ODP

Inspiresport Partnership

Georgia State Soccer Association are excited to announce a partnership with inspiresport, a leading global sports tour operator for soccer experiences.

Global Headquarters in Manchester, England with North America Headquarters in Atlanta, G.A., inspiresport provide unrivalled soccer development tours to a range of elite clubs across UK and Europe including Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Valencia FC. The inspiresport brand, Generation adidas International, also provides opportunities for adidas affiliated clubs to train at a range of elite adidas clubs including the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and SL Benfica.

International Team Travel offers unique, all-encompassing experiences for players and teams including access to world-class soccer facilities, training with professional coaches, watching live professional matches, going behind-the-scenes on official stadium tours, playing friendlies against local opposition, or competing in international tournaments, sightseeing, and experiencing the local culture.

Coaches benefit from inspiresport’s unmatched network and travel expertise through coach education programs designed for coaches to continue their professional development journey, including completing UEFA coaching badges.

With this partnership, Georgia Soccer Association aims to further enhance its membership experience by offering unmatched travel opportunities for its own programs (ODP as one example) member clubs and coaches throughout the state. The partnership with inspiresport builds upon Georgia Soccer Association’s existing affiliation with sister company Sportsbreaks.com which was announced earlier this year. Sportsbreaks.com offer ticket inclusive fan travel packages to leading soccer clubs across the English Premier League and European leagues, plus other major sports including Formula One, tennis, golf, horse racing, rugby and more.

“This partnership not only opens doors to unparalleled team travel opportunities for our programs and our member clubs but also provides additional educational opportunities for our coaches. It solidifies our commitment to providing exceptional journeys and world class soccer experiences through our affiliation with inspiresport.” Said Laura Halfpenny, Georgia State Soccer Association, Executive Director.

Jeremy Parkins, Chief Operating Officer for inspiresport, and Sportsbreaks.com in North America, commented, “We want to thank Laura Halfpenny, Kostas Hatzikoutelis, and everyone at Georgia Soccer Association for the dedication and commitment to the partnership. We’re excited to begin working with Georgia Soccer Association and most importantly, for inspiresport and Sportsbreaks.com to be a valuable addition to offer industry leading international experiences to their membership ranging from their ODP programs to their club membership, coaches, players and families.”

To find out more about unrivalled youth soccer development tours to UK and Europe with inspiresport, please click HERE

Empowering ODP Players: Free Coaching & Referee Education

As the world of soccer continues to evolve, the spirit of giving back to the game becomes an integral part of a player’s journey. In Georgia, the Olympic Development Program (ODP) stands as a shining example of nurturing not only talented players but also responsible individuals committed to supporting the beautiful game in various capacities. It’s in this spirit that ODP players are now being offered free referee and coaching education, a decision that holds immense benefits for them and the sport as a whole.

Kostas Hatzikoutelis, Director of ODP, succinctly encapsulates the essence of this initiative when he says, “Our ODP players are committed to giving to the game in other ways than just playing.” This commitment to the sport’s holistic growth is what drives the decision to provide young athletes with opportunities to explore the game from different perspectives.

Benefits to ODP Players:

Enhancing Soccer IQ: Becoming a referee or a coach requires an in-depth understanding of the game, both in terms of rules and strategies. ODP players can benefit from this by deepening their knowledge of soccer, which in turn can enhance their on-field performance.
Leadership and Communication Skills: Refereeing and coaching demand strong leadership and communication skills. By taking on these roles, ODP players will develop essential qualities that not only serve them in soccer but also in their personal and professional lives.
Contributing to the Community: By taking up roles as referees or coaches, ODP players give back to their local soccer clubs. They become mentors and role models for younger players, inspiring them to pursue their soccer dreams.
Respect for Officials: ODP players, having experienced the challenges of officiating, are likely to develop greater respect for referees and officials during their playing careers, fostering a more positive soccer environment.

The decision to provide ODP players with free referee and coaching education is a testament to the ODP’s commitment to nurturing responsible, knowledgeable, and well-rounded individuals who support soccer in various capacities. It’s a step toward ensuring that the sport continues to flourish in the United States, both on and off the field.

Laura Halfpenny, Georgia Soccer Executive Director said “this initiative represents a win-win scenario, where ODP players gain invaluable skills and experiences while simultaneously strengthening the sport they love. It’s a testament to the fact that soccer is more than just a game; it’s a community, a passion, and a way of life. As we look to the future, we can be assured that these empowered ODP players will play a vital role in shaping the game’s destiny.”

Referee and Coach Education Courses will take place in December 2023.

CaptainU offers free recruiting profile

CaptainU teams up with Georgia State Soccer Association to Expand College Sports Recruiting Efforts

Plano, TX, June 3, 2022—Georgia State Soccer Association— the official National State Association of USSF, as well as the recognized national soccer association within the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA), the worldwide governing body for soccer — announced today a new partner in CaptainU, powered by Stack Sports, to help more athletes find college opportunities. CaptainU a self-managed recruiting software tool that connects high school athletes and college coaches across the country, is the best way to connect with college coaches and get recruited. This 3 year partnership allows Georgia Soccer athletes and parents, instant access to every college soccer coach in the country, while increasing CaptainU’s huge reach for college soccer coaches.

“We couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to work with CaptainU and discover innovative ways to improve college soccer recruiting in the state of Georgia,” said Laura Halfpenny, Executive Director of Georgia Soccer. “This partnership will provide our athletes, parents, coaches, and teams access to expert recruiting tools. Expanding our Partnership with Stack Sports to provide additional resources to our members was an easy choice for us after the service we receive from them over the last decade.” Through this partnership, Georgia Soccer athletes will receive a free recruiting profileand highly discounted upgraded plans, coaches are eligible for free CaptainU College accounts, teams are eligible for a free CaptainU Teams accounts, and more.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Georgia Soccer and providing them with innovative tools and resources to enhance their already great program,” said Brandon Hollmann, General Manager of CaptainU. “Our mission has always been to assist college coaches, teams, and athletes throughout the recruiting process, and by teaming up with Georgia Soccer, we’re doing just that.”

About Georgia Soccer Georgia Soccer is the authorized state youth and adult association for Georgia within the United States Adult Soccer Association, United States Youth Soccer Association, and through them is part of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Also, Georgia Soccerserves as the official National State Association of USSF making it responsible to act on behalf of USSF and provide licensing courses for coaches and certification courses for referees. In turn, the United States Soccer Federation is the recognized national soccer association within the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA),the worldwide governing body for soccer. Essentially, we serve affiliated member organizations throughout Georgia in both program and administrative support activities.

About CaptainU CaptainU empowers athletes to take their game to the next level through recruiting and discovery tools to connect with clubs, events and colleges. More than3 million high school athletes, college coaches, club coaches and tournament directors have used CaptainU tools to network, build relationships, and build championship teams. CaptainU was founded in 2008 and now powers the recruiting journey for partners like AAU, USA Gymnastics, Georgia Soccer, and US Rowing. To learn more about CaptainU, visit CaptainU.com .

About Stack Sports With nearly 50 million users in 35 countries, Stack Sports is a global technology leader in SaaS platform offerings for the sports industry. The company provides world-class software and services to support national governing bodies, youth sports associations, leagues, clubs, parents, coaches, and athletes. Some of the largest and most prominent sports organizations including the U.S. Soccer Federation, Little League Baseball and Softball, and Pop Warner Little Scholars rely on Stack Sports technology to run and manage their organizations. Stack Sports is headquartered in Dallas and is leading the industry one team at a time focusing on four key pillars — Grassroots Engagement, Participation Growth, Recruiting Pathways, and Elite Player Development. To learn more about how Stack Sports is transforming the sports experience, please visitwww.stacksports.com.

SPORTSBREAKS.COM is an Official Fan Travel Partner of Georgia Soccer

Georgia Soccer and Sportsbreaks.com are excited to announce a partnership, becoming the Official Fan Travel Partner of the association.

An award-winning sports fan travel provider, Sportsbreaks.com offer ticket-inclusive packages to many of the world’s top sporting events including European soccer, Formula One races around the world, Rugby, Cricket, Golf, Tennis and much more.

Have you ever wanted to see Barcelona play at Camp Nou, or Manchester United play at historic Old Trafford or Real Madrid at the Bernabéu? Sportsbreaks.com provides an official match ticket and hotel break package for many of the biggest clubs across Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Primeira Liga.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Sportsbreaks.com has now launched in the United States with an office and staff based in Atlanta, Georgia.

As part of the multi-year partnership, Sportsbreaks.com will offer all Georgia Soccer Association members with ticket-inclusive packages to sporting events globally, beginning with the 2023-2024 Premier League Schedule release on June 15th.

Laura Halfpenny, Georgia State Soccer Association, Executive Director, commented,

“We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Sportsbreaks. This partnership will provide our valued members with sports travel experiences and even more unforgettable moments at the world’s most iconic soccer events across the Globe.”

Chief Operating Officer for Sportsbreaks.com in North America, Jeremy Parkins, commented,

“We’re excited to announce a long-term partnership with Georgia Soccer Association. Providing their membership with a trusted local source for global sports ticket and hotel packages, and specifically, Soccer matches worldwide. Our multi-year agreement is an exciting addition to our existing partnerships, we look forward to working with everyone at the association.”

Visit Sportsbreaks.com to access ticket-inclusive packages for a range of unforgettable sports experiences.

Click here for detailed information or call our Atlanta based staff at 404-465-3561.