MKA 7th Grader Wesley Wade selected for US Club Soccer's USA “Top 18”

Congratulations to MKA seventh grader Wesley Wade, who has been invited by US Club Soccer to join a team of America's "Top 18" thirteen-year-old players to tour the Netherlands and Germany early next year.

Selection for this elite team was based on Wesley’s performance at the Nike id2 (National player identification and development) tryout held in September.  He also reached the first round of the New Jersey Olympic Development Program earlier this year.

Wesley, who has attended MKA since Pre-Kindergarten, has been playing soccer since he was five years old, first coached by his mom Joyce on a South Orange Cougar Team.  Last year he made the MKA Middle School "A Team" as a sixth grader and this year helped contribute to the team’s record of 9-1. In addition, Wesley, together with MKA classmate Malcolm Dixon, is a member of the NJ Rangers Lions Under-13 travel club team.  The team, ranked #1 in the state, #2 in the north-east region and #6 in the country for under-13’s, made it to the finals of this year’s NJ State Cup.

As a member of the USA squad traveling to Europe from February 5-14, Wesley will have the opportunity to experience the day-to-day culture of some of the world’s most well-known professional soccer clubs, while also improving himself on the field through high-level training and game competition.  For Wesley himself, the opportunity to compete against some of Europe’s top youth teams in some of Europe’s most famous football stadiums is an exciting one, and the thing he most hopes for is "To hear cheers of 'Go USA! Go USA!' when I score in Europe!"