rapids Crew Juniors (GRCJ) are proud to announce the success of the clubs U14 boys Midwest Regional League (MRL) Team. The team has gone through the National Premier league with one of the best records in the country for this age group – competing against top teams throughout the Midwest. Last weekend they firmed up their dominance in Michigan by winning the State Cup. The road to the final came via 4-0 and 5-0 victories with the final being won 4-0.

“This team is really something special and a true reflection of how far soccer has come in West Michigan”, said Josh Sheldon, GM/DOC of GRCJ. “Even though it is a GRCJ squad, reality is that some of the players began their development in other local clubs and came together in our colors to become competitive on a Regional and National level. It is really the only way to compete with bigger cities around the Midwest and nationally.”

“We are very proud to have a team like this play under the Crew Juniors name and in our colors”, said Andrew Arthurs, VP of Business Development and Crew Juniors Program, Columbus Crew. “It is exactly the kind of development we were looking for when we partnered with GRASA and GVP in West Michigan. The plan is to continue to produce these kinds of teams and provide a good soccer environment for all kids involved in our organization.”

The team is now getting ready for the Region 2 Championship in Rockford, Illinois, on June 20th – 25th to see if they can qualify for the Nationals in Little Rock, Arkansas later in the summer. The age group of this U14 team consists mostly of next year’s freshmen in high school. There is no doubt that many of the school programs will benefit greatly as these young men will go in and have an impact right away.

The Players:
Jason Stacy – Forest Hills Central, Jacob Vanderlaan – Grand Haven, Luke Bestrom – Caledonia, Taylor Mazurek – Brighton, Chase Rau – Sparta, Trevor Osburn – Traverse City Central, Sean Conerty – Forest Hills Central, Matt Harkema – Hudsonville Unity Christian, Diego Bobadilla – Holland, Ben Sinclair – Forest Hills Central, Andrew Lewis – Rockford, Hunter Vandenboom – Forest Hills Central, Jeremy Wodarek – Lowell, Nate Rose – Grand Haven, Greg Timmer – Hudsonville Unity Christian, Mike Smyser – Forest Hills Northern, Chad Gordon – Jenison, Caleb Postlewait – Home Schooled.

The Coaches:
Remco Bergsma – Head Coach
Todd Stacy – Assistant Coach

Crew Juniors Mission Statement
The Crew Juniors were formed to create the premier youth player development program in Major League Soccer. We strive to assemble the finest coaching staff and to be committed to their long-term development through continuing education. We commit to establishing an outstanding learning environment for young people, on and off of the field. We pledge to run the Crew Juniors organization with a sense of community, and a commitment to give back to the game and assist with its growth at all levels.