Coosa High School rising freshman Fransico "Paco" Miranda spent the summer chasing an Olympic dream at the REGION III Olympic Development Program Soccer Camp. Miranda was one of only two players from the North Georgia area chosen to attend the camp. The primary mission of the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program is to identify elite level Region III players and facilitate their selection to the US National Team programs.

The selection process takes place through state, regional and national trials. The primary benefit to the player is the opportunity to try out, train, and play against the best players in their age group and further their development as soccer players. Randy Vice, head coach of the Coosa High team, talked with Miranda about the summer experience. He said, “Paco had a great camp and hopes to find out within the week whether or not he has made the Region Squad.”  The  squad from Region III will include the best players from Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina, Oklahoma , South Carolina , Tennessee , north Texas, and south Texas.  

Miranda has consistently been one of the state of Georgia’s top goal scorers while playing for the Concorde Soccer Club out of the Metro Atlanta area.  Vice is looking forward to him continuing that success on the Coosa High team. “We are excited to have Paco as part of the Coosa family; he is a hard worker and an outstanding young man on the playing field and in the classroom.”  Vice said, “I believe Paco will continue his successful endeavors in both areas and should help us continue the tradition of excellence we expect at Coosa High from all of our students and players.”

According to the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program’s Web site, the program was formed in 1977 to identify a pool of players in each age group from which a National Team will be selected for international competition.  The opportunity provides young soccer players with high-level training to benefit and enhance the development of players at all levels; and, through the use of carefully selected and licensed coaches, develop a mechanism for the exchange of ideas and curriculum to improve all levels of coaching.