Internationals Soccer Club standout and Copley, Ohio native Sydney Dawson was part of the 2016 ECNL/id2 National Training Camp that took place from July 28 to August 1, 2016 at the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon.
“We are extremely proud of Sydney for her selection to the ECNL National Camp,” Internationals SC Director of Coaching Keri Sarver commented. “Sydney’s training habits, work ethic, and ability to solve pressure made her an impact all year in the ECNL as she was consistently playing two ages up. All season she was able to help us control the tempo of the game from the midfield and her ability to solve pressure consistently at a high level. We are happy to see that her efforts were recognized by the ECNL.”
Dawson was selected for the camp due to her performances at the ECNL PDP event in February 2016 and her consistent high level of play during the 2015-16 ECNL season. She was a true U16 playing up for the Internationals SC U18 team.
That U18 squad finished first in the Mid-Atlantic Conference and reached the ECNL national finals. Dawson played a significant role in the midfield for that team and has been with the Internationals SC since she was a U9. Dawson has two more years with the club before she moves on to Clemson University, where she has already made a verbal commitment. Dawson attends Walsh Jesuit HS, but plays for Internationals SC year-round.
The camp included approximately 85 of the top female youth soccer players born in 1998, 1999, and 2000 from across the United States. Players were selected based on their performances at ECNL competitions, ECNL/id2 PDP events, and other events throughout the year. In addition, the id2 2001 National Girls Selection, the top 16 players born in 2001 from the id2 Training Camps held in the past 12 months, participated in the camp.
Participants played with and against the best athletes in the country, and were coached by an elite staff of youth coaches from across the country. Beyond the trainings, competitions, and presentations at the camp, players attended a Portland Thorns NWSL match to watch the highest level of women’s professional soccer in the world.
“Going to the ECNL national training camp was such a great experience because I was given the opportunity to compete with and against some of the top players in the country,” Dawson added. “I was exposed to different coaching styles and met a lot of players from all over the country. The training I have experienced with Internationals over the past nine years has prepared me to compete at the highest level against amazing players. Overall, the camp was a lot of fun and I am thankful to my coaches for giving me the opportunity to have this experience.”
The 2016 ECNL/id2 National Training Camp is a joint effort between the ECNL and U.S. Club Soccer’s id2 National Player Identification and Development Program. The camp is sanctioned as an Olympic Development Program by US Soccer and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league; improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and improving the daily training environment at top female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs. The ECNL is sanctioned by US Club Soccer.
