Music: {allcanada} WHITECAPS NAME GROOTSCHOLTEN TO HEAD TEAM'S RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Thursday, November 4, 2010

{allcanada} WHITECAPS NAME GROOTSCHOLTEN TO HEAD TEAM'S RESIDENCY PROGRAM

VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Whitecaps have named Richard Grootscholten as technical director and head coach of their full-time residency program with the aim of developing players for Major League Soccer.

Grootscholten, 45, joins the Whitecaps after 20 years of coaching in the Netherlands. The native of De Lier spent the last two years as technical director of Sparta Rotterdam, the oldest professional soccer club in the Netherlands. Prior to that he spent two seasons as head coach of the Sparta youth academy and assistant coach of the club's first team.

Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said the addition of Grootscholten will help the team achieve its goal of being one of the top professional clubs in world soccer. The Whitecaps will join MLS in 2011.

"The residency program remains an integral part of our vision to develop players for the highest levels of the game," Lenarduzzi said in a release this week. "Attracting a top international coaching talent such as Richard speaks volumes to the reputation of our club and our residency program."

Grootscholten said the Whitecaps have shown their commitment to developing young talent.

"Having worked my entire professional career in the Netherlands, I'm hopeful I can contribute in a positive way to the development of great young players in Canada," he said in a release.

Grootscholten will join Craig Dalrymple, Steve Meadley and Martin Nash as a member of the Whitecaps FC residency coaching staff. Dalrymple will serve as the assistant technical director while Meadley will be an assistant coach, and Nash a staff coach.

Prior to his role as Sparta technical director, Grootscholten spent time with Dutch clubs VV Katwijk, Excelsior Maassluis, and RKVV Westlandia.