! EVERGREEN FC SOCCER CLUB, LLC! Technical Director Richie Burke! 19623 Evergreen Mills Road! Leesburg, VA 20175! ph. 703.777.7800 PRESS RELEASE EVERGREEN FC BECOMES OFFICIAL PARTNER CLUB OF THE WEST HAM UNITED NORTH AMERICAN ACADEMY (Leesburg, VA) for Immediate Release – Evergreen FC Soccer Club, is pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement to be an ofcial partner club of the West Ham United North American Academy (WHUNAA). As a partner club, Evergreen FC will host a tournament July 3-6, 2015, scouted by West Ham and GIS coaches and a West Ham United Academy Camp the second week of July 2015, following the tournament. The tournament will be open to all WHUNAA Clubs in the US and Canada. In addition Evergreen FC will be able to take advantage of the WHUNAA player development philosophies and coaching curriculum and, perhaps most excitingly, will have the unique opportunity to send teams, players and coaches to London to train at the world famous West Ham United Academy. Evergreen FC feels strongly that this partnership will be !an extension of our commitment to player development. The West Ham United Academy, or “The Academy of Football” as it is also known, is located in London and is one of the most highly regarded youth academies in the world. The Academy is an important part of the club’s identity and a regular source of players for the first team. Past notable graduates of the Academy include: Bobby Moore, Sir Geof Hurst, Frank Lampard Sr, Harry Redknapp, Sir Trevor Booking and Paul Ince. More recent graduates include: Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard Jr, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Jermaine Defoe and Glen Johnson, among others. An ITV Football article stated that “the biggest single contributor to the England national squad is not !Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea, but the West Ham Youth Academy.” ! PAGE 2 - Evergreen/WHUIA PARTNERSHIP ! Tony Carr MBE, former Academy Manager and Ambassador, West Ham United FC: “We look forward to working with the coaches and players of Evergreen FC as one of our USA partner clubs of the West Ham United Academy. We understand the Washington DC area is currently a hotbed for youth football and we look forward to playing a part in the development of the game there via this !partnership.” Evergreen FC Technical Director Richie Burke: “We are very excited to have a relationship with what I believe is the top youth development academy in Europe. Having been born and raised in England, I can attest first hand that the West Ham Academy has consistently developed world class players for decades. Additionally, the West Ham Academy is truly focused on developing players, not just trying to sell apparel like many other professional club partner agreements. This relationship reinforces our club’s commitment to player development, ultimately providing !Evergreen FC players and coaches with a fantastic opportunity to grow within the sport.” The first opportunity for Northern Virginia area players to experience the West Ham training methods will be at the West Ham United Academy training sessions scheduled from 5-6pm at the Evergreen Sportsplex starting on January 30th. These Academy training sessions will be for both boys and girls U7 through U12. Players that attend the West Ham United July camp will not only receive an elite level training opportunity, but players that excel at this camp may be invited to attend the West Ham Academy National Residential camp later in the summer. Players excelling at the National Camp will be invited to train alongside West Ham !Academy players in London. This agreement was made possible through the outstanding eforts of Global Image Sports (GIS) of Roswell, Georgia. GIS represents numerous European clubs, including West Ham United, in the United States. Evergreen FC anticipates that this will be just the first of multiple European partnerships with European clubs represented by GIS. About West Ham United North American Academy West Ham United Football Club has one of the most respected youth academies in world football. Formerly under the direction of academy director Tony Carr, the West Ham United Academy has produced many players who have gone on to play at the very top level of professional football. The club has established the North American Academy to develop partnerships and programs in the USA and Canada that can share West Ham United Academy coaching !methodology to assist the long-term development of North American players. ! ! ! ! ! PAGE 3 - Evergreen/WHUIA PARTNERSHIP ! !About West Ham North American Academy According to Tony Carr, “The enthusiasm with American youngsters to get better and to play the game is unquenchable at the moment. There is lots of raw talent in the US and some very good players. There is no question about that. We had a boy come to our academy who was on vacation in the UK, and he made a visit through our links in the USA. We let him join in with our under-12 squad and this player was as good as anyone we had !recruited ourselves locally. We know the talent is there in the US.” ! When asked what academy coaches hoped to see from American players, Carr added; “We are looking for a passion and enthusiasm for the game. You have got to love the game. You have got to want the ball at your feet every minute of the day to learn and hone those techniques. As they progress and get older, the game gets faster and more physically demanding so we are trying to produce and develop a player that can cope with those demands later on. In the early years, it is just about developing skill, technique and individuality. Those are things we can encourage and the rest can come later.” About Global Image Sports Global Image Sports was formed in 2010 evolving from the success of the West Ham United North American Academy which began in 2006. GIS represents European professional football clubs in North America and in some cases around the world. Their strategic partnership agreements with each of their European professional football clubs allows them to assist the clubs in player scouting and development of their global brand via constant consultation and feedback. GIS also helps to partner European professional soccer clubs with youth soccer clubs in America. The youth teams are encouraged to participate !in soccer travel vacations, training, playing, attending live games and sightseeing. Global Image Sports 1080 Holcomb Bridge Road Summit Building 200, Suite 120 Roswell, GA 30076 .