Alliance Expands Expansive Programming Designed to Empower Kids and Teens to Excel Academically and Lead Healthy, Productive Lives
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Feb. 11, 2025 – Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle’s new partnership with the professional Westchester Soccer Club (WSC) will fund scholarships to the team’s Soccer Academy for selected club youths and create innovative opportunities and benefits that support the club’s advocacy, programming and services.
Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle members ages 9 to 18 will try out for up to six scholarships on March 1, 2025, at Columbus Elementary School in New Rochelle. Their skills will be evaluated by Westchester Soccer Club team personnel, giving winners the opportunity to enroll in the academy and potentially develop into professional soccer players.
The partnership also is expected to include exclusive soccer clinics, internships at Westchester Soccer Club’s administrative office, tickets to games and opportunities to meet and learn from professional soccer players. In addition, Westchester Soccer Club plans to donate a portion of all tickets sold to the Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle to support programming.
“Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle is thrilled to announce this innovative partnership with Westchester Soccer Club and we’re excited by the meaningful opportunities it offers our members,” said CEO Becky Mazzanobile. “We very much appreciate Westchester Soccer Club’s vision and commitment to youth development, including paving paths for our young athletes to potentially turn pro. What a rare, wonderful opportunity! We look forward to a terrific relationship that fuels our members’ love of soccer and other benefits that make a lasting difference in their lives.”
Westchester Soccer Club will open its inaugural season in the United Soccer League’s League One, which includes 14 teams primarily along the East Coast. Home games will be at the Stadium at Memorial Field in Mount Vernon, N.Y. The team’s inaugural game is March 8 vs. the Greenville Triumph in South Carolina.
Westchester Soccer Club owner Mitch Baruchowitz envisions the partnership with Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle as an investment in today’s youth and tomorrow’s adults.
“We’re excited to work with the Boys & Girls Club and open a pathway to play in an elite soccer academy,” Baruchowitz said. “It’s important to offer a different model of elite youth soccer, and doing so means taking the steps to bring that change. Being connected to a pro team means more scholarships, more opportunities.”
The Westchester Soccer Club’s Soccer Academy operates year-round, with students currently born between 2006 and 2015. It is the only soccer academy in the area with a direct pathway to a professional soccer team. Academy participants primarily practice at Woodlands Middle/High School in Hartsdale, N.Y., and staff are certified by UEFA, the governing body for soccer in Europe and other countries. Players competing for academy scholarships will be judged on aspirations to improve, love of the game, positive attitude and their soccer creativity, offensive and defensive skills.
For 95 years, Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle has been an integral part of the community, offering quality, achievement-driven programming, encompassing academics, mental wellness, fitness, leadership and civics. Today, it is one of Westchester County’s largest nonprofits and a leader in youth development, serving over 8,000 youths annually at 12 school sites and two clubhouses in Larchmont, Mamaroneck and New Rochelle.
Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle’s impactful before-school, after-school, elective and summer offerings empower members to excel in school, become good citizens and lead healthy, productive lives while effectively bridging the gap between school and home. Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle is proud to be affiliated with Boys & Girls Club of America, widely considered as both the leading youth organization and among the top nonprofits in the United States. Learn more about and donate to Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle at BGCNR.org.
The Westchester Soccer Club is the area’s first homegrown professional sports team. It plans to introduce a professional women’s soccer team in the coming years. Learn more about the Westchester Soccer Club at WestchesterSC.com.
