Kalamazoo Outrage Press Release - www.kalamazoooutrage.com
Friday, August 22, 2008
KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Outrage's 2008 Head Coach Stu Riddle and team Player of the Year Terry Alvino have returned from a week-long trip to Sheffield Wednesday.
Central defender Alvino spent the week in Sheffield rubbing shoulders on the training ground with U.S. International Frank Simek and former English Internationals Francis Jeffers and Steve Watson as he practiced with the English Championship side.
Riddle observed all the training sessions and felt Alvino did himself and the Michigan-based franchise proud. "The way Terry acquitted himself was tremendous. Twelve hours after stepping off a plane he was on the training ground with some very big name players and didn’t look out of place at all."
The 24-year-old former USL 1 player knew all along that strict British work permit regulations would prevent him from signing with Sheffield Wednesday but Riddle said Alvino was hopeful of securing something in Continental Europe.
"He was contacted by a couple of agents while he was over there and hopefully something happens for him. We were lucky to have him at the Outrage this season and he was a credit to our organization on and off the field," said Riddle. Alvino was also named to the PDL's 2008 Central Conference Team of the Year to cap a glowing season.
The trip to Sheffield Wednesday's plush Middlewood Rd training ground came a week after Riddle announced he wouldn't be returning to coach the Outrage in the 2009. After guiding the first year franchise to the last eight of the PDL, only to lose in the Central Conference Final to eventual PDL champions the Thunder Bay Chill, Riddle has accepted an assistant coaching position at Fairfield University in Connecticut.
"It was a great experience for everyone involved but the opportunity to take a full time role at a top Division I University was far too good to ignore,” said Riddle. “I have known Carl Rees (Head Coach at Fairfield) for a number of years and as a young aspiring coach look forward to working and developing under his tutelage."
The Outrage finished their inaugural season with a 10-7-1 record.
