SAA - SCU is a member of the Illinois Premier Alliance

What is the Illinois Premier Alliance?

IPA is an alliance of like-minded, community based soccer clubs. Rather than form one mega-club, each club within the alliance retains the right to manage their club in the manner they feel is best for their members. The main objective of the alliance is to offer mutual benefits to the member clubs that are greater than what they might otherwise be able to achieve on their own. 

What are The Benefits of Being a Part of the Illinois Premier Alliance?

Illinois Premier Alliance seeks to support the community travel club in providing more value to its members and to help the community club succeed in the current travel soccer environment. Players from our member clubs supplement their participation in their current club with the possibility of playing on a second team with talented players against some of the most talented teams in the Midwest and in the country.

The goal is for each member club is to retain their players and attract new players to the IPA member clubs. The IPA members have a forum to share information among coaches and boards. They have access to guest players for league games and tournaments, and they have greater leverage in reducing costs incurred to attend tournaments and play in indoor leagues. The All Star teams will play additional games in the NISL Premier League and Super Y League.

The Partnership will be run by the Technical Committee (TC) made up of each clubs Directors and Directors of Coaching. The TC is in charge with running tryouts for the Select team, evaluating players, forming IPA tournament teams and assigning coaches, among many other tasks.   

All players from each of our member clubs have the potential to experience the following benefits:

• Preseason friendlies/tournaments
• Player Sharing/Guest playing opportunities with other IPA member teams
• Winter/futsal friendlies
• Additional street soccer festivals/opportunities
• Expanded summer camp opportunities
• Additional training jersey provided to all players

There are additional potential benefits for players in each member club (based on age and and/or ability):

•  IP Select Team participation

1. NPL/NISL Premier League 
2. Top Tier Tournaments (State Cup, WAGS, Muscatine, etc.)

• International Trips
•  College exposure and recruiting resources
•  U23 Level Summer teams

How Does the IP Alliance Select Team Work?

Illinois Premier will form Select Teams in various age groups (usually U12 and older) to compete in higher level tournaments or leagues. Players for these teams are selected by multiple coaches from our member clubs, and players who are invited to participate on one of these teams should consider it an honor! These IP teams will not really practice together much, as all players will get their training with their normal team. The IP Select team is an opportunity to play at a higher level than our normal league, to offer an additional high level opportunity for our players that are looking for the challenge of playing at the highest level. 

*There are additional costs associated with the Select team for those players who make the team.  These costs cover uniform, tournaments, coaches, etc.

Countless advantages for SAA-SCU members including:

• Players do not have to leave their team/club for more opportunity

• More opportunity for players that want to compete at higher levels than their team currently does without leaving their team

• Access to larger player pools for coaches when there are conflicts with games

• Collaboration with coaching staffs for continued education

• Our Club keeps it identity and makes all its own decisions as we have in the past 

• We keep our brand and wear our own uniforms

• Showcase aged players have more opportunities to Showcase with teams within the Alliance

• Our players are making more friends and soccer networking than in previous years

For more information about the alliance you can visit the website: www.illinoispremieralliance.com