Tim DiBisceglie

The United Soccer League recently unveiled its 2011 Super Y-League Boys’ Olympic Development Camp Select team, honoring 17 players who stood out at the annual SYL ODP National Camp. Among them was Mine Hill’s Tim DiBisceglie.

The 16-year-old soccer player is one of only two players from the U.S. and Canada in his age group who have been invited to the camp three years in row. Although he also attended the camp in 2009 and 2010, this year marked DiBisceglie’s first on the exclusive Select Team list.

At the 2011 camp, 187 players were chosen to attend the sessions at the prestigious IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Of this group of North Americans, only 17 players made the cut onto the final select team.

The ODP annually identifies young players aged 13-16 for national teams which play in international competition, including the Olympics. Each nominated player has been identified as one of the top players among the top 2 percent of players in the Super Y-League.

The members of the select squad will be potential candidates for the U.S. Men’s National Team, which will play in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.

DiBisceglie began playing soccer at age 4 for Mine Hill Recreation. Through the recreation department’s programs, he has also played basketball, rugby, baseball and football. He played in the Morris County Youth Soccer League until age 10 when he was selected to play for Jersey United, a regional elite soccer club based out of New Jersey.

The sophomore honor student, DiBisceglie is a on a scholarship at Gill St. Bernard’s High School and is a starter for the varsity soccer team. His high school team won the N.J. State Soccer Championship in 2009 where DiBisceglie registered two assists in the title match over St. Rose H.S.

He is passionate about his soccer and strives to play in college and professionally. He also hopes to coach one day and currently volunteers time as a coach for the U.S. Youth Soccer’s TOPSoccer by teaching the game to young athletes with disabilities.