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INFORMATION

Introduction to

COPA Soccer Training Center

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Mission

COPA Soccer Training Center is a 117,000 square foot facility outfitted with the world’s most advanced training and assessment technology. Our mission is to revolutionize player identification and talent development in the sport of soccer through our objective, data centric assessment, the COPA Score.
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Overview:

• Located in Walnut Creek, California, and serves as the primary tenant of the Shadelands SportsMall
• Opened on January 2, 2020
• The only one of its kind in Northern America
• Attracts more than 750,000 visitors each year
• COPA STC is a pioneering initiative at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and sports science. • COPA STC aims to become a globally accepted standard in talent identification at scale.

KEY FEATURES AND OFFERINGS

Objective Player Pathway
COPA STC’s FREE Objective Player Pathway revolutionizes talent identification by utilizing comprehensive assessments to measure an athlete’s technical, physical, and cognitive abilities. These laboratory-style assessments extend beyond traditional skill evaluations, employing advanced sports science techniques such as bone density analysis to determine a player’s skeletal age, thus providing deeper insights into their potential.
By comparing players’ objective data against standardized benchmarks for chronological and skeletal age, the pathway identifies talent that might be overlooked by conventional scouting methods. This innovative approach ensures equitable opportunities for all players, regardless of their background, to be recognized and connected with Talent ID Organizations.
ASSESSMENTS
We have assessed thousands of athletes, from recreational youth to elite professionals, utilizing our assessment protocols to establish critical skill benchmarks which are used to effectively identify an athlete’s development needs and objectively compare players.

COPA SCORE
Ages 12+

Measuring essential passing, ball control, finishing, decision making, speed, strength, and agility skills.
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JUNIOR COPA SCORE
Ages 9-11

An age-appropriate version of the COPA Score.
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SKILLS CHECK
Ages 6-8

A fun and engaging series of exercises to measure a young athlete’s capabilities.
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COPA STC MEMBERSHIPS
COPA STC’s membership includes unlimited sessions with flexible scheduling in one of the world’s most advanced training facilities. Certified coaches utilize a purposeful training methodology founded in the leading sports science techniques to create a truly immersive data-driven environment.

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PROGRAMS
Our facility has a diverse array of additional offerings for youth to adults:
COPA

PR Release/News/Blogs

mission blog
COPA Soccer Training Center’s Mission
Player identification and development in soccer have been heavily influenced by subjective observation....
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Methodology
Methodology
Methodology COPA Soccer Training Center uses a purposeful practice methodology to help athletes achieve...
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copa-roots-510-blog-header
The COPA Score - The Next Evolution in Soccer
Utilizing their partnership with the Oakland Roots, COPA Soccer Training Center’s trailblazing...
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Header roots blog
COPA STC Named Official Talent ID Partner of Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club
COPA Soccer Training Center (COPA STC) proudly announces its partnership as the Official Talent ID Partner...
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scorecard blog header
The COPA Score - Scorecard
This gamified information is a comprehensive breakdown of the COPA Score highlighting the key categories...
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ernie3
Meet Ernie DeLosAngeles – Head Performance Coach for the NBA G-League’s Walnut Creek Ignite
We sat down with Ernie to discuss training NBA hopefuls at COPA STC Ernie works with NBA star Jalen Green...
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Header roots blog
COPA STC Named Official Talent ID Partner of Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club
COPA Soccer Training Center (COPA STC) proudly announces its partnership as the Official Talent ID Partner...
Read More
mission blog
COPA Soccer Training Center’s Mission
Player identification and development in soccer have been heavily influenced by subjective observation....
Read More
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QUOTES

FOR Media Outlets from the COPA Team

TESTIMONIALS

RECENT

Achievements

COPA has secured 15 Talent ID partners, committed to supporting our innovative Talent ID efforts.
Clubs are represented from the MLS, NWSL, USL & Bundesliga and will attend COPA’s talent ID days. These Talent ID days will host the most talented players, at zero cost, who have qualified following COPA’s assessment pathway. Boys and girls ages 12 and older will be provided direct exposure and promotion to some of the leading youth development organizations. Clubs include:
  • a. TSG Hoffenheim – Bundesliga (Men & Women)
  • b. LA Galaxy – MLS
  • c. FC Cincinnati – MLS
  • d. Racing Louisville – NWSL
  • e. Lexington Sporting (USL)
Website to Learn more: Objective Player Pathway – COPA STC
COPA has tested 21 different college teams, with over 400 players assessed, across physical, technical, and cognitive measures, creating one of the most unique datasets in college sports:
  • a.Benchmarks – what does it mean to be a D1 player? Established performance benchmarks for schools such as Stanford & California Berkeley.
  • b.Competency – what skills are minimally needed to play at the college level?
  • c.Top players assessed include:
    • i.Elise Evans – Stanford WSoc – USYNT U20
    • ii. Andrea Kithata – Stanford WSoc – USYNT U20
    • iii. Karlie Lema – California – PAC-12 Conference Team 2023
    • iv. Zach Bohane – Stanford MSoc – PAC-12 Conference Team 2023
    • v.Isaiah Easley – USF MSoc (Transfer from 2023 National Champions Clemson)
Through COPA’s multi-year partnership with TSG Hoffenheim, and our alignment in player diagnostics and data, numerous collegiate players have been identified as talented prospects for TSG Hoffenheim’s Bundesliga Frauen team, current 3rd behind Bayern and Wolfsburg.
COPA STC identified players being reviewed by TSG Hoffenheim prestigious youth academy.
Players will travel to TSG Hoffenheim in 2024 for talent ID and development opportunities.
Further opportunities for recent college graduates.

Recently graduated college players who have not joined NWSL teams, are taking part in COPA STC’s assessment battery. This effort is to support their development create opportunities for them to play professional soccer in Europe or the USA through our partners.

At a recent College ID Camp hosted by COPA STC on Sunday April 28th, over 20 players were identified and have been contacted by the college coaches in attendance.
Coaches from USF, UC Davis and others were in attendance. Players in attendance came from Napa, Fresno, San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, as well Phoenix. Players represented clubs such as FC Bay Area, MVLA, SF Glens, Ballistic United, Real Salt Lake, Lamorinda and Napa United, with regional programs like ODP, NorCal PDP and US Soccer Talent ID centers.
  • a.Coaches observed 11v11 games
  • b.Coaches received a full data report of all attending players
  • c.Coaches received a comparison of all attending players versus their active college roster of players
  • d.Players took part in an in-depth individual assessment, identical to what all college players received.
  • e.Players received an in-depth scorecard that contained a comparisons to the college player database, only found at COPA STC, across a collection of key metrics.
COPA STC is in a multi-year partnership with the Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club.
The partnership is centered around Talent identification, and supporting the club’s aspiration for creating a professional platform for local players. COPA STC provides and performs objectives assessments of all player’s at the club. Setting benchmarks and identifying young talented players has been the result of this effort. Further alignment exists by being able to provide innovative assessment and development opportunities for its talented players at no-cost.
  • a. The following players have made the professional debut for the Oakland Roots in the past 12 months. All have taken part in regular assessments and training at COPA STC, in their individual player development and advancing their career as professional footballers.
    • i.Tim Syrel
    • ii. Kieran Bracken Serra
    • iii. Etsgar Cruz
    • iv. Ilya Alekseev
    • v. Javier Bedolla-Vera
    • vi. Ali Elmasnaouy
    • vii. Thomas Camier
    • viii. Luis Saldana

  • b. The following players excelled in COPA’s pre-season testing in 2023, and went on to establish themselves as first team regulars in 2023:
    • i. Danny Gomez – Center midfield
    • ii. Time Syrel – Goalkeeper
    • iii. Luis Saldana – Attacker

  • c. Ilya Alekseev, a former Ballistic United player, has recently established himself as a 1st team regular for the Roots, at age 18. Ilya began with the ‘Roots Recognized Initiative’ in 2022, and graduated into Project 51O later that year (the Roots reserve side dedicated to the most talented young players ages 15-19 in the Bay Area). Ilya took part in performance assessments at COPA STC, in 2022, along with 37 other talented young players identified by the Roots. The assessments were able to display an advanced level of physical skills, with Ilya placed in the 90th percentile or higher amongst the 1st team. For Ilya, to break into the first team he would need to improve other elements of his game, identified through COPA assessments and through the club’s Technical Director, Jordan Ferrel. Ilya, along with a collection of his Project 51O Academy players, have trained weekly at COPA STC maximizing the opportunity that technology backed training creates for individual player development. The SpeedCourt supported the development of his movement, reactionary and inhibition skills. The COPA Cube™ challenged Ilya’s technique weekly, the consistency of receiving and his overall speed of play. skills.lab Arena was leveraged to improve his awareness and perceptual habits, as well an increased emphasis on heading skills, a skillset identified needing development by the club’s technical staff. His continued development in a club that values young players, excelling on the field for Project 51O throughout 2023. Ilya kicked off his USL Championship debut this March with a equalizing goal V the Charleston Battery. This goal, executed with his head no less, epitomized the hard work Ilya has put in and effectiveness of his supporting development environment.
  • d. Ethan Kohler, a 18 year old Bay Area native, is currently on the books at Bundesliga side Werder Bremen. Ethan took part in COPA STC’s assessments in January 2023, as part of the Oakland Roots and excelled compared to his teammates. Particularly impressive seeing as Ethan was only 17 at the time and had no senior professional playing experience.
  • e. Goalkeeper Tim Syrel, 20, was signed by the Oakland Roots from Project 51O to a professional contract in September 2023. As part of COPA’s partnership with Oakland Roots and the provision of in-depth players assessments, the two organizations were able to establish benchmarks for Tim to work toward, particularly on the technical aspect of his game. With the Roots playing style requiring a large interaction from their goalkeeper as part of build up, Tim, the Roots technical staff and COPA technical staff set out on a systematic approach to developing these skills. Support on this objective from the advanced technology only found at COPA helped refine Tim’s technique in a feedback orientated manner. This approach, through purposeful repetition and continuously optimizing the environment worked wonders for 6’5” Tim as he gained more confidence with the ball at his feet. The COPA Cube was leveraged weekly to support his technical skills through purposeful practice and high repetitions – how he received the ball, his passing and his speed of play were a big focus here. The skills.lab supported his skills further, as it replicated the contextual challenge of decision making seen within the game. Completing this additional training outside of team practice helped fill the gap that was needed for tim to stand a chance of breaking through. His speed of play and distribution skills were recognized objectively to have improved over the course of 9 months, through COPA’s approach towards repeat assessments. Not only that, there was significant recognition from the Roots technical staff in Tim’s development in Project 51O and in daily training with the first team. His continued development earned him his professional contract in September 2023, an ambition of his as he left full time education at UC Davis to pursue professional soccer.
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COPA Soccer Training Center Branding
• For downloadable photos & video clips, please contact our Director of Digital Media – tarac@verticalcreativestudios.com