Hartford, CT -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/11/2012 -- NSAW participant, Lauren Roe, leaves her reference club, FSA in Farmington, CT, to join SoccerPlus ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) at the U15 level.

Leaving longtime friends, teammates and coaches, especially those who you have won championships with, can be difficult and emotional. This is what NSAW participant Lauren Roe recently experienced. “It is hard to leave my teammates at FSA but I know this is the best move for me right now. The girls on the ECNL team are all very serious and work hard which is the most important thing to me.” Roe mentioned that her new teammates share the same dream of playing at a high level in college.

Roe, also an Olympic Development (ODP) player, is going into her sophomore year at Berlin High School, Berlin, CT and has been on the NSA watch-list since the eighth grade. Although it was her combined accomplishments in the classroom and as a track sprinter that initially got her recognized by the NSAW, it is soccer that continues to be her passion. Roe also has affection for lacrosse, which replaced track last year.

Roe’s father expects the level of play in the new soccer league to be much faster and much more physical. “We attended a few ECNL games recently and were very impressed with the competition across the board. We watched teams from across the country and witnessed soccer that was at a much higher level.” He mentioned that Lauren was doubled rostered at FSA and also played with the U18 Navy team. This team included players already committed to Division I programs such as the University of Hartford and Fairfield University. “The speed and physicality of the players was incredible for a U14 player like Lauren to be a part of. We believe the level of play with the ECNL will be very similar based on what we have seen and read about with ECNL competition.”

Lauren attended the West Virginia University Elite Camp in February and learned quickly that joining an ECNL team was critical, not only for the higher-level development, but for the exposure to hundreds of great soccer schools across the country. Roe’s father told us that schools have limited budgets to see players. “College coaches rarely attend high school games and it is primarily local college coaches that ever attend CT Junior Soccer Association (CJSA) premiere games which FSA is affiliated. Major college coaches travel to see ECNL games and tournaments since they are so well organized. Coaches have the opportunity to see more of the nation’s top players in a highly competitive environment”.

Lauren Roe’s NSAW interview may be read online at Guardian Press and The Upstate Press Network. http://tinyurl.com/7we9qfq

Former athletes profiled at this age include:

- NBA MVP Tim Duncan
- WNBA Sheryl Swoopes
- Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees
- Two-time Beach Volleyball Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh

More specifically on Lauren Roe can be viewed at http://www.laurenroe.com