VCCL was founded in 1997 by five Directors of Coaching to provide a club-based league with an environment that encouraged development of players from within each member club.
To further enhance the development of players, the VCCL Board of Directors named the first Champions League Select U14 boys team that fall. An application was submitted to the Dallas Cup, and based on the reputation of its directors, the team was accepted to represent VCCL in the 1998 Dallas Cup.
Dallas Cup is the oldest international youth soccer tournament in the United States, founded in 1980.
Boys ages 12-19, participate in seven age groups. Dallas Cup entertains on average more than 160,000 spectators during the week, watching teams from all over the world participate in an extremely intense, explosive and competitive tournament. The field of teams consists of approximately 40% international teams, 40% state-side teams and 20% Dallas area teams.
The tournament is held every spring from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
The VCCL Boys League Select teams have played in the Dallas Cup tournament every year except 2009 when they participated in the International Countryside Easter Tournament in Clearwater, FL, because of prohibitive airfare to Dallas. The following year the VCCL Board of Directors approved both a U14 and U15 League Select team to play in the Dallas Cup.
VCCL considers it a great honor and tribute to its players and coaches to have its League Select team selected each year to participate in the Dallas Cup.
As the girls programs became stronger, the Champions League Select U-14 girls team was named to represent VCCL in the 2003 Spring Classic Girls Invitational Soccer Tournament held in conjunction with the Dallas Cup. Beginning with the spring of 2009, the League Select girls team has travelled to Clearwater FL, to participate in the International Countryside Easter Tournament. The Board is pleased to announce that the girls team will return to Dallas for the Dallas International Girls Cup tournament held April 4-8, 2012. The Dallas Texans, one of the top youth clubs in the US, compete in the tournament.
Players are chosen for the two VCCL League Select teams because the coaches and the Board of Directors believe they show potential to play soccer at a higher level.
Players are observed by the directors and coaches during fall league play. A pool of 24 players, 12 from VCCL North and 12 from VCCL South, will be named to participate in a two-day tryout and selection weekend in Richmond on December 10-11. Sixteen players and alternates will be selected and registered on the second day.
The VCCL Board expects players selected to the League Select teams to forego state-level ODP trips that conflict with the League Select trips. Regional and National ODP events will take precedence and alternates will be chosen if conflicts occur at those levels.
The League Select experience is provided to give these players an opportunity to play with the best players in the league in a highly competitive environment. Personal responsibility for behavior, interaction with other players to develop a sense of “team,” and training/playing under the guidance of the coaches are important components of the program.
Approximately 50% of the cost for each team is underwritten by the VCCL.
