PA Classics (PA Classics Reading) and Reading United AC today announced a landmark multi-year partnership that will align youth development with pre-professional soccer, creating a unified and clearly defined pathway for players across the greater Reading-Berks County region.<\/p>\n
Grounded in a shared commitment to collaboratively growing the game, the partnership connects PA Classics Reading\u2014one of the region\u2019s youth soccer organizations\u2014with Reading United AC, which competes in USL2 and WPSL, and has a long-standing history of providing a platform for players looking to reach the professional ranks.<\/p>\n
At the core of the agreement is a clear structural alignment: Reading United AC maintains their pre-professional teams (USL2, WPSL, reserve teams) while reinforcing PA Classics Reading\u2019s position within the local youth soccer landscape. <\/p>\n
In turn, PA Classics Reading is designated as the Official Youth Partner of Reading United AC, establishing a seamless progression from youth soccer to the pre-professional level. This partnership will include youth team development, camps, youth organization outreach, and youth soccer training for all ages and abilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis partnership represents a major step forward for soccer in Berks County,\u201d said Steve Klein. \u201cIt aligns the mission of two organizations and allows for focus on player pathways, community, and long-term growth of Berks County soccer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through this exclusive relationship, youth development inquiries within the Reading United AC network will be directed to PA Classics Reading, strengthening recruitment, enhancing coaching opportunities, while providing families with a clear and trusted development pathway.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy aligning our organizations, we are creating something truly unique,\u201d said Art Auchenbach. \u201cPA Classics has a significant history in preparing youth soccer players for both college and the pros. We look forward to assisting this growth at the local level alongside PA Classics Reading.\u201d<\/p>\n
The partnership extends beyond structure into meaningful soccer integration. PA Classics Reading and Reading United AC will collaborate through shared player pools, allowing for deeper, more competitive rosters at the pre-professional level, while also providing youth players with direct access to high-level coaching, training, and matchday experiences.<\/p>\n
A signature initiative of the partnership is the launch of the \u201cKeystone Derby,\u201d a marquee rivalry event featuring the clubs\u2019 USL2 and WPSL teams. Designed as a premier fan and community experience, the event combines pre-professional soccer with youth engagement, in-game activities, and regional pride\u2014making it a cornerstone of the local soccer calendar.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is about more than soccer\u2014it\u2019s about community and the long-term future of soccer in Berks,\u201d said Christian Bauer. <\/p>\n
The first ever Keystone Derby features WPSL action between the two clubs The game will be played on May 30, 2026 at Alvernia University, Reading United\u2019s home field. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PA Classics (PA Classics Reading) and Reading United AC today announced a landmark multi-year partnership that will align…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":193069,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[128,130,129],"class_list":["post-193068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193068"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193068\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/193069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=193068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=193068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}