Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association is partnering with Everton Football Club to host a Premier League-level training camp this summer, offering young athletes a rare opportunity to develop their skills under a European academy model.

The four-day Everton Soccer School runs August 12 through August 15 at Jefferson Middle School’s soccer field and targets developmental-level players. Sessions take place from 9 a.m. to noon, led by coaches trained in Everton’s system. The cost is $175 per player.

Each session centers on the “Six Brilliant Basics” of Everton’s player development model: passing, receiving, screening/defending, forward moves/dribbling, turning and finishing. Players receive a goodie bag and access to Everton’s official membership and digital benefits for the 2025-26 season.

“This is the first time we’ve ever done a camp like this,” said Timothy Defeo, McNeilly Road, president of the Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association. “We’re trying to mimic European soccer as much as possible. If you relate it to baseball in America, kids here learn baseball from a young age with strong fundamentals, so it becomes muscle memory. This camp brings that same mindset to soccer but with a European method.”

Defeo said the camp focuses on tactical awareness, decision-making and live-play scenarios instead of traditional drills. While open to a broad range of players, it’s geared toward those serious about developing their game.

Roy Collins, Everton’s North America director, said the program arrives at a pivotal moment for the sport.

“Soccer in the Americas is getting bigger and stronger,” Collins said. “The most popular league in the world, the English Premier League, is on national TV pretty much every single weekend.”

He said Everton is committed to developing talent, not just growing its fan base. “Interest is growing, and we want to be a part of that — on the ground, working directly with young players,” he said. “This is about creating connections and development pipelines. There’s real talent here.”

Everton coaches deliver high-energy sessions built around the club’s methodology, blending intensity with creativity and providing real-time instruction.

Founded in 1970, Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association has long provided competitive and community-based soccer opportunities and is the largest sports authority in Lebo, according to Defeo. The Everton partnership marks its most high-profile initiative to date and could become a recurring event.

“There’s no reason the next great American soccer player can’t come from right here,” Defeo said. “We’re giving kids access to something they’d normally have to fly overseas for.”

For more info on the Everton Soccer School or updates on future camps and programs, visit mlsa.org.