The New York Red Bulls were among the first professional soccer organizations to set the standard for player development in Major League Soccer. They were the first professional team to boast a satellite based, academy feeder system, known today as the Regional Development School (RDS). Recent years have seen an increasing number of players graduate from the RDS onto the Red Bulls Academy, and participation in the RDS is now widely recognized as the most successful route into the Academy teams.

Intended only for elite boys and girls aged 8 to 14, the RDS comprises the very best talent on Long Island born in each calendar year from 1998 to 2003, and only players actively registered with an LIJSL club are eligible to take advantage of this exclusive training opportunity.

In our efforts to make more people aware of the program, we thought the best thing to do was to let everyone hear from one of the player’s who is already in the program. Special thanks to Mark Tienken and his family for taking the time to share his experiences and put them down in words. This week is just a quick introduction to Mark. Check back later this month for stories from his summer soccer journal.

Who I Am
Hi! My name is Mark Tienken and I am 10 years old. I live in Smithtown, New York with my mom, dad and brother. I just graduated Dogwood Elementary School and I will be going into the sixth grade at Nesaquake Middle School in September.

I have been selected by the New York Red Bulls Regional Development School (RDS for short) to write this column about my Red Bull soccer training experiences. In the following weeks, with the help of Ken Ilchuk, Director of Web Services at the Long Island Junior Soccer League, you will read how it all began, my Red Bull training, other soccer adventures, and what’s happening now. I hope that you enjoy it!

About Mark:
“Mark has been a great asset to the RDS since he first joined us on our inaugural summer camp in Plainview in the summer of last year," says Simon Barrow, RDS Manager. “He has trained with the RDS each season since, and will also be joining us for both residential and day camps later on this summer. Who better to give an insider’s view of the training we provide for some of the area’s top prospects?”