Nike Jr. Invitational

Click here to register for the 2008 Nike Jr. Friendlies

Click here for Permission to Host Forms...

The Concept:
Every year, players make the choice of which soccer club gives them the best environment to enhance his or her skills and grow as a player. Once the decision has been made, then players bleed with pride their club colors throughout league play, tournaments, state cup play, and identification events.

Thanks to NIKE, numerous opportunities at both the regional and national level are becoming more available to players and clubs. And for those clubs that have made the choice to make NIKE their outlet for elite level competition, it has become our responsibility to create better opportunities within the Premier NIKE Club community. It is with this focus that the NIKE Jr. Friendlies are staged.

The Reality:
Beginning in 2006, the Richmond Strikers Soccer Club in Richmond, Virginia has come forward to offer their home facility, Striker Park, over Labor Day Weekend for a 3 day event of “Friendlies” for NIKE Premier Clubs to bring their U13 to U15 Boys and Girls teams to compete much in the same way that our older teams compete in Bradenton, Florida each December.

Previous Participants from FC Delco, Seacoast United, Colorado Rush, Brooklyn Knights, Sockers FC, Real Colorado, Weston FC, VA Rush Soccer Club, VA Legacy Soccer Club, Bethesda Soccer Club, Prince William Soccer Club, Spirit United Soccer Club, Tennessee Rush, Michigan Rush, New Mexico Rush, Pennsylvania Rush and the event’s host the Richmond Strikers.

In conjunction with the Nike Junior Friendlies the Strikers host a USSF National Referee Academy featuring the regions top level referees. The Nike Junior Friendlies invites US Soccer National Staff members to come to Striker Park and see some of the top players in the country play competitive soccer in the comfort of their own team environment. All games are played at Striker Park or at the Strikers brand new 8-field complex, Markel Fields at Westcreek.

2008 Highlights
• Saturday, August 30th to Monday, September 1st
• 3 Day Event
• Teams will play 2 games in one day and one game on two days for a total of 4 games.
• Games at Striker Park or the new Markel Fields
• Friendly Format
• Nike Premier Clubs and Nike Partner Clubs
• Regional and National Scouts will be invited to attend.
• National Level Referees - USSF Referee Academy Event

Comments on the previous Nike Jr. Friendlies
“Great competition! We were thrilled to be included in the event.”
“Unbelievable referees all weekend.”
“Great competition, great fields, great location, single game format is superb, much better tournament format and competition than any tournament we have participated in.”
“Top class facilities. Your fields were immaculate”
“We knew the competition would be good, and it was.”

"all the games were very well played by all"

Click here to register for the 2008 Nike Jr. Friendlies

Please direct any questions you may have to our Tournament/Club Line
at Office: 804.288.4625, ext 16 Fax: 804.285.8477 or Email: tournaments@strikersonline.com