COACH PAUL SMITH’S GSA 01 PREMIER IS A U16 BOYS SOCCER TEAM FROM LILBURN, GEORGIA, COMPETING IN THE 2016-17 US Youth Soccer National League and Southern Regional Premier League. The team does not lack for diversity or talent. The boys hail from nine cities in the Atlanta area, with families from seven different countries. Their talent and passion for soccer brings them together as a family as much as a team. Many of the boys have been together for at least four years, and their closeness and familiarity allow them to pull together in tough games and fight their way back when they are down in goals or struggling to get shots on target. Prior to the 2016 age group changes, eight current players were part of the GSA 02 Premier team that won the 2016 Georgia State Cup; and three current players were members of the GSA 01 Premier team that was the 2016 U15 Region 3 Championship Finalist. Now together as U16s, the team is working toward a repeat Georgia State Cup win and continued success at Regionals and beyond. The team just won its National League division (U16 Blue Division) at the 2016 Disney Showcase. It anticipates a finish in the top three of the U16 Blue Division, which would secure the team a place in the 2017-18 National League season. Five players were chosen for the 2016 Region 3 ODP Pool: Kieran Ferguson, Nick Greene, Ben Goudy, Alexis Iturria, and Michael Mandujano. The GSA 01 Premier are determined to prove themselves on a national scale in an effort to get highlevel experience and the connections necessary to continue playing soccer in college and beyond.