9 Boys Make Trip to Germany
Orlando, 22nd May, 2015; 9 lucky youth soccer players from across the East Coast have touched down in Munich, Germany to compete in the FC Bayern Youth Cup, as part of the partnership between FC Bayern Munich and Global Premier Soccer.
The contest, sponsored by SAP, will be hosted at the Alllianz Arena, home of the German Giants and is open to boys aged 14-16 during the time of the event. Nine players were selected via the GPS Foundation which provides development opportunities for players in underserved communities in each of the 11 states in which GPS operates. In order to be selected, each player had to write a letter on why they should be selected and gain a recommendation from their high school based on their attendance and academic performance.
‘The FC Bayern Youth Cup is a fantastic opportunity for ten GPS players to participate in an overseas trip that they otherwise may not have had access to’, said GPS CEO Joe Bradley. ‘We would like to thank SAP and FC Bayern Munich for making this possible and sharing the GPS Foundation vision of ensuring that we provide the highest level of soccer training to all players regardless of their background, financial situation or location.’
The nine lucky players selected are as follows:
Sanjay Gurung (Manchester, New Hampshire)
Sanjay was recruited by Coach Jay Joseph and plays for GPS New Hampshire Classics Elite U-16 and has played for them for three years. Sanjay’s parents were born in Bhutan and around 1991, they were forced out of the country by the Bhutanese government and resettled in a Camp, alone with thousands of other Bhutanese in Nepal. I was born inside a camp, in Jhapa, Nepal. Sanjay currently attends Manchester West High school as Honor student.
Alberto Butts-Lee (Boston, Massachusetts)
Alberto joined GPS’s NPL team in Massachusetts this past summer. He has been playing soccer since he was 5.Alberto lives in the City of Boston and attends the John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science. The O’Bryant is one of Boston’s Public School’s exam schools meaning Alberto had to have good grades and test scores to be admitted. Alberto and his two siblings, were adopted by his father Jeff from the state’s foster care system.
Wolfio Neto (Pawtucket, Rhode Island)
Wolfio Neto was born in Providence, Rhode Island and moved to Cape Verde at the age of 1 before returning to Rhode Island in 2013. Wolfio plays for GPS Rhode Island and attends Shea High School in Pawtucket. He lives in Pawtucket, with his mother, brother and his grandparents and auntie and uncle.
Jonathan Rodrigues (Brockton, Massachusetts)
Jonathan Rodrigues was born in Brockton and participated in the GPS Brockton School of Excellence program at a young age. Jonathan’s parents are from Cape Verde who moved to the US in their 20s. Jonathan plays for the GPS-MA NPL team and attends Brockton High School.
Stevaughn Service (Rochester, New York)
Stevaughn Service has played for Rochester FC since the age of 10 after being spotted at a local tournament. His father Steven is from Jamaica and coached for the club for a number of years whilst his mother hails from the US Virgin Islands. Stevaughn attends East Ridge High School and will graduate in 2017.
Albert (Bertie) DeBiedma
Bertie plays for GPS-FL club FC America. Bertie was born in Buenos Aires and moved to the USA three years ago with his family. Alberto attends Freedom High School in Orlando and is currently an AP student as well as being part of the Varsity Soccer team which has made it to the State Semi-Finals.
Darren Pike (Dedham, Massachusetts)
Darren Pike has played for GPS since the age of 10. Son of English and US parents, Darren has been a consistent role model throughout his GPS career and has excelled in the goalkeeping position. Darren attends Dedham High School.
Brandon Morton (Austintown, Ohio)
Brandon plays for affiliate Soccer Vision Academy. He attends Austintown Fitch HS where he is an honors student (3.72). Brandon is also involved in the Ohio North Olympic Development Program and has been a member of the state team for the past three years.
Juan Cabrera (Orlando, FL)
Juan was born in Pontoise, France on 9/9/1998, just after the World Cup. Juan came to USA on March 19, 1999. His Mother is from Puerto Rico and his father is from Colombia. Juan starting playing soccer at the age of four and currently plays for FC America.
The FC Bayern Youth Cup comprises teams from all over the world, selected through local competitions by FC Bayern Munich. The competition is a 7v7 event with games taking place at the Allianz Arena, home of FC Bayern Munich. Prior to participation in the event there will be a sendoff event in Philadelphia, PA hosted by SAP on May 20th.
The GPS Foundation provides soccer opportunities in three key areas across the GPS franchises; Community, Inner-City Initiative and Scholarship Program. The GPS Foundation recently launched Mattapan Youth Soccer to provide free recreational soccer programming in one of Boston’s most under-served neighborhoods.
For more information on the GPS Foundation, please contact Alex Brame at [email protected].