FREDERICKSBURG FC TO HOST LONGWOOD VS. UMBC WOMEN’S EXHIBITION
BY TOM LEISS
FFC Social Media / Communications / News Director
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @TomLeiss
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Monday, Feb. 26, 2018)—Fredericksburg FC is a growing club and is always interested in an opportunity to expand what it offers to its members and the community.
Since he took over as FFC’s Executive Director and President, Grover Gibson and others have been working to help the club continue supplying the opportunities to get up close and personal with the college game.
Through its National Premier Soccer League and Women’s Premier Soccer League teams, with roster boasting many collegiate players in the past—this year moving to CCL Pro23, which will offer the same—to hosting Virginia Commonwealth University’s men’s soccer preseason training last year.
This year, FFC will take another step, hosting a Spring exhibition game between the NCAA Division I Longwood Lancers and Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers. The game is set to take place at FFC Park on Saturday, April 21, at 12 p.m.
It’s yet another wonderful chance for members of the club, and the Fredericksburg-area soccer community in general, to see top-level college soccer.
“We are focused on providing the very best opportunities to expose our FFC players and parents to the collegiate level,” Gibson said. “This allows every player interested in playing in college to see and meet college players and staff up close.“
It took a few years to get us to the point where we were able to host a D1 women’s soccer exhibition, but this is only the beginning of FFC hosting future collegiate matches and events,” he continued.
This opportunity came about thanks in part to a long-time friendship between Gibson and Longwood coach Todd Dyer (below, left).
The two have known each other for over 20 years and when Dyer was working to set up another match with UMBC for the Spring season, he thought of his old friend and FFC Park, which he had visited many times for travel tournaments and while recruiting during other events FFC has hosted.
“We were looking for another spring match and [UMBC coach] Vanessa Mann and I had been scheduling for the fall,” Dyer said. “I just asked her if she’d be interested in the game if we met halfway between our two schools to make travel a little easier.
“It’s a great location and facility and Grover and I go way back. I figured he’d be interested in something like this event for the club and area.”
Beside the friendship and the location of FFC Park (left) aspects, it was also a natural fit as FFC and Longwood men’s and women’s teams have been working together for the past several years. FFC connecting players in the club interested in attending the school, while also offering a place for the Lancers players to play during the summer through its adult programming.
Following the game, there will also be a college seminar offered, which will be open to the public as well. The coaches from both teams will be available and the club is working to have a couple men’s team coaches in attendance as well.
“Parents and players will be able to ask questions regarding the collegiate recruiting process, along with having the process explained to them from the college coaches point of view among other topic,” Gibson explained.Dyer (right) said the coaches will be ready for a candid conversation about whatever comes up.
“We’re willing to talk about anything so it will be interesting to see how the line of questioning unfolds,” he said.It’s an event that the Lancers’ coach thinks has a lot of potential for the future.
“I love the idea and would be interested in continuing such an event,” Dyer said. “This is the first time so it will be interesting to see how the whole thing goes for all involved.”
Gibson closed by saying, “I think this is another statement that FFC is continually trying to set the bar higher each year, in terms of programs and experiences for our FFC Membership.”