2005

After a lot of time and effort and with the support of Enterprise, Maria’s Deli, Quality Inn, Gatorade and Spumoni Restaurant. The Milan Junior Camp was for the first time held in Santa Clarita. The greatest support came from Warner Bros who sponsored the event at Hart High School.

The two official AC Milan trainers were Paolo Tarozzi and Angelo Castelazi (now is AC Milan first team assistant coach) who conducted the camp.

The highlight of the event was at the closing ceremony when AC Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani briefly spoke and did a meet and greet with the camp attendee. The event took place for two weeks in July 2005.

Click here for event images

2006

Due to the success of the 2005 event and with the support of Maria’s Deli, La Quinta Inn, Enterprise, Bucca di Beppo, Gatorade, Warner Bros, Acqua Panna, Consumers Furniture Gallery, and the Italian Chamber of Commerce. Another successful Milan Junior Camp was held at Hart High School. The event took place 1 week in Santa Clarita, 1 week in Pasadena and 1 week in Moorpark. The official AC Milan trainers were Ernesto Ramella and Cristano Scapolo.

Click here for event images

2007

Milan Junior Camp was held in Santa Clarita at Hart High School and also Glendale Sport Complex for a total of two weeks.

Sponsors include: Maria’s Deli, Bucca Di Beppo, Enterprise, La Quinta Inn Hotel and Angelo’s Restaurant.

The two official AC Milan Trainers were Nuncio Sabatier and Cristiano Scapolo. At the closing ceremony the highlight of the event was the Champions League Cup won by AC Milan (defeated Liverpool FC 2-1) where the camp attendees had the chance to take pictures and hold the trophy.

Sunday July 15, 2007

A.C. Milan Unveils Academy

By Luke Andrews
Signal Staff Writer

What a week it's been for soccer in Southern California.

One day after England superstar David Beckham dominated the sports landscape with his official introduction as the newest member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Italy's A.C. Milan, one of the most successful soccer clubs in the world, officially unveiled its Milan USA Academy Saturday in Santa Clarita, one of just two like it in the United States.

"This is a historic moment for the city of Santa Clarita," said coach and organizer Lucas Bongarra. "It's a dream come true."

Nearly 100 people attended the introduction at the Santa Clarita Community Center, which included the display of A.C. Milan's seventh and most recent Champions League Trophy, which the team earned in May after a 2-1 victory over England's Liverpool.

It marked the first time the trophy has been out of Europe and in the United States.

"I got the chills," said Joe Mastroianni, a native of Italy, who attended with his wife Jaleen and 15-year old son Dante. "The magnitude, it's unbelievable. We're extremely fortunate to have it."

The trophy will also go to Miami, Fla. and New York.

"It was inspiring for the kids," said Linda Hill, who attended the event with her son Justin. "All the kids were touching it, kissing it. It was really a great experience. It encouraged them."

Fans had two opportunities Saturday to take photos with the trophy.

"That cup has been raised by some of the great soccer players in the world," said Eddie Marles, the A.C. Milan consulting executive for the U.S. and Latin America. "It's my pleasure to bring it here to Santa Clarita."

Currently the academy, which is also located in 45 other countries, has 150 players signed up to play on 14 teams in Santa Clarita under the prestigious A.C. Milan name.

The academy, led by former Italian professional Cristiano Scapolo, is open to boys U9 to U18 and girls U9 to U14.

"This is a perfect place (for the academy)," Scapolo said. "The kids in this part of the United States play maybe 10 months. We don't need to break for weather or cold. This is a great place, and there's a great potential for the kids."

The academy runs a season-long program and applies the same types of theories and practices used by the A.C. Milan team, nominated the world's best soccer club, according to Marles.

"It's extremely exciting," said Dennis Canevari, there with his son Ian. "Obviously with Beckham coming here, soccer's taken a strong hold. I grew up playing soccer 25 years ago and people used to look at me like 'what is soccer?' Now everybody's playing."

Saturday, July 14 2007

MILAN SOCCER ACADEMY TO LAUNCH TODAY

Lucas Bongarra, coach of a boys soccer U18 and a girls soccer U17 team in Santa Clarita, has a player who has driven to Orange County twice a week for two years in order to receive top-notch training and competition.

"The only reason she's going there is because there's nothing that she can be exposed to at a high level of soccer in Santa Clarita," said Bongarra, a former player at The Master's College.

That won't be the case anymore.

Today, Italy's A.C. Milan, one of the most successful soccer clubs in the world and owner of seven Champions League trophies, will officially open the Milan USA Academy in Santa Clarita for boys and girls ages six through 17 in both recreational and developmental categories as well as a competitive travel team program.

There is only one other academy like it in the United States, the other located in Miami, Fla.

"It's huge," Bongarra said of the academy. "To have a club like A.C. Milan helping us in Santa Clarita and bringing in the program to the kids, it's unbelievable."

The academy's goal is to "develop healthy and well-structured individuals whether they're going to be professional players, high schools players or college players," said Eddie Marles, the A.C. Milan consulting executive for the U.S. and Latin America.

"That's the whole concept behind this, developing talent, developing youth, just to be better individuals and to help the environment," Marles said. "We hope to develop this club in the next three or four years into having international recognition."

The academy, based out of Hart High, also provides members the opportunity to possibly interact with A.C. Milan players and staff, according to the academy's Web site.

"We're willing to jump on the project because what we're doing, no one else is," Bongarra said. "We're going to be working with a nutritionist, psychologist and a fitness trainer on top of the director of coaches."

The foundation for the academy was the Milan Junior Camp, which existed for three years in Santa Clarita.

"That was a stepping stone to this permanent program," Marles said. "It's been a three-year process, mainly introducing ourselves to the community."

There are currently 14 teams in the academy that will play in the 10,200-team Cal South League. The academy, led by Director of Coaches Cristiano Scapolo, a former Italian Serie A player, will also hold tryouts next Monday through Wednesday at Hart High.

There is an inauguration ceremony for the academy beginning today at 11:30 a.m. at the Santa Clarita Community Center, which includes a presentation and press conference as well as a speech from Santa Clarita Mayor Marsha McLean.

The ceremony also includes the display of AC Milan's most recent Champions Cup Trophy, which the team won in May after a 2-1 victory over England's Liverpool. Fans can view and take pictures with the trophy from Noon-2:45 p.m. and again at Frontier Toyota at 5 p.m.

It's the first time the trophy has left Europe and the first time it will be in the United States.