MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (July 22, 2025) – Over 100 of the country’s top U13 (1991’s) boys will gather in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday for the inaugural id2 National Training Camp. id2, in its inaugural year, is a US Club Soccer initiative to revolutionize the way the country’s top youth players are identified and developed.
“After undergoing all the preparations, we are anxious to for the players to arrive and for the id2 National Training Camp to kick off,” said US Club Soccer Executive Director Bill Sage. “Having assembled an experienced, well-versed staff, the players will be challenged to expand their skill set and increase their knowledge base. We are confident id2 will change the way youth players are identified and developed in the United States.”
Tim Carter, who formerly served as US Soccer’s Director of Youth Development, will serve as the head staff coach at the five-day id2 National Training Camp July 25-29. Each morning id2 participants will receive positional training, which will be followed by a daily all-star match. Participants in the all-star match will be chosen on the basis of their play during two showcase matches held each evening. John Ellinger, US Soccer’s current Director of Youth Development, will be on hand to evaluate all id2 participants.
In the afternoons, players will receive instruction from the nation’s best coaches during classroom sessions. Among the featured speakers are Ellinger, Desmond Armstrong, a member of the 1990 U.S. World Cup squad, Mike Jeffries, the former head coach of Major League Soccer’s Dallas Burn, and John Rennie, one of the all-time winningest coaches in men’s collegiate soccer history at Duke University.
Unlike other national identification programs, players have been identified for the id2 program while they competed in their own training environment with their club teams. Invitations were extended regardless of a player’s affiliations (i.e. US Club Soccer, USYSA, AYSO, non-affiliated, etc.). Once players arrive at the id2 program, US Club Soccer covers all player expenses.
About US Club Soccer
US Club Soccer is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop competitive club soccer in the United States. It has been a member of the United States Soccer Federation since July 2001, and has grown to over 900 member clubs and league teams in 44 states. In addition to sanctioning tournaments, leagues, and other competitions and conducting a range of programs for its members, it annually conducts the US Club Soccer National Cup, for member teams from U12 to U17, boys’ and girls’, in two competitive groups. The Cup Regionals are held in June, and the Finals in late July and early August. US Club Soccer is also launching its own player identification and development program in the summer of 2004, termed id2. US Club Soccer’s National Corporate Partners include: Budget Rent A Car, Cendant Hotel Group, Delta Airlines, Puma, and Major League Soccer; as well as a supplier group of six additional corporations. For more information, visit www.usclubsoccer.org.