CHICAGO (August 7, 2007) – Thirteen
final clubs have been selected to join U.S. Soccer’s
Development Academy, bringing the total number of
clubs taking part in the first year of the
revolutionary new program to 64. The Development
Academy concept is a comprehensive program providing
more than just improved competition in the
development of players. It involves the training of
players, coaches and referees, scouting by U.S.
National Team and college coaches, and the sharing
of the latest information and concepts on
performance training and expertise development.
“The Development Academy has been
implemented to shift the focus of the young elite
player toward a ‘meaningful training and
competition’ model, with the U.S. Soccer Federation
taking the initiative to extend its National Team
program into the daily environment of the elite
player,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati.
“The response thus far has been unprecedented for a
youth initiative.”
The admission process was
extremely competitive with more than 150
applications being submitted in less than two
months. The competition component of the Academy
will feature 63 clubs, representing 24 states and
the District of Columbia, plus the U.S. National
Team from U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program, playing
at the Under-15/16 and Under-17/18 age levels.
“We are excited about the high
level of quality in the clubs that will partner with
U.S. Soccer to extend our National Team training
models into their everyday environment,” said U.S.
U-17 Men’s National Team Head Coach John Hackworth.
“As we work with the clubs and enable the players to
have more training time, we anticipate only positive
improvements for the national teams as well.”
The 64 teams will be divided into
eight conferences, each comprised of eight teams
based largely on geographic proximity. Each team
will play approximately 30 matches during an
eight-month season, with the winner of each
conference playing in the Academy Finals at The Home
Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Additional
Development Academy program elements such as a
Technical Workshop and Best Practices seminars are
being finalized.
“The clubs participating in the
inaugural Academy season represent a shared vision
of player development and the desire to change the
current landscape,” said U.S. Soccer’s Director of
Coaching Education Bob Jenkins. “These clubs were
selected because of their ability to implement the
best development environment for our elite youth
players.”
Player Development Academy
Information
The Development Academy kicks off
in September with a two-day orientation in Chicago.
The first matches of the inaugural season will then
begin during the first week of October. Teams will
compete in three different types of game weekends –
individual conference games, travel partner weekends
and showcase weekends to provide them with the
optimum balance of playing rhythm, economy of travel
and exposure to scouts.
In addition to improving the daily
environment for players, the Academy will also
provide a better development platform for coaches
and referees. Each club will receive two invitations
to attend the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Best
Practices seminars, providing coaches with the
opportunity to keep updated on the latest styles and
methods of coaching being used at the national
level. U.S. Soccer will assign referees to the
Academy matches, providing them with more
opportunities to develop.
U.S. SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY – STRUCTURE
Objective: The focus of the
Academy is on player development and providing
players with the best possible opportunity to
develop to the highest level they are capable of
achieving
Standards: A minimum
requirement of three training sessions and one rest
day per week
Selection: U.S. Soccer
coaches selected the Academy clubs from more than
150 applications
Age Groups: U-15/16 &
U-17/18 teams (minimum roster of 20 players);
providing opportunities for more than 2,000 players
Competition Format: Divided
into eight conferences with each team playing 30
matches during an eight-month season. Each
conference is comprised of eight teams based on
geographic proximity. The winner of each conference
will play in the Academy Finals at The Home Depot
Center in Carson, Calif.
Teams: Below is a complete
list of the Development Academy’s 64 participants
representing 24 states and the District of Columbia