Soccer Program’s Success Leads To MLS Prospects

For Jamie Clark, developing talent capable of playing in the MLS starts with finding success as a program at the Division I level.

“With our team, it has been guys who have truly developed and grown as players through the course of their careers and have earned being pros,” Clark said.

“It becomes a tricky thing, because you want the pride and passion to be about the Huskies and have this program win its first national championship, but when the expectation is to become a professional player, then that can all of a sudden become the end goal,” Clark said.

With former standouts like Thoma playing for Portland, and Roldan and Jones continuing their careers in Seattle with Sounders FC, Washington is developing a cycle where players come in, build the program, move on to the next level and then come back to mentor young Huskies.

“If guys really do want to be pros, the best way to get recognized and find success is to make sure we’re a top-25 team, even better to make sure we’re a top-10 team,” Clark said.

Becoming a starter, and developing over the course of a career, positions players for potential professional careers.

There is a development process that starts with finding players who fit Washington’s program.