NewsAssociation
Destination: America! PZPN intensifies overseas scouting of female players
While the eyes of the entire sporting world are on the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which are swept up in the excitement of the World Cup, the Polish Football Association (PZPN) is taking another major step in building the future of women's football overseas. On 11 June, a key working meeting dedicated to the development of girls' scouting in the USA took place in Warsaw. The result? Ambitious plans, close cooperation between head coaches, and the first-ever dedicated girls' training camp in the USA, which will open the doors to the national team for the most talented players with Polish roots.
The meeting in Warsaw was attended by the following PZPN representatives: Marcin Dorna (PZPN Sporting Director and Director of the PZPN Coaching and National Teams Department), Bogdan Basałaj (Deputy Director of the Coaching and National Teams Department), Maciej Chorążyk (PZPN Head of Scouting), Grzegorz Stefanowicz (Director of the Women's Football Department), and Magdalena Paduch (Women's Football Department Project Manager). Joining them at the table were the head coaches of the national teams across all age categories: Nina Patalon (Women's "A" National Team), Marcin Kasprowicz (Women's U19), Paulina Kawalec (Women's U17), and Tomasz Borkowski (Women's U15). They were accompanied by Marek Radziszewski – Head Women's Scout in the USA and Associate Director of Coaching at the Illinois Youth Soccer Association.
The objective of the meeting was not only to review the activities undertaken thus far in the demanding American market but, above all, to plan concrete steps for the coming months. "The development of international scouting is a strategic project of immense importance to the Polish Football Association," emphasised Marcin Dorna, PZPN Sporting Director. "We strive to create systemic mechanisms that allow us to reach every female player with Polish roots who dreams of wearing the national eagle on her chest. We want to ensure that no talented player escapes our attention, which is why we are building a structure that genuinely broadens the selection pool for all national teams," he added.
November Target: US Training Camp
The most important item on the calendar for the upcoming months is the first-ever training and selection camp, which will take place this November in the United States. It will be attended by the most talented girls with Polish heritage who live and train in North America on a daily basis. For many of them, this will be their first direct contact with national team coaches and an opportunity to enter the PZPN player development pathway. "Women's football in the United States is characterised by tremendous intensity and the highest level of professionalism, and there are plenty of girls with Polish roots training within those structures," noted Marek Radziszewski, Head Women's Scout in the USA. "They possess immense potential. Our role is to continuously monitor that market, scout, and identify those individuals who, in the coming years, can genuinely raise the quality and form the core strength of the Poland national team," he added.
Theory into practice. Paulina Kawalec on a mission in the USA
However, these activities do not end with strategic plans – the selection process is ongoing. Excellent proof of this is the presence of the Poland Women's U17 Head Coach, Paulina Kawalec, in the United States. The coach is personally observing and analysing the players' performances during a prestigious interregional girls' football tournament, assessing first-hand the potential of players who could one day bolster the White-and-Reds.
Do you have Polish roots? Register via polskaut.pl!
The key to PZPN's effective operations abroad lies in technology and its database. The association reminds everyone that the first and most crucial step for any male or female player living outside the country is to register on the official platform via polskaut.pl or www.laczynaspilka.pl/gramy-dla-polski/strona-glowna.
It is precisely through this platform that PZPN scouts gather information about footballing talent worldwide. If you play football, have Polish heritage, and want the national team coaches to hear about you – do not wait! Registering on the portal is the simplest way to get on the association's radar and secure a chance of an invitation to the upcoming November camp!
