Our Football in the Community team is delighted to have formed a partnership with Valdosta Lowndes Soccer Club in southern Georgia, USA.

The American youth soccer club will be able tap into the knowledge of our community staff and hosting a number of our coaches at training camps, as well as travelling to England to witness the Royals' training methods first hand.

Valdosta's Chip Harp explains, "Football is big in southern Georgia, USA, but not the version the world knows best - American Football has been king in this area for over 100 years.

"Valdosta is home to the High School with the most wins of any prep school in the nation and a National Champion college football team. Therefore, it's hard to imagine that the fastest growing sport in the area is the other football, the type the rest of the world plays!

"The Valdosta Lowndes Soccer Club (and its competitive arm, Lightning Futbol Club) has grown from a handful of loosely associated teams to an organization now boasting both male and female teams from ages U9 to U18.

"All told, more than 400 kids play soccer under the management of the club through both recreational and competitive programs.

"The club, with only one paid staffer, draws its strength from dozens of volunteer coaches who dedicate their time, effort, and resources to building the best club possible through training and earning their coaching badges in their spare time.

"We regularly compete with many of the largest clubs in the southeast, including large clubs from Atlanta, Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando.

"We are very excited by our link with Reading Football Club and look forward to a very fruitful partnership."

You can find out more about the Club at their website www.valdostasoccer.com

If you represent an overseas club and would like to work with Reading FC, please email Lee Herron on lherron@readingfc.co.uk