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This past Thursday in the pouring rain and chilling winds, over 100 eager players took the field at American University to show PPA Coaches, DC United representatives, and Washington Spirit Agents what they had. It was the 2nd tryout this month for PPA's Academy, and the 2nd time over 100 committed soccer players overcame the elements to put on a show for all to see. This weekend, May 20th, will be the last Tryout this month, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at North Four Corners Local Park in Silver Spring, MD, and marks PPA's biggest and most successful Tryout campaign in club history. A big thanks to all our PPA players who helped spread the word to friends and family, and a bigger thanks to everyone who braved the weather to attend! If you are interested in attending out last Tryout, go over to our teams page and sign up! If you are interested but unable to attend, feel free reach out to one of our directors: Girls Director: annie@ppateam.com Boys Director: adem@ppateam.com

PPA is excited to announce our league directors for the Spring 2021 season. Each of our league directors has a unique background and strong passion for sports. They’ve been working hard behind the scenes to ensure this season is not only run smoothly, but also includes special features to make our players experience unforgettable. Make sure to say hello when you see them at the fields and courts this season!

Last week was the United Soccer Coaches Convention (formerly NSCAA) in Philadelphia, PA. This annual convention is a nationwide gathering of more than 12,000 members of the soccer community who come together to learn and network with each other. It is a 5 day event filled with presentations, meetings, exhibitors and so much more with the aim of helping coaches and administrators in the field of soccer at all levels. This year's convention had a bigger emphasis on the administrative side of soccer and all that goes into running a soccer organization, such as necessary financial controls, effective marketing techniques, the latest in social media and how to bring sponsorship revenue into your club. PPA is excited to use all of the information we have gained and use it to help our young organization grow at a sustainable level. We are proud that PPA was represented by our very own Annie Gavett, PPA’s Director of Administration and Marketing. Take a look at the pictures below that captured Annie’s experience.

The Player Progression Academy (PPA) is pleased to announce an exciting change coming this fall. The update consists of re-organizing Girls PPA Soccer into two programs: Premier and Development. The adjustment ensures that all of our PPA Girls players are receiving the most appropriate soccer program for their development. Below, you will find brief breakdowns of the two programs to come. Premier Program: Caters to our female players who excel in their skill level, exemplify a competitive attitude and seek a more challenging environment. 2 team practices a week + 1 skills clinic of your choice; league: SAM Select — all games at the Germantown Soccerplex. Teams by birth year. We will be looking to create 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 team(s), with roster caps of 12. Teams will be comprised of current players + tryout players. Development Program: Caters to our female players who enjoy playing with their friends in a local setting, while still getting quality training experiences and competitive games. 1 team practice a week + 1 skills clinic of your choice. League: PPA development league (U10/U11) games on a consistent day, time, location (ideas of places to host games: Norwood school, GDS, Stone Ridge, Landon pending permit). Minimum of 8 teams in the league playing 7v7. Official refs. US Soccer guidelines for field and goal size. Tryouts required for new players to join. Teams by grade level, roster caps of 13. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: What will this mean for my daughter’s current team? We are not aiming to break up current teams. We will look to make it an option for a child to participate with both her development and premier group. The way doubling rosters would work is the skills clinic as part of the premier team program would be supplemented by the development team’s practice. This means to play on both teams would require just one extra day of soccer a week, the development team game. We will be hosting tryouts to fill any roster spots that may open up. Does my daughter have to attend a tryout? All current players DO NOT have to attend a tryout. The coaching staff knows your daughter's ability so it is not necessary for her to attend an hour long session for the sake of evaluating her potential. Who decides which players will make a premier team? Coaches will nominate current players for the premier team program. From there we will create a player pool with the addition of tryout players. Teams will be formed from this player pool. Does my daughter have to play on a premier team? If your daughter is nominated for the premier program and does NOT want to participate in the program we will NOT force her. Not all players who request premier team program will be accepted. How do we submit which program my daughter would like to join for fall 2017? Following the parent meeting, we will create a Fall RSVP w/ deposit form on our PPA site. This will allow you to submit your players name into the program pool. IF you make a deposit for the Premier program and are not placed in the player pool, we will make a full refund if you elect to turn down the Development program.

Owen Boots and Yoan Pinsonneault relax after a long day of soccer and camp games This summer PPA offered its first sleep away camp at Camp Tall Timers, and by all accounts, it was a raging success! PPA Players Owen and Yoan talked to us about their experience with glowing reviews. Yoan - “Tubing was the best” Boots - “Nah man, soccer is my jam (he then proceeded to “dab” in Yoan’s face” PPA Campers would play soccer 4 hours a day before going on the other camp activities. “Tubing, Soccer….” “Archery, Rock Climbing….” “Oh and Zip Line!” “Yea the Zip Line was awesome” “Oh and they had a pool, and lake activities, like Kayaking and Canoeing” Check out our PPA Sleepaway Camp highlight video and slideshow below: At the end of the week PPA Campers participated in a Tournament. Coach Mark, Coach Mike, Coach Jamie, and Coach Annie each led their squad in a round-robin style competition to determine the camp champion. When the dust had settled, Coach Mark’s team stood head and shoulders above the rest. Boots - “Yea but my team should have won. We finished 2nd.” Yoan - “OH! And the cabins were deeeec” Me - “Deeec?” Boots - “Yea they were nice, nice showers, and good food” Yoan - “Yea Pizza and Spaghetti dinner was the best. They had a salad bar too. And they would do music and cheers for announcements.” Me - “Do you remember any?” Boots and Yoan: “Announcements, announcements, annooouuuncements! A horrible way to die (clap clap) a horrible way to die! (clap clap)! A horrible way to start the day a horrible way to die! (repeat) Me - "A horrible way to die?! What type of cheer is that? Boots - “It was more a cheer to see which side could cheer loudest” Yoan - “Oh yea that’s what it was” Boots - “I wanna go back, it was so much fun” Yoan - “Yea same. Next year I wanna win that tournament. And I miss the lake.” A lake does sound like a nice way to beat the heat! PPA doesn't have any sleep away camps left this summer, but there are a couple weeks of soccer, basketball, and tots camps left for those looking to make the most of the rest of the summer months! Check out the full photo album from PPA Sleepaway Camp at Camp Tall Timbers: ppamedia.smugmug.com/Summer-2017-PPA-Sleepaway-Camp-Camp-Tall-Tall-Timbers/

NCAA Selection Sunday is around the corner, but the real March Madness went down last weekend at PPA’s Winter Hoops Tournament. Kids, parents and coaches alike couldn’t contain their excitement as the tournament date approached. Leading up to the big day, many players slept in full uniform and used basketballs as pillows. Needless to say, the energy was palpable inside the Norwood School on Sunday, March 5. The PPA 2nd grade co-ed league kicked off its tournament at 4:00 pm in front of a jam-packed crowd of parents, siblings and friends. Players took the floor wearing their freshest gear — from the shorts, to the socks, to the Stephen Curry Under Armour sneakers. After 12 hard-fought games in the tournament’s preliminary stage, only four of eight teams — the Blue Devils, Seminoles, Panthers and Tar Heels — advanced to the semi-finals. The Hokies, Bruins, Colonials and Rapids played their hearts out all season long, and they deserve recognition for their passion, teamwork and positive attitudes. In the semis, the #1 seed Blue Devils took down the #4 seed Seminoles, while the #2 seed Panthers edged out the #3 seed Tar Heels. Kudos to both the Seminoles and Tar Heels for outstanding seasons! Two epic semi-final matchups set the stage for an electric championship game. Bannockburn and Potomac boast two of the most talented duos in the league — Grady Miller/Jack Wills and Chase Winokur/Charlie Rothbard, respectively. The atmosphere felt like Villanova-North Carolina in the NCAA title game, and in the end, Coach Mike McClain’s Blue Devils snagged the victory in a back-and-forth battle. Congrats to Bannockburn on the win, and shout-out to the Panthers, who gave it their all. After the Blue Devils cut down the nets and received their championship wristbands, it was time for the 3rd and 4th grade tournament to get poppin.’ The Somerset Spartans went 3-0 in the preliminary stage and cruised to a #1 seed, while the Wildcats, PPA All-Stars and Colonials rounded out the #2, #3 and #4 seeds, respectively. The Warriors and Cavaliers didn’t make it to the next round, but they should be commended for their A+ effort and enthusiasm! The Spartans narrowly escaped a loss in the semi-finals, as the Colonials fought hard and gave the #1 seed a scare. Meanwhile, the PPA All-Stars found their rhythm and defeated the Wildcats in the other semi-final matchup. Major props to the Colonials and Wildcats for fantastic seasons. In one of the bigger upsets in PPA Hoops history, the All-Stars eked out a championship win against the mighty Spartans. Miller and Winokur led the way for the All-Stars, who got it done in large part due to their stellar play on the defensive end. Somerset got close, but the All-Stars came up with big buckets down the stretch to cement the victory. Credit to both squads on a well-played title game! You can scroll through a photo gallery from the tournament below. A big thank you to photographer Megan O'Keefe for capturing these awesome pictures! PPA Hoops will be back better than ever in the spring with a season that runs from March 27 — June 11. Registration is now open!

The Player Progression Academy (PPA) and D.C. United are pleased to announce a new partnership focused on providing elite opportunities for youth soccer players in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area. With their new collaboration, the PPA and D.C. United aim to put the area's top youth players on the pathway to success by holding exclusive training sessions, as well as MLS and international competitions. The PPA-D.C. United connection will ultimately put the PPA's top players in a position to pursue the dream of playing professional soccer. "On behalf of the PPA, we are thrilled to secure a partnership with D.C. United,” says Michael Worden, President of the PPA. “This partnership will further help us achieve our mission to give our players the best possible experience while providing a pathway to development and success." Throughout the spring and summer, the PPA and D.C. United will work together to identify and develop the DMV's top players through D.C. United’s Development Academy Talent Centers. These PPA-hosted Talent Centers will serve as the main identification opportunities for the 2017/2018 D.C. United Academy season. “We’re happy to partner with the Player Progression Academy and a staff who share the same values and goals in youth development,” Ryan Martin, D.C. United Academy Director, says. “We are excited to build a long-term relationship with PPA and begin sharing resources, responsibilities and efforts of helping players in the DMV reach their full potential and give them a true pathway to the professional level.” Visit D.C. United's official website to read more about this exciting new partnership! #Partnership #dcunited

Welcome to the all new, What’s New portion of the PPA website! Here you can find all you need to know about what is happening in the PPA Community and within our Programs.

We are very happy to welcome Annie Gavett and Alex Assaf to our PPA staff. Annie joins us as the Director of Administration and Marketing, and Alex as the Tennis Director and Marketing Associate. We are very fortunate to have these two join our staff as our PPA team continues to grow. Read below to learn a little bit about Annie and Alex. Annie Gavett, Director of Administration and Marketing Annie joins PPA this Fall/Winter as the Director of Administration & Marketing. Previously she was at the Maryland SoccerPlex/SAM Soccer in Germantown, MD where she served as the Marketing Manager for 3 years. In that role she helped to greatly expand the program’s offerings and build a complex and robust sponsorship profile. Prior to the SoccerPlex, she also held marketing and operational positions in the sports realm for The Bay School of San Francisco, the San Francisco Bulls and the University of San Francisco. She is originally from the D.C. metro area, having played all 4 years on the Sherwood High School women’s soccer team. She has a B.B.A. with concentrations in marketing and international business and a minor in Italian from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN and a Master of Arts in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco. Alex Assaf, Tennis Director and Marketing Associate Alex is the Tennis Director and Marketing Associate at PPA. As a Junior, she began competing at age 11 striving to become a college tennis player. She began her coaching career at the age of 14 and has continued to work with students of all ages for the past 11 years. She grew up in the local DMV area and led her high school team all the way to the Virginia State Finals. Alex then continued her tennis career at Duquesne University where she played Division 1 Tennis for 2 years. Her Junior year she decided to pursue her passion for marketing as an intern for a start-up in Pittsburgh. After graduation, Alex worked in brand marketing for many popular brands including KIND and Honest Tea. She also coached part-time at 4 Star Tennis Academy, her alma mater and top tennis academy on the East Coast. Alex is excited to bring her expertise in both tennis and marketing to PPA. Join us in welcoming Annie and Alex! #PPALife

The warmth is leaving, the cold is coming, and PPALife goes on. The winter season brings not an end but the beginning of our exciting Winter Programs! Winter Soccer Clinics o Come out any day of the week to join the fun as we continue to develop as students of the game. The winter season starts on December 5 th and our indoor space is limited, so make sure to register ASAP through the PPA Portal PPA Hoops League o PPA Hoops, like Soccer, provides high quality coaching to create a great experiences and opportunities for development. This year we will be forming teams for 2 nd – 4 th graders on both the boys and girls side. For more info about winter hoops, please email Mike McClain: hoops@ppateam.com Futsal League o For our U8/9’s and U10/11’s, you can now register to join a Futsal team to play indoor games on weekends at Washington Episcopal School. Games will run from January 7th through the end of February. Futsal is not only a blast, but it is extremely beneficial for developing soccer players. For more info about winter futsal, please email boys@ppateam.com

The Player Progression Academy (PPA) has been officially accepted into the National Capital Soccer League (NCSL). The board voted on Monday, May 3, 2021 and unanimously accepted PPA into the league for the 2021-2022 year. PPA will look to enter seven of its teams into the league starting in the Fall. The teams are as follows: 2008 blue boys and girls, 2009 blue boys and girls, 2010 blue boys and girls, and 2007 blue boys. You can learn more about NCSL on their website. Interested in trying out for a PPA Premier Soccer team? Premier Soccer tryouts will be held Friday, May 14 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Heritage Farm Park. All attendees must register for a tryout. Learn more and register.

The Player Progression Academy (PPA) PO Box 43264 Washington, D.C., 20011 http://www.ppateam.com For Immediate Release June 13, 2022 The Player Progression Academy Announces Fall 2022 Programming The Player Progression Academy (PPA) is excited to announce the opening of its Fall 2022 Development Leagues. Due to high expected demand, registration will open over two phases. Priority registration will open June 20th. Returning teams who register during this phase will be guaranteed a spot in the league. General registration will open June 27th. Registrations during this period will be honored on a first come, first serve basis. Registration will close August 19th, or sooner if capacity for the leagues fill. For the last three seasons, team registration has closed early because of high enrollment, so PPA advises players and teams to register early. The Fall season is scheduled to start on September 6th, for soccer, and September 12 for basketball. NEW: Development League now open to parent-coaches This Fall, PPA Development programs will pilot an option for teams to join the leagues with a parent coach volunteer. This means that teams who join the soccer or hoops leagues this Fall will now have the option to either choose to have one of PPA's professional coaches assigned to the team, or choose to have a parent-volunteer coach the team. This Fall there will be limited spots available in the league for parent-coached teams. As Mike Worden, President of PPA explains, "Expanding the leagues to include teams with parent coaches helps us improve access to PPA programs. We know we have parents in the program who want to coach their kids, and we want to support them.” In planning how parent coaches will be integrated into the league, PPA’s Technical Soccer Director, Nik Kapus states, "We plan to support parent coaches in the same way we do our professional coaches. All parent coaches will get an onboarding program, access to our professional training workshops, and our developmental curriculum." About the Development Program PPA’s Development Program aims to be the best place to play sports with friends. Both soccer and basketball programs will offer kindergarten through eighth grade leagues that are designed to offer the convenience of recreational teams with the professionalism of club sports. It's the only program in the DMV region where players can register with friends without a tryout, and have the option to be led by a professional or parent volunteer coach. Each team can expect one practice during the week and one game on the weekend. PPA’s curriculum is developmentally based, and aims to teach players of different levels sport-specific skills and technique to help them progress. Developing players outside of the lines, and in between them, is the number one goal. About the Player Progression Academy (PPA) The Player Progression Academy (PPA) is a multi-sport youth academy located in the Washington, D.C. metro area with programs for children ages 2-18 years old. PPA’s mission is to build a base of fundamental skills necessary for a positive and successful athletic experience, and to translate those experiences into real life lessons that reinforce our values. Learn more at www.ppateam.com.