If throwing your child into the pool is a quick and effective method to help them learn to swim, then sending a group of kids, 14-years-old or under to Mexico is a quick and effective way to help them learn the international game.
Last month, head coach Manny Schellscheidt called up 36 kids to a U.S U14 Boys National Team Camp held in Guadalajara, Mexico. Alongside the eight days of training in high altitude, the boys also faced off against Atlas and Chivas de Guadalajara youth teams.
GOALKEEPERS (4): Cameron Keys (Lehigh Valley United FC; Whitehall, Pa.), JT Marcinkowski (Mustangs FC; Alamo, Calif.), Parker Siegfried (Newark Area SA; Granville, Ohio), Justin Vom Steeg (Santa Barbara SC; Santa Barbara ,Calif.)
DEFENDERS (10): Billy Abdallah (Cosmos Academy West; Monterey Park, Calif.), Guillermo Bermudez (Albion SC; San Diego, Calif.), Peter Brown (Grand Rapids Crew; Walker, Mich.), Chester Castellaw (Real So Cal; Hidden Hills, Calif.), Malcolm Jones (Cosmos Academy West; Chino Hills, Calif.), Benny Lorca (Real So Cal; Oxnard, Calif.), Jean Orvil Jr (West Pines United; Miramar, Fla.), Erik Pritschau (PFC; Perry, Ohio), Tommy Redding (FC America Premier; Oviedo, Fla.), Max Stiegwardt (Minnesota Thunder; Maple Grove, Minn.)
MIDFIELDERS (16): Mukwelle Akale (Minnesota Thunder; Minneapolis, Minn.), Julian Castro (Concordia Royal; Lorain, Ohio), Jeremy Colvin (LAFC Houstonians; Houston, Texas), Coy Craft (Fusion FC; Glade Spring Va.), Collin Fernandez (Chicago Fire; Downer’s Grove, Ill.), Christopher Gomez (PDA; Jamison, Pa.), Cameron Lindley (Carmel United; Carmel, Ind.), Kostandin Moni (Crew Juniors; Grand Rapids, Mich.), Caleb Moore (Discoveries SC; Rock Hill, S.C.), Pablo Pelaez (Albion SC; San Diego, Calif.), Peter Schropp (Omaha FC; Omaha, Neb.), Shannon Seymour (Chicago Fire; Bourbonnais, Ill.), Benjamin Swanson (Columbus Crew; Grove City, Ohio), Alejandro Vergara (Cosmos Academy West; Long Beach, Calif.), David Villegas (Elk Grove Everton; Sacramento, Calif.), Sean Wilson (PDA; Bethlehem, Pa.)
FORWARDS (6): Malcolm Dixon (NY Red Bulls; Glenridge, N.J.), Stephen Elias (Beachside SC; Rye, N.Y.), Alexander Knox (Carmel United; Carmel, Ind.), Christian Lucatero (Houstonian FC; Pasadena, Texas), Amirgy Pineda (Fullerton Rangers; Santa Ana, Calif.), Dylan Smith (Fullerton Rangers; Anaheim Hills, Calif.)