General Information:

Founded: March 2000 by John R. Calcaterra, Malcolm Murphy and Jeff Parker
Mailing Address: PO BOX 4376, Brick, NJ 08723
Email Address: info@matchfitacademy.net
Web Address: www.matchfitacademy.net

Club Contact: John R. Calcaterra
Title: Co-Founder/Director of Operations
Email Address: jcalcaterra@matchfitacademy.net

Club Contact: Malcolm Murphy
Title: Co-Founder/Technical Director/Director of Coaching & Player Development
Email Address: mmurphy@matchfitacademy.net

Club Contact: Chris Leahey
Title: Executive Direct
Email Address: cleahey@matchfitacademy.net

Sponsors:

Nike Premier Club, Beaverton, Oregon

Atlantic Health - Official Sports Medicine Partner

Ewing Sports - Official Supplier

The purpose of The Match Fit Academy Football Club is to adopt a new approach towards the development of U.S. soccer. We will do this by:

• Providing a positive and professional learning environment to help players meet their individual goals and to help area teams compete at the regional and national level.
• Fostering the development of soccer in the United States through the young players of New Jersey.
• Helping our coaches reach higher levels by creating a coaching environment that is conducive to new ideas and approaches.
• Giving players the opportunity to develop within a single entity, from our first youth program through the evolvement of our residential academy.
• Directly responding to the recommendations toward American player development in the United States Soccer Federation’s reports.

The mission of The Match Fit Academy Football Club is to:

• Develop young people who, through the game of soccer, will help further the game in New Jersey and the United States now and in the future.
• Identify players with outstanding potential and place them in a learning environment designed to encourage personal development.
• Raise the level of each individual, from average to good and from good to exceptional, based upon the technical, tactical, physical and psychological fundamentals of the game.
• Foster an Academy training atmosphere in which the good of the whole group is valued as well as the needs of the individual.
• Educate our teams by passing along our knowledge and life lessons so they can learn from them and from those who have been in our previous programs.
• Constantly reassess our programs to enable participants to develop an attitude of higher achievement and sportsmanship that will carry over into the areas of education, citizenship, community responsibility, physical and mental fitness.
• Elevate the profile and image of The Match Fit Training Academy and New Jersey Area soccer on the local, regional, national and international levels.

We believe that Match Fit Academy provides:

• A holistic approach to developing the player’s technical, tactical, physical and psychological needs.
• Peer learning, where we involve players who have been a part of our youth system, and who have realized individual successes at the state, regional and national levels.
• A system encompassing level appropriate training and games designed to expose players to ever increasing challenges within the sport.
• "If you are good enough, you’re old enough." Playing ability is the standard upon which we will determine where the player will play and train within our system. If you are 13 years old and need to play with the under-19 team to further develop your talents and abilities, you will be asked to do so.
• An Academy training atmosphere. Academy members will be scheduled to train together with different programs to develop loyalty and familiarity.
• A committed staff to help players understand their role in helping to improve the level of play both as an individual and within a group. A staff that is interested in the success of every team and player within the Academy.
• A professional approach that involves coaches who not only have extensive experience and qualifications, but also possess a vested interest in developing players, teams and clubs beyond a single team unit.