THE ALLIANCE

VAFC AND GBSA FORM VAFA “VIRGINIA FUTBOL ALLIANCE” April 29, 2021; Newport News, VA - Virginia FC (VAFC) and Golden Ball Soccer Academy (GBSA) have announced a partnership which will integrate training curriculum, technical staff, player pools and access to facilities, leagues, national and international academies as well as minor league professional teams as the top of the Alliance pyramid. The new collaboration will increase the focus on grassroots development programs in addition to fielding teams to compete under the banner of VIRGINIA Futbol Alliance (VAFA). 

“This alliance between VAFC and GBSA is a great example of forward thinking Club Directors looking to provide their clubs with the best player developmental opportunities possible in their communities” stated Mayowa Owolabi, CCL National Conferences Director. “By these clubs aligning their efforts they will be able to develop stronger player pools, utilize a larger platform of resources, and educate more players, parents, and coaches within their community at the same time. As a club based league we cannot wait to see how these clubs band together to create a great experience for their club members and our current league members during upcoming matchdays!” 

With this new initiative VAFA will not only enhance its grass roots development but will expand its overall programming with access to appropriate competition in Club Champions League (CCL), NextGen (CCL's U9/U10) and Virginia Soccer League (VSL). In addition, the alliance will bring more qualified coaches along with senior teams in the UWS League 2 Pro/Am (Women), NLP Futsal (Men) and U23’s in EDP national leagues. “Player development has always been the primary focus for both clubs and this partnership will expand those initiatives while providing endless access to resources and levels not afforded to most club players and staff.” said Kevin Darcy VAFC Technical Director. “We are excited about the opportunities the alliance will provide in addition to the consistency and quality of coaching for our players under the VIRGINIA Futbol Alliance banner.” 

“We are very proud to form this alliance and are excited about the future of our organizations.” Says GBSA Technical Director Jonathan Baca. “The possibilities with this partnership are endless and the opportunity to create the best environment for the players is our goal.” The creation of VIRGINIA Futbol Alliance between VAFC and GBSA brings together administrative support, coaches and technical staff to build one of Virginia’s top player development academies serving players of all ages and levels. VAFA will have access to 2 indoor facilities and several soccer training centers from Suffolk to Yorktown. In addition, the Alliance will have international partnership in: 

• England, Southampton FC Academy (English Premier League)
• Ecuador, Liga Deportiva Universitaria Quito (LDU) (Ecuadorian Professional League)
• Bolivia, Dios es Amor (Bolivian Futbol Federation)
• Brasil, Sociedad Esportiva Salepolense (Sao Paolo Soccer Federation) 

About VIRGINIA FC (VAFC)
Home to the Peninsula and the Hampton Roads region, VAFC provides participation opportunities for players of all ages and levels while creating partnerships with like-minded organizations that put the player first. Offering quality, convenient and affordable playing opportunities with the focus to develop the whole player in a fun, challenging & competitive environment. Virginia FC boasts a platform that includes grass roots to professional level teams as well as affiliations with strategic partners CCL “Club Champions League”, EDP “Elite Development Program”, VSL “Virginia Soccer League, Southampton FC International Academy, Richmond United’s ECNL National Academy program and PUMA. 

About Golden Ball Soccer Academy (GBSA)
Golden Ball Soccer Academy (Bola de Ouro) opened in 2016 and our goal is to train professional soccer players and goalkeepers. GBSA is a Year-Round Academy Program, our mission is to provide a wellbalanced developmental environment to the Western Tidewater Area. With facilities located in North Suffolk, Western Chesapeake, and Portsmouth. We offer unique accessibility for players from every city in Hampton Roads. Our training staff with their internationally recognized coaching and physical training licenses focus on technical training, athletic performance training and match related tactics. GBSA has affiliations with Professional teams in Ecuador “Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito”, Professional in Bolivia “Dios es Amor”, also in the Semi-Pro level in Virginia with the ACC commonwealth Virginia and Partnership in Brazil with “Sociedad Esportiva Salepolense”, also playing in International tournaments and local leagues like VSLI, EDP.