SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC today announced that North Carolina’s Twin City Youth Soccer Association has become the club’s first official out-of-state youth partner. Twin City joins Sounders FC partner club Seattle United, as the Rave Green extends its youth development infrastructure and Academy program across the United States.

“We are dedicated to becoming not just a target club for the best players in Seattle, but for the best players across the entire country,” said Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. “We are excited by the quality of play and coaching we see in Twin City and think the partnership will be useful in scouting and developing players across the United States.”

The partnership with Twin City includes North Carolina and Seattle-based Sounders FC events such as coaching education workshops and player ID camps – where young players can be recognized and brought into the club at an early age. Sounders FC 2 and Twin City are co-hosting an open tryout at BB&T Soccer Park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on January 28 and 29. Additionally, the collaboration also allows Twin City players an opportunity to be placed on Sounders FC Academy teams. Further details pertaining to the partnership will be made available at a future date.

MEDIA RESOURCES

SOUNDERS FC ACADEMY HOMEPAGE: http://sndrs.com/Academy

TWIN CITY YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION HOMEPAGE: http://sndrs.com/4b2c

HI-RES TWIN CITY YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION LOGO: http://sndrs.com/383a

Twin City Youth Soccer Association consists of more than 3,000 players in the Winston-Salem/Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. The club is part of the North Carolina Soccer Fusion, a partnership with Greensboro United Soccer Association as part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy to provide the highest level of soccer in the country to players in the Piedmont Triad area. Starting in 2016, Twin City will add Sounders FC’s iconic Rave Green to its uniform color scheme.

“Our club is extremely excited about this partnership. We recognize Major League Soccer is paving the way for the future of soccer in the United States and we have the opportunity to partner with the strongest brand in all of MLS in the Sounders,” said Executive Director of Twin City Youth Soccer Association Scott Wollaston. “The resources the Sounders organization can provide for our staff and players is unbelievable. Although we are 3,000 miles apart, we are proud to be part of the Sounders fan club and community. We are humbled that the Sounders would choose to partner with our club in this part of the country.”

News and information about the Sounders FC Academy, Twin City Youth Soccer Association and other partners, as well as Academy schedules, rosters and staff, can be found on the newly redesigned Sounders FC Academy website via the following link: www.SoundersFC.com/Academy.

ABOUT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Winner of the 2014 MLS Supporters’ Shield and four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championships (2009, 2010, 2011, 2014), Sounders FC is Seattle’s Major League Soccer franchise. With an ownership group led by Majority Owner and Seattle-based entrepreneur Adrian Hanauer, Owner and Hollywood executive Joe Roth, Owner and Seattle Seahawks Chairman Paul G. Allen and fellow Owner and entertainer Drew Carey, the club received an MLS charter on November 13, 2007 and has reached the MLS Cup Playoffs in every year of its existence. Since the club’s debut MLS season in 2009, Sounders FC has set the standard for soccer support in North America, culminating in the top seven single-season attendance totals in league history and an active streak of 126 consecutive MLS sellouts. Prior to joining MLS, the Seattle Sounders organization has been a part of the greater Seattle community and U.S. Soccer professional scene since 1974.