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U.S. creates U-17 women's team Posted: Thursday October 24, 2002 5:58 PMATLANTA (CNNSI.com) -- With a focus on developing players, U.S. Soccer has added an under-17 women's national team to the stable of five women's national team programs. That includes the under-16 girls, under-19 women and under-21 women, in addition to the full women's national team. Former U-19 women's assistant coach Dave Smith will serve as the U-17 team's first head coach, in an appointment made by U.S. women's national team head coach and technical director April Heinrichs. He will guide the team for the first time when they get together in November. In addition to the appointment of Smith, Heinrichs has also named Chris Petrucelli as the new under-21 women's national team head coach and former under-21 assistant coach Sue Patberg as the new under-16 girls national team head coach. The U.S. under-21s have won four of the last five Nordic Cups, the tournament that is widely considered the premier event in the world for that age group. The under-16 girls' team serves as a stepping-stone into the youth national teams program and is often their first exposure to international soccer. "We started the U-17s because we felt it was vitally important to get more talented players training with national team coaches and with the best players in their age groups," said Heinrichs. "Just a short few years ago, we were neglecting an entire generation of players, but now with the U-16s, U-17s, U-19s and U-21s, we will not be overlooking a single birth year. "We are finding the best coaches and we are putting them positions where they can best serve the game and our players."
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