Ewing, NJ - Mercer County native, Patrick Snyder, has been named head coach of the men’s program for Real Central New Jersey Soccer. Last week the club announced it was joining USL League Two, the top pre-professional soccer league in the country.
Patrick brings a proven track record of success coaching at this level of soccer,” founder and men’s General Manager Ira Jersey said. “He has an impressive resume, grew up locally, and has a strong network within the New Jersey and local soccer community.” Snyder currently coaches for the Player Development Academy’s Shore region based in Tom’s River and is a Staff Coach with the Mooch Myernick Foundation in Trenton. He spent eight years as head coach of several collegiate programs, including the men’s team at Mercer County Community College for the 2011 season. As the Associate Head Coach of NJ Copa FC’s U23 team, he helped guide the team into the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) playoffs and a berth in the US Open Cup.
“I look forward to helping to build this program,” Snyder said. “It’s exciting for a club to be coming to the area where I grew up, where I work, and where I continue to have a close personal connection.”
The club had over 50 applicants for the Head Coach position. Jersey said, while there were so many qualified applicants, Snyder’s local pedigree and NPSL experience gave him a leg up on some other applicants. Snyder will be building a coaching staff and building relationships with local clubs to fulfill the club’s mission to have local talent showcased on the team’s roster. “It was important for us to play in a league that will showcase talented players from eastern Bucks and Mercer countries and get noticed,” Jersey said. “One of Patrick’s tasks will be to identify and recruit college players who grew up locally, who are ambitious, and want to get noticed.”
Jersey also noted that the club will reserve roster spots for local youth players. The club is beginning to build relationships with local youth soccer organizations with the goal of bringing in several high school- aged players to train, and potentially play, with the League Two team.
“It’s a great opportunity for players to see what it’s like to be on a college-age, pre-professional team,” Snyder said. “I hope to show local youth players a great experience and bring them back during their college years.”
The club hopes to also identify and develop players who will play professionally. 80% of Major League Soccer Draft picks played in USL League Two as did a majority of professional players in lower league soccer. #Path2Pro is used by the league on social media.
“A major reason we chose to join USL League Two is the platform identifies players who can join the professional ranks,” Jersey noted. “We’re excited to exhibit Central New Jersey’s soccer talent to local soccer fans.”