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Developing the Next Generation
U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy program is driven by the game and
its players, coaches and referees. This game-centric approach allows
for long-term development to occur through a deep understanding of
what makes players successful around the world. As the sport of
soccer grows
in the United States, young players in our country need the proper
environment to compete against the world’s elite. The U.S. Soccer
Development Academy program provides the optimum developmental
environment for the nation’s top youth soccer players, coaches and
referees by emphasizing development through quality training and
limited, meaningful competition.
Meaningful Training
Academy teams spend a greater amount of time focused on training to
improve as individuals and as a team. The teams and players receive
direct feedback and evaluations from National Team Staff and ProZone
video analysis. To round-out the complete training environment,
Academy teams
are tested in their physical capabilities using the Sparq (Speed +
power + agility + reaction + quickness) testing methodology and
their hydration levels by Gatorade. They also receive a
SPARQ training curriculum for soccer-specific athletic training and
Nutrition and Hydration recommendations from Gatorade’s Sports
Science Institute.Each athlete then gains a greater understanding of
how they compare physically against their peers and what they need
to do to achieve their optimal performance levels.
Competitive Environment
The Academy program features teams from the top youth clubs from
around the country. Each Academy team plays approximately 30 regular
season games to ensure all games are meaningful. Games are also
played according to FIFA’s Laws of the Game and officiated by a pool
of the
nation’s top young referees in order to prepare players for the next
level of competition. National Team Scouts regularly attend Academy
games, so players are evaluated over the course of the season and in
their natural positions allowing for better player assessment.
Early Success
As the program enters its second year, it has already dramatically
impacted the player development process in the United States. In
2008, more than 100 players from Academy clubs were included in U.S.
Youth National Teams and almost 800 graduates from the inaugural
Academy class
participated in college soccer the following fall. Virtually all
college programs use the Academy program as a scouting vehicle and
the program has received increased attention from professional
scouts representing domestic and international clubs. Visit
ussoccer.com to view the top
Academy teams in action. |
