Hudson, OH, Sept 23, 2020 - Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio) and Black Rock FC (Great Barrington, MA) have entered into a long term partnership agreement to offer the Black Rock FC Residential Academy | Western Reserve. The 10-month soccer program will attract high-achieving student-athletes with the goal of continuing on to compete at the collegiate level. The team will compete in high school/prep school matches and events in the fall then transition to club events and friendlies representing Black Rock FC in the winter and spring. The BRFC Residential Academy | Western Reserve will begin with the boys program in the 2021-2022 academy year. 

 

Founded in 2013, Black Rock FC has established itself as a preeminent club in America having produced many top college players and young professionals. The club has gained national acclaim for its exciting brand of attacking football and its focus on player development. The current club structure provides development opportunities from grassroots to USL League Two, the highest level of amateur football in the USA. Using football as a vehicle, Black Rock FC seeks to help young men and women further their life opportunities by emphasizing academics, community, leadership, service and global-minded thinking. 

 

Western Reserve Academy will be the Black Rock FC’s exclusive partner in the Midwest and marks the club’s third residential academy in four years, the first being Northwood School (Lake Placid, NY) in 2018, followed by High Mowing School (Wilton, NH) in 2019. Club founder, and CEO, Jon Moodey, spent 18 years coaching and teaching in independent boarding schools including Western Reserve Academy. 

 

“Reserve is a special place with great history and a beautiful campus,” says Moodey. “What’s amazing is the vibrant sense of community that is almost tangible. The passionate group of faculty and staff take great care in creating a welcoming environment and it is celebrated through a dynamic student body with diverse interests and talents. From a soccer perspective, what has been missing is a year-round developmental platform that caters to the very best student-athletes - that’s where we come in. If history is any indication, Black Rock has been able to help our student-athletes access top universities for soccer and education and we expect the residential academy at Reserve to produce the same results. We are very thankful for the opportunity and excited to embark on this partnership.”

 

Western Reserve Academy, founded in 1826, is a co-educational boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12, as well as postgraduate students. Niche ranks WRA the #1 boarding school in Ohio and #1 private school in Ohio for STEM, and WRA ranks in the top 3 percent of private schools in the country. WRA believes in joy in education and sends 100 percent of its students to the country’s top colleges and universities. Boys and girls soccer players at Reserve have matriculated to these schools and more: 

 

Case Western Reserve University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, University of Michigan, Yale University, Colgate University, College of William and Mary, College of Wooster, Colorado College, Dartmouth College, Denison University, Harvard University, New York University, Northwestern University, Oberlin College, Occidental College, Stanford University, Tufts University, University of Akron, University of Chicago, University of Pittsburgh, Washington University in St. Louis.

 

Architectural Digest named Reserve the most beautiful private high school in Ohio, taking into consideration its idyllic setting in Hudson, OH (adjacent to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park) and its 190 acres, which include a collegiate-style field house for its student athletes.

 

WRA is a place where opportunities to dream, achieve, and contribute surround every student. Beautiful galleries, stages, classrooms and abundant outdoor space are the backdrop for culture, camaraderie, and competition. Connections to causes in the community and beyond invite students to make a difference, not for the sake of putting points on the board for college, but leave permanent marks in their hearts and minds.

 

WRA Head of School, Susanne Walker Buck says, "WRA's soccer athletes are stars by many measures. They excel on the field, in the classroom, and as leaders in the community. We have a proud history upon which to build, including the fact that WRA was the first high school in Ohio to offer soccer as a sport. The future - under the leadership of Herb Haller and by virtue of our partnership with Black Rock - is an exciting one for everyone at WRA and the new students who will join us to partake in this exceptional program."  

 

WRA Athletic Director, Boys Varsity Soccer Coach Herb Haller adds “I am extremely excited to form this partnership with Black Rock FC.” added This will be a great opportunity for our student-athletes, both individually and collectively, as this relationship will create a unique environment for success on and off the field.”