U.S. Soccer Development Academy - Miami FC Kendall
In a move designed to improve the development environment for male youth soccer players throughout the country, the U.S. Soccer Federation has taken the initiative in formalizing a nationwide development academy slated to begin play in September, 2007. Created to provide players with the best possible opportunity to develop, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy is being initiated after a comprehensive review of player development systems in the United States and around the world.
In its inaugural season, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will feature 64 elite youth soccer clubs from around the country. Four of those clubs are based in the state of Florida, and Kendall Soccer Coalition, in partnership with USL 1st Division club Miami FC, is fielding the only Development Academy teams selected to participate from the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale metropolitan area. The two teams, ages U16 (’91 & ’92 birth years) and U18 (’89 and ’90 birth years), will play under the Miami FC Kendall name.
Each Development Academy club will not only serve as a home for the nation’s top players, but also as a destination point within their community for shared learning and experience. One of the major advantages of the program will see players receiving integrated oversight from both youth club coaches and U.S. Soccer coaches, while training in their home environment. In turn, the Development Academy will provide an improved scouting environment for college, professional and U.S. National Team coaches.
According to U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, the Development Academy aims to shift the focus of our young elite players from an ‘overburdened, game emphasis’ model to a ‘meaningful training and competition’ model that will ultimately lead to more success and will allow players to develop to their full potential.
To begin that process, U.S. Soccer is using the Development Academy to create a wide-reaching movement within the grassroots soccer environment that will educate parents, coaches and players on the value of expanding national player development directly to the clubs. Using the current U.S. Under-17 Residency Program as a model, the youth clubs chosen to be part of the Development Academy will increase the amount of time spent on meaningful training while also increasing the quality of their matches.
With an emphasis on creating a superior everyday training environment, teams in the Development Academy will have a clean slate for a calendar and will be required to train a minimum of three times a week, eliminating the growing trend of clubs playing an excessive quantity of games in lieu of consistent training patterns. To maintain an emphasis on training, Development Academy teams compete against other teams in the program and do not play in any other leagues, tournaments or State Cup competitions, and players are only allowed to compete on their designated Academy team (with exceptions for high school soccer and national team duty).
The Development Academy has been divided into eight conferences comprised of eight teams based on geographic proximity. Academy teams will play 30 matches across a complete season with the winner of each conference participating in the annual Academy Finals at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The Academy clubs will be comprised of Under-16 and Under-18 age groups, with a minimum of 18 players on a roster, plus up to 10 Developmental Roster players from within the selected clubs.
Academy clubs were chosen by U.S. Soccer’s coaches from more than 150 applications based on number of criteria, including a club’s history of elite youth player development and past success in elite competitions. During its first year, 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.
The Academy will also serve as a better coaching development platform, with each participating club receiving two invitations to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Best Practices seminars. The development platform for U.S. Soccer referees will also be enhanced in the program, with U.S. Soccer assigning referees to all Academy matches.
U.S. SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY – SPECIFICATIONS
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 Teams: 64 of the top youth soccer clubs in the U.S. Age Groups: U-16 & U-18 teams (minimum roster of 18 players) Competition Format: Divided into eight conferences with each team playing 30 matches during an eight-month season. Each conference is comprised of 8 teams based on geographic proximity. The winner of each conference will play in the Academy Finals at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Minimum Playing Time: Each player on the Academy roster must start a minimum of 30% of the games played. Substitutions: Maximum of seven per game; no re-entry Game Length:U18 – 90 minutes U16 – 80 minutes Training/Game Ratios: Minimum of three training sessions and one rest day per week. On most non-competition weeks, Miami FC Kendall teams will have a four-day training regimen, with an additional optional training session. Competition Limits: Academy teams are not allowed to play more than one match per day or more than two matches over a three-day period. Most competition weeks will feature one game each on a Saturday and Sunday. Participation in Outside Activity: Permitted for high school play and in designated windows during Christmas and Easter holidays as long as the events are limited to one match per day. Miami FC Kendall teams have no matches scheduled from mid-November until early March to accommodate high school play.
