Congratulations!!
F.C. Portland Academy players selected
2010 Gatorade Players of the Year for the State of Oregon
Congratulations Sarah Bridges / Thomas Iwasaki
For the second straight year, F.C. Portland is honored to congratulate two Academy players, Sarah Bridges and Thomas Iwasaki, for their selection as the top players in the state of Oregon through Gatorade’s National Program.
In 2009, the Gatorade selections were Jonathan Flores and Kendall Johnson, both Academy players. Flores is on the current U18 Men’s team and Johnson just completed her freshman year at the University of Portland, earning membership on the All-American Freshman Team honors.
As is the case with the winner from each state for 2010, Sarah and Thomas were selected for their skills and their leadership on the field and in the classroom.
Sarah handled midfield duties at Jesuit High School and plays several positions for the Academy’s U18 Girls team. “Having watched Sarah over many years and knowing how hard she’s worked within the Academy, her coaches and I simply expect outstanding things from her. Sarah is a special player who continues to grow as a person, which is central to our mission of teaching and development. This is a great honor for her and we’re all very happy she’s earned this recognition” said Mike dePinna, Director of Coaching / Women’s Side. Sarah will be attending the University of Portland in the fall.
Thomas is also a midfielder on the F.C. Portland Academy U18 Boys and a student at Lake Oswego High School. According to Rob Baarts, Head Coach / Men’s Side and Assistant Head Coach at UP “Thomas has gotten better each week, it seems. The intensity of games that he was exposed to through our two years with the Development Academy helped him develop into a strong player who loves to compete. He is going to be a great asset to the UP program because he understands what it takes to go up against the best players every week, for a full competitive year.”
Congratulations, again to Sarah and to Thomas for their achievements and good luck during the remaining competitive season!
F.C. Portland Academy Coaches, Board and Staff |
Born in 1951, Clive Charles grew up playing street soccer before joining West Ham United youth teams at the age of 12. When he turned 15, Clive signed with the English First Division club West Ham United as an apprentice, following in the footsteps of his older brother John. Clive turned professional and joined the first team in 1970. The club loaned him briefly (1971-1972) to the Montreal oin Canada - part of the North American Soccer League (NASL). In 1972, the defender made the first of his 14 League and 1 Cup appearances for “The Hammers”. 