Finley competed on the international stage with the U.S. U-17 National Team

At the Premier Development League (PDL) level, high school soccer players rarely find the field. Rosters are usually made up of top college players, veterans and even a few former professionals, making it difficult for a player of that age to crack the starting lineup. But Ryan Finley (Rancocas Valley HS / Lumberton, NJ) isn’t your typical high school player.

Finley is returning to Rancocas Valley High School (RVHS) this fall after spending 18 months at the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program located at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he had the opportunity to train at the United States’ premier soccer school. After gaining a tremendous amount of international experience, the Lumberton, N.J. native returned home and joined the Ocean City Barons PDL side for the 2008 season.

It would be a big summer for him as he became the youngest player to ever score for Ocean City, and just before beginning his senior year of high school, he made his college decision and scored the lone goal for the Barons’ Under-17 team in a game against the Inter Milan Under-17s.

Finley played his club soccer for Rancocas Valley Soccer Club (RVSC), and would finish his freshman season of high school soccer as the team’s second leading scorer.

He would eventually join the Barons’ Under-15 Super Y-League team, helping them reach the national finals while being named to the All-Super Y-League team.

In the summer before his sophomore year, he performed well at an Olympic Development Program (ODP) camp at Rider University and afterwards, got "the call."  He was invited to move to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. to take part in the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program. At the academy, players are exposed to an elite soccer environment where they live on campus, go to school and train full-time.

"The first month or two were hard to be away from home," said Finley. "Everyone went through this stage, some longer than others, but mine was about two months but after awhile you realize you are with your brothers and it’s like home."

There he suited up for the U.S. Under-17 National Team, and was able to see the world and gain some valuable experience.

"The friends I made there will last a lifetime," said Finley about the academy. "Going on trips to countries like England, Argentina, Uruguay, France, Northern Ireland and Ukraine are things I will always remember."

"The most memorable trip would have to have been Northern Ireland," he said. "Playing the Czech Republic [there], we were down 2-0 at halftime, but we came back to win 3-2 and I scored the winner, so that’s always a memorable  one."

After returning home, Finley joined the Barons PDL squad where he would play alongside his Super Y-League coach and personal trainer, Byron Carmichael. The Barons’ all-time leading scorer, also a Lumberton native, says his experience in the PDL will help prepare Finley for the next level.

"Ryan has learned a lot about the game and the speed of the game from playing at Bradenton," said Carmichael. who attended the same high school as Finley. "He will get a sense of the speed of the college game from playing in the PDL."

Finley didn’t make his PDL debut until the second game of the season -- May 14 -- in the Barons’ first road game against the New Jersey Rangers. He came in as a substitute in the 55th minute, and would make an immediate impression with his first PDL goal in the 78th minute. It was a special goal because at 17 years, 47 days old, Finley became the youngest player to ever score for the Barons. To make the goal even more special, it was assisted by his mentor, Carmichael. The Barons would eventually win the game, 8-1 over New Jersey.

He would come off the bench five more times in 2008, until the second to last game of the season, when he made his first start. He was in the starting 11 alongside Carmichael, but neither was able to get on the scoresheet in a 3-0 loss to the Long Island Rough Riders.

The following game, he would get another opportunity, starting in the season finale at home against the same Rangers team he scored against a little over two months ago. Finley’s mark on the game gave fans a glimpse of things to come in the future. In the 21st minute, Adam Williamson (Lehigh ’05 / Ocean City, NJ) passed the ball across midfield to Finley down the left wing. The former U.S. Under-17 international made a run from 40 yards out, reached the penalty area, cut back against a defender, and bent a shot around the goalkeeper and just inside the far post.

"It was arguably the best goal of the season," said Barons general manager Neil Holloway. "It was good to see him get some starts under his belt in the last two games, a great sign for next season."

"I’m sure at times it was frustrating year for Ryan," added Holloway. "He is used to being a starter and playing a major role, but at such a young age, I thought this year was a great education for him. He was able to watch and see from the inside what is needed to perform at the highest college level and the PDL. I think Ryan gained a tremendous amount of insight that will really help his development and his potential to be a top class player."

"It was good to get used to playing with the older guys," said Finley about his first PDL campaign. "Early on, I was a little hesitant, but I became more confident as the season went on."

Finley enters his senior year of high school on a high note. He took a break from pre-season training at Rancocas Valley to participate in a one-day camp with the Barons’ Under-17 team, led by coaches from England’s Reading Football Club. The camp was in preparation for a friendly against the Under-17s from Inter Milan, one of the premier teams in the world.

In that game, Finley scored the team’s only goal and helped the Barons draw 1-1 with the Italian Serie A Under-17 champions. After the match, he was named the man of the match by the Reading F.C. coaches and was given a n autographed jersey.

"It’s always a great experience when you play a team of that caliber and it will be a great tune up for the [upcoming high school] season ahead," said Finley. "It was a real confidence builder and I really enjoyed the opportunity to play a team like Inter Milan."

Finley has a big year ahead of him, as he begins his senior year of high school with one big weight off his shoulders. He made his college selection by making a commitment to play for Atlantic Coast Conference power Duke University next year. There he will join Barons teammate Nick Sih (Germantown Academy / Horsham, PA) who will be a sophomore this fall. He chose the Blue Devils over a number of top schools in the Big East, Big Ten and the ACC conferences.

He’s looking forward to rejoining his high school team, with a number of players who were RVSC teammates before he left for Bradenton. He has high hopes for the team this year, and expects to play for the Barons’ Under-18 team, and for the PDL side again next summer.