Next week, the Women’s Junior All Americans (WJAAs) will be convening in Greeley, Colo., for a selection camp ahead of the late-August Can Am series (details yet to be disclosed). The assembly will be run by interim head coach Wil Snape, who has been heading the program since Danielle Miller stepped down. Snape, who is also the head coach of Women’s Premier League New York, has been involved with the WJAAs since 2013 and served as assistant coach during the U20 Nations Cup in England.

“The first thing I did was check in with [Women’s Eagle coach] Pete [Steinberg], making sure we were aligned in the direction we wanted the national team to go from the U20 perspective,” Snape said. “I asked him how he’d judge my success, and he said: by how many of your players become Eagles. That’s what I like about Pete; he’s very straightforward about what he wants, but he also empowers you to produce those results.”

Key to those results is the pipeline through which athletes enter and flow through the system, and Snape was intimately involved in creating the new player pathway instituted this year. Development academies, national recruitment festivals, National All Star Competition (NASC) – Snape has been traveling to these events to see as many players as possible.

“Players really feel like they have the chance to be seen; it’s fantastic,” Snape said. “The more time I can get around the country and get more time with players, the better. I want to work more with coaches, too, so they understand what we expect of players coming into our program.”

The effort paid off in June, when the first NASC brought more than 200 women from three age grades to one location. Among other purposes, the event served as the main selection platform for the Eagles’ Super Series as well as the upcoming WJAA camp, with some room for recommendations from coaches, development academies, etc.

“Now that we have the Stars & Stripes program before us, we’re seeing higher skilled players come along,” Snape said. “They’re younger, too. Just look at the performances from the Eagles already. The younger players coming through are bringing a new energy that’s been set in place by the new pathway.”

As Snape continues his goal of producing Eagles, he stays in good contact with Steinberg.

“Pete and I will talk about individual players and positions – can this person step up,” Snape explained. “But it’s more about creating that rugby player who can play at that elite level. You see the national team and its attacking intent – that’s trickling down, how it’s played at a high level. We need more players who have the ability to perform with this attacking mindset. My directives are to ensure players understand the system at this level.”

Snape’s excited to get to work next week, as he welcomes back some players who played up in the collegiate bracket, versus the U20 bracket, at NASCs. He hesitated in singling out any up-and-comers, as he’s entering the assembly with a clean slate and sees three able athletes pushing for every position. Snape did indicate that many familiar faces will be present – those who have already performed well at the Stars & Stripes and WJAA levels.

“We have a strong group coming through at varying ages, but we’ll likely take a younger side [to Can Ams],” Snape concluded.

Stay tuned for the official release of the WJAA camp attendees as well as the goings-on at camp as they occur.