Academy Update 03-05-10
From the U.S. Soccer Communications
Center:
DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY CLUBS USE INDOOR
OPPORTUNITIES
TO CONTINUE PLAYER DEVELOPMENT DURING WINTER MONTHS
Record snowfalls and temperatures have plagued the northeastern part
of the country all winter long, presenting many challenges to the
continuity of the Development Academy season. Complications with
transportation and snow-covered fields have wreaked havoc on the
plans many clubs have put into place, but the clubs have shown that
where there is a will,
and a little bit of creativity, there is a way.
“We have a lot of clubs that deserve credit for dealing with
difficult circumstances,” said Development Academy Director of
Scouting Tony Lepore, who serves as the technical advisor in the
northeast. “They are coming up with creative ways to continue
training and overall they have handled the record winter quite
well.”
Training indoors, though obviously different from playing games
outside, presents an opportunity for players to concentrate on
individual ball work, small-sided games and playing in tight spaces.
In fact, the Midwest and Northeast part of the U.S. have a strong
history of player development despite having shorter playing seasons
due to the longer winters.
When they have been forced inside, Seacoast United is one club
taking advantage of the chance to focus on technical ability and
working in small spaces.
“It’s very different, but we use indoor to help the boys as much as
we can with their ball work and things like that on a faster
surface,” said Seacoast United head coach John Price.
Connecticut’s South Central Premier and New Jersey’s PDA have both
incorporated futsal, a variation of indoor soccer, into their
regular training regimen, utilizing the indoor game that has been
credited with the development of some of the best players in the
world.
“We’ve actually been in far better shape I think than our
counterparts in the Mid-Atlantic,” said South Central Premier head
coach Brian Quinn, acknowledging the record amounts of snowfall in
the Mid-Atlantic this winter. “For the most part we have been able
to get outside once or twice a week, but when we are inside we have
the hard surface of a field house that we use and the guys play
futsal.”
“It’s something they wouldn’t get otherwise and it’s great for them
to be able to work with the smaller ball,” said Quinn, who takes
advantage of the weighted futsal ball, which forces players to keep
it on the ground. “The guys actually really get into it and it’s
great for them technically to have structured training with the ball
at their feet.”
Teams with a variety of weather patterns are forced to change up
training regimens throughout the year, exposing their players to a
variety of conditions. While training indoors is not an ideal
situation, for three to four months out of the year, clubs have made
the most of it.
Long Island’s Albertson SC kept this goal in mind when the club
acquired some time in the practice bubble on the campus of Hofstra
University, the former training facility of the New York Jets.
“We’re very fortunate to have the opportunities that we’ve had with
the facility at Hofstra, and we’re lucky that our board of directors
and administrators are coming up with creative ways to allow us to
continue to train there,” said Albertson SC head coach Adrian Gaitan.
“In fact, we have a great relationship with [Brooklyn-based club]
Met Oval, so there are times when we invite them to share the space
and split the field in half.”
Gaitan admits that training indoors 100 percent of the time is not
ideal in the buildup to an outdoor game, or for complete player
development.
“Tactically, we have to make adjustments when we play indoors
because the most we tend to get on the field is nine against nine,”
he said. “Our players also have to almost re-learn the art of
striking a 30-yard pass or taking a long shot on a full-sized goal
when we get outside, so in those areas we’re at a bit of a
disadvantage but it’s just about adjustment.”
Though limited training indoors is far better than nothing, and his
teams do everything they can to make the most of the opportunities
to practice.
“The area is obviously smaller, which means the guys are playing in
a tighter space,” said Gaitan. “There is a bit of an adjustment when
we do get outside, and the more we can get good work on the ball,
the better it is for the players.”
Seacoast United has utilized everything from snow plows to shovels
to clear outdoor turf fields. New Hampshire has not had quite as
much snow as the Mid-Atlantic states, but has dealt with downed
power lines and icy, treacherous travel.
“We are lucky to have our own facility and a snow blower that we can
use most of the time, but there have been situations where we ask
the parents to come out and bring their shovels,” said Seacoast
United head coach John Price. “We know that’s not something easy to
ask a parent to do, but what is great is that they all come together
like a big family and pitch in. It’s a way for parents across the
club to get to know each other.”
Price also sees the benefit of the players dealing with difficult
circumstances together.
“We have had a few instances this year of power outages, but things
like that have actually been kind of a positive for us,” he said.
“We have really used our community phone chain and carpool systems,
with the older guys who can drive making a great effort to get the
younger players to the fields. After training, they’ll end up going
to someone’s house, whoever has power, to shower and get a good
meal. It’s actually quite nice to see them come together.”
With the end of winter hopefully in sight for that part of the
country, clubs will shift their practice sessions back outside as
much as possible, but according to Lepore, the themes should remain
similar regardless of the elements.
“We know it’s been tough on a lot of clubs to constantly be inside,”
he said. “But we have been generally pretty happy with the way they
have been training, keeping technical training a priority for player
development and playing indoors has been shown to be a huge catalyst
for individual development.”
East Conference play continues this weekend, with the Liberty,
Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Divisions all in action.
Academy Update 2-18-10
From the
U.S. Soccer Communications Center:
TOP
COLLEGE PROGRAMS USE DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY
TO CONTINUE BUILDING SUCCESSFUL TEAMS
With stints as an assistant coach during the 2002 FIFA World Cup
and head coach of U.S. U-18 Men’s National Team, George
Gelnovatch has been involved with soccer in the U.S. since his
playing days at the University of Virginia under Bruce Arena.
Now with 14 seasons as the head coach of the Cavaliers under his
belt, Gelnovatch
has seen his player selection process undergo a major overhaul
since the inception of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
“I think the Academy program is still relatively young, but
already I think there are some benefits,” said Gelnovatch, who
won his first NCAA College Cup championship in 2009. “The
standards that have been set by U.S. Soccer for these clubs are
good standards, but the biggest change I have seen is in the
identification process.”
With Development Academy scouts in attendance at a majority of
regular season games and every game during Showcase events,
players are identified and tracked more closely and consistently
than in the past.
The coaching staff at Virginia takes advantage of both the
Richmond Strikers and the Richmond Kickers proximity to
Charlottesville. Not only does Gelnovatch keep a close eye on
local talent, but he has a full slate of quality teams coming in
from across the country on a weekly basis.
Gelnovatch and his staff are also among nearly 300 college
coaches in attendance at every Development Academy Showcase.
“For college programs, those Showcase events make it easier to
get into a four-day environment and watch all of the Academy
teams,” he said. “To come out to three events a year and see all
these players shouldn’t be an issue for any major program.”
Keeping a close eye on the Academy talent, Gelnovatch has
definitely seen a change in the type of players coming out of
the member clubs.
In 2009, the Cavaliers brought in Will Bates from the Richmond
Strikers, D.C. United’s Marcus Douglas, Sean Murnane and Shane
Cooke, and BW Gottschee NYC’s Ahkeel Rodney, meaning all but one
freshman on the team hailed from an Academy club. On Feb. 3,
three more Academy players signed National Letters of Intent to
play for Virginia as they attempt to defend their national
championship.
The 2007 NCAA Champion Wake Forest will add no fewer than six
former Academy players to the Demon Deacons squad for 2010. The
2008 and 2005 NCAA Champion University of Maryland also
continues to bring Academy players into its highly-regarded
program, building on six first-year Academy alums who helped the
Terrapins advance to the tournament quarterfinals in 2009.
“The impact of the level of play in the Academy has been
tremendous for our program,” said Sasho Cirovski, head coach at
Maryland. “Every time you see a game, it’s highly competitive,
good spirited and played a very high level with a great deal of
accountability. That’s something you want to see as a college
coach, how players deal with that kind of environment and it’s
more clear when you watch an Academy game than maybe another
youth game that isn’t as meaningful.”
In addition, the structure of the program, which includes
training at least three times per week and playing games on the
weekend, mirrors that of a college season.
“The regimen of playing other Academy teams and traveling with
some consistency has definitely added some structure and
development that makes the transition from a youth club to a
high-level college soccer team a little bit easier,” said
Gelnovatch.
As college programs continue spring training in preparation for
the 2010 season, Development Academy players continue to train
with their respective clubs, hoping for a taste of the NCAA
tournament. The current Academy season will conclude at Finals
Weeks at The Home Depot Center in July.
Academy Update 02-13-10
From the
U.S. Soccer Communications Center:
PLAYING
AGAINST OLDER COMPETITION HELPS
ACADEMY PLAYERS ADJUST TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Still a few weeks shy of his 17th birthday, Miguel Lopez
is one of the youngest players on his Lonestar Aztex U-17/18
Development Academy team, but you’d never know it. Lopez has
been playing alongside older teammates for as long as he can
remember.
“I’ve played up for as long as I’ve been playing,” he said.
“I’ve always played with the 1992s so I know the guys pretty
well and they tend to forget that I’m a little younger. We’re
more physical than the U-15/16s are I think, and we play a
little faster. That’s probably the biggest difference.”
Lopez has been rewarded for his quality performances with
Lonestar, earning a roster spot on a Select Team at the 2009
Winter Showcase in Phoenix with multiple call-ups to the U.S.
youth national teams, most recently with the U-18 MNT in
December. During the Select Team match in Phoenix, Lopez played
against players born in 1991 and 1992 under U-18 head coach Mike
Matkovich.
“In that Select Team game, I felt like I was playing the same
way as I would be playing with my own team,” Lopez said.
“Playing against the older guys didn’t really feel like anything
new to me, other than the level being picked up a bit in
general. I definitely think it helped to have experience playing
against 1991s and 1992s, it made me more comfortable in that
kind of environment.”
According to Development Academy director of scouting Tony
Lepore, it is crucial for players on the youth national team
radar to play to the level of their abilities rather than age,
especially those born in odd years.
“At this point in the cycle for the U-17s and U-20s, it’s
important that the guys born in that odd year, in this case
1993, to challenge themselves,” said Lepore. “Of course, every
player and every situation is different, but we have challenged
clubs to look at ability versus age placement for national pool
players and national team prospects.”
During the Academy Select Team match at the Winter Showcase,
technical advisors and scouts took notice of the difference in
the level of play between the players born in 1993 who were
playing in the U-15/16 age group with their clubs compared to
those playing U-17/18.
“We realized most of the standout players in that game were
playing U-17/18,” said Lepore.
The national scouting network and youth national team coaches
talked with the clubs about specific players they felt should be
challenged in a U-17/18 environment. The talking point was a key
part of conference calls that took place with every Academy club
in January, and the technical advisors have been taking a
specific interest in players who play up with teams in their
respective areas.
“So far we’ve had a good response from the clubs, and they are
really making an effort to put individual development ahead of
the team’s needs,” said Lepore. “Every week on our scouting
call, I’m listening closely and hearing more and more players
being moved up. Miguel has been doing it from the beginning, and
is a good example of a player who has helped his standing with
the U-18 MNT by playing against older players every day. We’ve
seen similar results from players born in 1995 who played
U-15/16, a handful of whom are now in Residency.”
Three players on the U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team, which
currently consists of players born in 1994 and 1995, are great
examples of players who benefitted from playing against older
competition. Academy players Kellen Acosta, Martin Arrieta and
Zachary Pfeffer all played up in the U-15/16 age group with
their respective clubs. They were soon noticed by national
scouts and invited to train with the U-15 Boys' National Team
before eventually making the jump to the U-17 Residency Program
in Bradenton, Fla.
“We know that it’s not for everyone,” said Lepore. “But for so
many of our national team-caliber players, it’s so important to
be playing in a challenging environment. We want clubs to focus
on individual player development ahead of the team’s needs.
Sometimes we really feel that clubs are hurting their players’
chances for national team events in certain age groups because
of hampered development.”
Academy Update 01-28-10
From the U.S. Soccer Communications
Center:
COACHING
SYMPOSIUM AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER BRINGS TOGETHER
DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY COACHES AND MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM STAFF
Keeping in line with recent January tradition, the U.S. Men’s
National Team rounded out
a three-week training camp at U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center
with a
match against Honduras on Jan. 23 at The Home Depot Center.
During the training camp, head coach Bob Bradley led 30 players
through the rigors of the international level, and last week,
he opened a training session to 26 Development Academy coaches from
across the West Conference.
During the exclusive access, technical advisor and FIFA World Cup
veteran Hugo Perez talked the Academy coaches through the exercises
and philosophies of the national team programs.
Following training, Bradley addressed the group of coaches for more
than 30 minutes, discussing everything from his training techniques
to the strengths and weaknesses of the current American player.
"As a starting point, we feel that all coaches - from the national
team through the youth levels - are part of the coaching community
in this country and that we are all essentially in this together,"
said Bradley. "It's important that we talk about plans, share
ideas, and have discussions about how to move the game forward in
the United States. In this case, we tried to give the Academy
coaches a picture of what characteristics a player for the national
team would possess, and discuss ideas on how to help their players
progress on a daily basis. Coaches at these stages of development
are a critical component of producing elite players capable of
competing at the international level."
LAFC Chelsea’s Josh Henderson was in attendance at The Home Depot
Center, and reveled in the experience to see some of the nation’s
top players up close.
“Anytime you get to watch players at that level train in that kind
of environment, under the top coaches in the country, it’s a lesson
for us and a great experience,” said Henderson. “We got to have a 30
to 40 minute conversation with Bob Bradley and his staff, sharing
ideas and getting an idea of the type of players he has and the type
he wants within the national team program.”
LAFC Chelsea was one of 14 different clubs represented at the
symposium. Henderson, the U-17/18 head coach, and his colleagues
have already shared what they learned during the session with their
players.
“We got to explain our experience with Bob [Bradley] and tell them,
basically verbatim, what he had to say,” Henderson said. “We
explained what he and other national team coaches want from their
players. It really helps to be able to say to the guys, ‘it’s not
just us saying these things, it’s the higher ups.’ A majority of our
players want to be at this level some day and we all feel like they
have a better understanding of what it takes to get there.”
Making a connection from the club level to the national team level
is one of the priorities of the Development Academy, and expanding
coaching education that involves national team coaches, like the
symposium, is a key to bridging that gap.
“Part of the process is trying to get the coaches more involved with
the national teams, and understanding what the national team
programs are all about,” said Perez. “We want them to know the
expectations, get them more information, so they know what U.S.
Soccer is doing at different levels. That way we can hope they’ll
have something tangible to strive for as far as player development.”
Some of the characteristics that national team coaches at every
level are trying to improve include technical ability, vision,
improved fitness and physicality on the ball. After recent youth
national team training camps, coaches stressed the need for American
players to develop in these areas in line with other countries.
These needs were reinforced on conference calls with every Academy
club during the past week.
The club coaches also had the opportunity to discuss key Development
Academy topics during a two-hour session led by Perez. The group
took advantage of the rare opportunity to all be in one place and
tackle everything from the state of the Academy to scouting to
development.
“We all talked to together, and had a video session that I put
together with clips of national team games, some professional teams
and some Academy games,” explained Perez. “I showed them the type of
qualities that Bob [Bradley] mentioned, and then we had an open
discussion. It’s not easy to have everyone together in one room so
to speak, so we wanted to take full advantage of our day.”
The next coaching symposium is scheduled to take place surrounding
the Men’s National Team friendly in Tampa, Fla.
Academy Update 11-19-09
From the U.S. Soccer
Communications Center:
THIRD ANNUAL
DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY WINTER
SHOWCASE SET FOR DEC. 4-8 IN PHOENIX
-
Nike
International Friendlies to Coincide with Showcase,
Featuring the U.S., Netherlands, Portugal and Brazil U-17
Men’s National Teams
-
Three
U.S. Games to be Televised Live on Fox Soccer Channel at 7
p.m. MT on Dec. 4, Dec. 5 and Dec. 7
-
A Total
of 240 Games to Take Place During Five Days at Reach 11
Sports Complex
CHICAGO (Nov. 17,
2009) – The 2009 Development Academy Winter Showcase and Nike
International Friendlies
are set for Dec. 4-8 at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in
Phoenix, Ariz. All 154 teams representing 77 Development Academy
clubs will participate in 234 games during the extended weekend,
while six Under-17 international matches will highlight Friday,
Saturday and Monday.
The new cycle of
the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team, players eligible for the 2011
FIFA U-17 World Cup, will play its first ever international
games against Portugal on Dec. 4, Brazil on Dec. 5 and the
Netherlands on Dec. 7, with all three games being shown live on
Fox Soccer Channel at 7 p.m. MT. Other international games in
Phoenix will include Brazil against the Netherlands on Dec. 4,
Portugal and the Netherlands matching up on Dec. 5 and Portugal
and Brazil squaring off on Dec. 7.
In addition to
the four national teams, eight Development Academy Select Teams
will be featured throughout the weekend. Four teams comprised of
players born in 1993, three with players born in 1994 and one
made up of players born in 1991 and 1992 will play together
across the weekend. Development Academy Select Teams are
comprised of 130 total players who were chosen by youth national
team coaches and U.S. Soccer’s youth national team scouting
network. They will have a unique opportunity to play alongside
some of the top players in their age while competing against
either an Academy club team or another Select Team.
The Winter
Showcase will incorporate the overall theme for the Development
Academy’s 2009-10 season, the Every Day Environment. The Every
Day theme involves specific player development recommendations
for individual training, team training, off field routines and
games. The message will be highlighted throughout the weekend in
video content featuring members of the Men’s National Team and
youth national team coaches and player education opportunities
found inside the Players Lounge.
The Reach 11
Complex will be the first to host the Winter Showcase outside of
Florida or California, with 16 fields, including 10 equipped
with lights, hosting as many as 58 games in a single day.
More than 200
college scouts are expected to be on site, watching matches
alongside U.S. youth national team coaches and national staff
coaches. Thomas Rongen, who led the U.S. team at the recent FIFA
U-20 World Cup, Wilmer Cabrera, who recently returned from the
FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria, and Mike Matkovich, head coach
of the U.S. U-18 MNT, are all expected to be in attendance
throughout the weekend.
U.S. Soccer’s
national staff coaches and members of the youth national team
scouting network will evaluate every game over the course of the
five days and also lead field and classroom educational
opportunities for Academy coaches on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, which will count toward continuing education credits.
All 240 games
will be taped in high definition, with DVDs of each game
available to teams for technical analysis and analyzed by
ProZone for long-term performance analysis. Additional
development opportunities include the launch of NIKE Elite
Training Live, an introduction to SPARQ training’s strength,
power and agility exercises, Gatorade Fluid Loss Testing and
real time video analysis training from Interplay. For the first
time, players will also have an opportunity to be taped while
performing specific skills and will receive instant feedback
from an instructor and slow motion video.
The Development
Academy will once again welcome some of the top referees from
across the country, with 34 states sending officials to Phoenix.
Referees will receive mentoring from three of U.S. Soccer’s
full-time referees as Ricardo Salazar, Baldomero Toledo and
Terry Vaughn will all be on site. The referee education will
continue with an assessor academy that will be held in
conjunction with state and national referee assessors.
U.S. Soccer will
once again be on hand to provide complete coverage of the 2009
Development Academy Winter Showcase and Nike International
Friendlies. Stay tuned to
www.ussoccer.com for results, highlights, photos and
full episodes of Studio 90 throughout the weekend.
Academy Update 10-25-09
From the U.S. Soccer Communications
Center:
DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2009-10 SEASON
Program Admitted
163 Academy Full-time Players from 53 Academy Clubs;
Year-Long Program
Focuses on Soccer and Healthy Lifestyle for Elite Athletes
CHICAGO
(Oct. 23, 2009) – U.S. Soccer has selected 163 participants for
the 2009-10 Development Academy Scholarship Program. The
athletes represent 53 different Academy clubs and
will participate in a year-long program that will not only
help offset the costs of participating in the Academy, but will
also focus on educating athletes on healthy lifestyle habits.
The Academy Scholarship Program was
launched in the winter of 2008 by NIKE, the U.S. Soccer
Foundation and U.S. Soccer to assist players with financial need
to participate in the new national team training program.
Scholarship Program funding is intended to support the Academy
club’s efforts to reduce financial barriers for elite players to
develop to their full potential.
The 2009-10 Scholarship program looks
to continue building on the success of the previous year, in
which 139 of the 143 participants completed the program,
including 12 Academy Honors recipients and 10 players called
into U.S. Youth National Team. The 163 program participants in
2009-10 were selected from a pool of over 475 applicants.
In order to complete the Academy
Scholarship Program, athletes must remain in good standing with
their Academy club, finish the season and complete a series of
online educational activities. Participants will continue to
complete online activity logs to chronicle their regular soccer
activity and will also receive online training on lifestyle
issues such as nutrition, hydration, fitness, rest and other
behaviors related to performance.
Every Academy club has made efforts
to reduce the expenses for their players, including a handful of
clubs that have eliminated costs altogether to participate in
the program. The Academy Scholarship Program supplements these
longstanding efforts and represents an important step to move
away from the rising expenses of elite youth sports
participation. By minimizing the financial barriers to
participate at an elite level, more quality players will be
exposed to the Academy’s focus on superior training and
competition.
Since the launch of the Development Academy in the fall of 2007, the program
has dramatically changed the elite youth soccer environment. The
program is focused on improving the every day training
environment for elite players, so they can fulfill their
potential as international, professional or collegiate soccer
players. The Academy program has also proven to be a successful
platform to identify players for national and collegiate teams.
Academy Update 10-5-09
From the U.S.
Soccer Communications Center:
U.S.
SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY CLUBS TO INTEGRATE
SPARQ SELF-TESTING DURING 2009-10 SEASON
Clubs Receive SPARQ
Self-Test Kit;
SPARQ Results from 2008-09 Indicate Improved Soccer-Specific
Ratings
CHICAGO (Oct. 5, 2009) – U.S. Soccer
Development Academy clubs were introduced to SPARQ Training
during the first two years of the Academy program, and
this year will integrate SPARQ Self-Testing into their
training regimen.
SPARQ, which stands for Speed, Power,
Agility, Reaction and Quickness, was introduced at the 2008
Spring Showcase and all Academy players were tested twice during
the 2008-09 season by SPARQ trainers. Each club received a SPARQ
Self-Test Kit, which includes a stop watch, measuring tape, six
cones and a notepad to record results along with an
instructional booklet and DVD on how to conduct each test. SPARQ
Testing will be required at the beginning of each season and
again at the 2010 Spring Showcase.
“Soccer specific athleticism is an
important piece of the player development process and SPARQ has
become a valuable resource to the Development Academy clubs and
players,” said U.S. Soccer Development Academy Director of
Scouting Tony Lepore. “This year we are providing each Academy
club with the tools to SPARQ self-test to more readily evaluate,
record, and track progress in these areas throughout the course
of the season while also using this information to help plan
programs to best meet the physical needs of the individual and
team.”
There are five tests conducted in
order to receive a soccer-specific SPARQ rating: Body mass,
vertical jump, 20-meter sprint, arrowhead agility and Yo-Yo
Intermittent Recovery. Once tests are administered and data is
collected, athletes and their coaches will have a better
understanding of areas in which each athlete must work on in
order to improve.
During the 2008-09 Development
Academy Season, soccer-specific SPARQ results demonstrated
improvement in every category from the 2008-09 Winter Showcase
to the 2008-09 Spring Showcase. Overall, in the Under-15/16 age
group the average time for the 20-meter sprint decreased 0.6
percent, the result from the Vertical Jump increased 2.4
percent, the time for the Arrowhead Agility test decreased 3.9
percent and the score for the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recover test
increased 6.7 percent. In the Under-17/18 age group, the
20-meter sprint time decreased 0.6 percent, the Vertical Jump
result improved by 1.6 percent, the average time for the
Arrowhead Agility decreased 3.8 percent and the result for the
Yo-Yo Intermittent Recover Test improved 13.3 percent.
Body mass is determined by recording
an athlete’s height and weight. SPARQ combines body weight and
vertical jump to determine an athlete’s Peak Power. The Vertical
Jump is a test to determine how high an athlete can jump from a
stand-still position.
To quantify an athlete’s speed, a
20-meter sprint test is conducted, and agility is measured by
way of an arrowhead agility test. The agility test involves
placing six cones in the form of an arrow and measuring the time
it takes an athlete to run around the cones. This helps quantify
a soccer player’s ability to quickly switch directions.
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery test,
similar to the “beep test” is a 20-meter shuttle test. The
athlete sprints for 20 meters and rests for 10 seconds at an
increasingly faster speed. According to SPARQ, the test is an
indicator of an athlete’s capacity to execute and recover from
repeated bouts of high intensity exercise.
In 2009-10, clubs will be required to
test twice and are encouraged to conduct tests periodically
throughout the season in order to benchmark progress and receive
the highest possible rating at the 2010 Spring Showcase.
-
ussoccer.com -
THIRD YEAR OF U.S.
SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY PROGRAM
KICKS OFF ON SEPT. 5
-
Program
Demonstrates Player Development Improvement in Short Two
Year History
-
Academy Increases Focus on
Improving the Everyday Environment for Players, Coaches and
Referees
-
Six Southeast
Division Clubs Begin Campaigns During Labor Day Weekend
CHICAGO (Sept. 3, 2009) –
U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy program
will kick off the third year of the program this weekend with an
increased focus on improving the everyday environment of youth
soccer in the United States and improving the overall development of
the more than 4,000 players, 600 coaches and 900 referees
participating in the program.
Since the launch of the Development Academy in the fall of 2007, the program
has dramatically changed the elite youth soccer environment over the
last two years. Providing more than just a competitive league for
the nation’s top 77 clubs, the program is focused on improving the
every day training environment for elite players, so they can
fulfill their potential as international, professional or collegiate
soccer players.
"We saw a lot of growth
in the program the first two years, and on many levels it has
exceeded our expectations,” said Development Academy Director of
Scouting Tony Lepore. “Still, we are constantly evaluating our
progress and identifying areas where we need to get better. We want
to take the opportunity this year to implement more market training
centers, build an increased focus on everyday training environments,
strengthening our scouting network even more and increase its value
and connection to our national teams programs."
Lepore’s observations on
the first two years of growth are supported by ProZone and SPARQ
data from the first two years of the Academy program. ProZone video
analysis has demonstrated that the level of play has improved since
the first year of the program, as analysis of footage from the
Winter Showcases in 2007-08 and 2008-09 has recorded improved
passing efficiency, more one touch passes, more sophisticated
passing tactics and improved shooting accuracy. Additionally, SPARQ
analysis has demonstrated that player athleticism is improving over
the course of an Academy season as average scores in all four of the
soccer-specific athletic tests conducted by SPARQ increased from the
Winter to the Spring Showcases in 2008-09.
The Academy program has
also proven to be a successful platform to identify players for
national team and collegiate teams. Each Academy team was observed
at least 20 times by a National Team scout in 2008-09, resulting in
more 250 players from 59 different Academy clubs being selected for
a youth national team camp since the program’s launch in 2007.
Additionally, Academy Showcases have attracted 200-300 college
coaches and over 85% of graduates from the inaugural Academy class
participated on college soccer teams in the following season.
The Academy program will
provide increased resources in 2009-10 to improve the training
environment at Academy clubs by providing more educational
opportunities for Academy coaches and increasing the amount of
Academy training evaluations performed by National Team coaches.
Training sessions will be evaluated by National Team staff based on
the quality of the training session, effectiveness of the coaching,
mentality of the players, training facility and overall training
environment.
While many Academy clubs
have already begun training for the 2009-10 season, six Southeast
Division clubs will begin their 2009-10 Academy seasons this
weekend. Weston FC, one of the Development Academy’s newest members, will play the
first official game of the 2009-10 Academy season on Saturday, Sept.
5, at home against Birmingham United. Miami FC Kendall and Atlanta
Fire United also open their seasons on Saturday afternoon, while AFC
Lightning and Concorde Fire will play on Monday, Sept. 7.
Highlighting the third
year of the Development
Academy will be the Winter Showcase, Dec. 2-5 at the
Reach 11 complex in Phoenix, Ariz., and the Spring Showcase from May 28-June
1 at a location to be determined. Academy Playoffs will once again
be held at Bryan Park in Greensboro, N.C., from June 25-29 and Finals Week at The
Home Depot Center is set for July 10-18. U.S. Soccer will continue
to provide extensive coverage of the 2009-10 Development Academy season at
www.ussoccer.com.
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