*

Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania and St. Luke’s University Health Network are proud to announce a partnership that will bring the newest Paris Saint-Germain Academy to Pennsylvania.

The French football club has academies in 16 countries, including soccer-rich nations such as Brazil, England, Germany and France.

The local Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania will operate its Academy and training out of St. Luke’s facilities, utilizing the Network’s vast array of sports medicine services including sports nutrition, sports psychologists, physical therapists and athletic trainers.

The organization is planning to kick things off at the academy training level this summer at St. Luke’s Union Boulevard facility in Allentown.

"Paris Saint-Germain Academy USA is excited to expand its academy network into Pennsylvania to work with a great talent pool in that area and provide each player with the best training and development opportunities,” said Ravy Truchot, President of Paris Saint-Germain Academy USA. “The partnership of The Paris Saint-Germain Academy in Pennsylvania and St. Luke's Health Network is very exciting to us as they share the same vision on a full growth and development of the athletes on and off the field. We look forward as an organization to become an integral part of the community in Pennsylvania."

Ravy said St. Luke’s facilities will be recognized as the official facilities of Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania.

“We are excited to have been chosen by Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania to be their official healthcare and sports medicine provider,” said John Hauth, Network Director, Sports Medicine Partnerships for St. Luke’s. “This is very exciting for our Network to partner with Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania, which will provide excellence in soccer training, education and competition.”

The initial phase of Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania will begin with indoor training at St. Luke’s Union Boulevard, with plans to expand to St. Luke’s Sports Rink in Whitehall and other facilities. Rather than form teams right away, the emphasis will be on soccer education and training for the coaches and players.

“The leadership of Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania understands the great talent in Eastern Pennsylvania with its history of producing many national championship youth teams. We are using the Paris Saint-Germain training methodology, designed by the technical team of the club in Paris” Truchot said. “Obviously the skill level is different for the youth, but the methodology is the same. Our coaches get trained, they don’t just get hired. They go through a rigorous process to learn the methodology. We are interested in elevating the talent in the region. We are not coming to Pennsylvania to take away from local clubs. We are coming to Pennsylvania to work with local talent and help them get to the next levels nationally and internationally.”

Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania will utilize all of St. Luke’s sports medicine services to enable their athletes to reach their full potential. In addition to core sports medicine elements like athletic training and sports performance coaching, Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania will have streamlined access to nutritionists, psychologists and physical therapists specialty trained in sports medicine.

Additionally, regular educational and informational sessions that include performance, strength training and comprehensive care from nutrition and physical therapy through sports psychology and athlete development will be provided to Academy parents and coaches.

Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania focuses on the education and training aspect of soccer before forming competition-level teams. Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania is planning soccer school programs, after-school programs with local schools, as well as on-going clinics throughout the year to work with every level from youth through college.

The ultimate goal is to train and help players reach their full potential, using the world-renowned Paris Saint-Germain Academy training methodology. With structure, discipline, and the skills the Academy teaches, players will receive the best exposure opportunities locally and beyond.

“At St. Luke’s, we strive to form sustainable relationships with organizations fully committed to a collaborative approach,” Hauth said. “We are excited to partner with an organization that really appreciates the need to provide their athletes with access to a comprehensive sports medicine program. It was clear early on that St. Luke’s and Paris Saint-Germain Academy Pennsylvania are like-minded in our approach to excellence and delivering the highest quality programs.”