By Mike Woitalla The U.S. women’s national team has given us some wonderful examples of how one can’t draw conclusions about a player’s potential based on their early time in thesport. Christen Press, who scored in the USA’s 3-1 opening win over Australia at the Women’s World Cup, told us how she went her entire […]
development academy
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Development Academy Playoff Groups Set
The playoff field for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy was drawn into groups for the Academy Playoffs June 23-26 in Westfield, Ind. The qualifiers were determined through 21 automaticqualification spots and 11 wild-card berths. U-15/16sGroup A1. Crew SC Academy Wolves2. Capital Area RailHawksAcademy-CASL3. New England Revolution4. Seattle Sounders FC Group B1. FC Dallas2. LA Galaxy3. […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Development Academy adds clubs
Baltimore Armour, Sacramento Republic and Florida’s Boca United have been accepted to field U.S. Soccer Development Academy teams for the 2015-16 season in all the divisions: U-13/14s, U-15/16s andU-17/18s. New York City FC will be joining the U-13/14 age group. Baltimore Armour, whose Technical Director is former U.S. U-17 national team coach John Ellinger, was […]
Posted inStory
George Altirs boosts New Jersey-area youth ball
By Mike Woitalla As a boy, George Altirs spent his free time playing as much soccer as possible in the village of Mejdlaya in Lebanon. “It was the only game that we ever knew about,” he says. “If you wanted to play a sport, you kicked the ball around. Two kids, three kids. A good […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Soccer hires Belgian consulting firm
In its quest to “accelerate its mission of developing world-class players,” U.S. Soccer has hired the Belgian consulting firm Double PASS. Double PASS lists among its clients the Bundesliga, the English Premier League, the J-League and the federations of Germany, Belgium and Hungary. “We are now ready to take on thechallenge in your country to […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ten foreign clubs join MLS's Generation adidas Cup
The second phase of the 2014-15 Generation adidas Cup, an annual tournament for U-17 MLS academy teams, kicks off March 29. Seventeen of the 20 MLS clubs are sending teams and will be joined by 10foreign clubs and Chivas USA, whose first team folded after the 2014 season. The three MLS teams not represented are […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Video Games vs. Youth Soccer, the mismatch
By Mike Woitalla In an article by John O’Sullivan, founder of Changing the Game Project,he writes that three out of four young athletes leave organized sports by the age of 13. And that many, especially boys, turn to video games. O’Sullivan is no fan of video games –“I see no value in them for my […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Video Pick: Bike golazo from Academy play
Defender Aaron Herrerahas scored four goals in 17 games for Real Salt Lake-Arizona Academy U-17/18s. This one made it on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays of the Day. The17-year-old Herrera of Las Cruces, N.M., has committed to the University of New Mexico. His golazo, assisted by Erik Holt, came in a 9-0 win over Southern […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Kevin Payne (Q&A, Part 2): Competing groups create dynamism
Interview by Mike Woitalla Longtime MLS executive Kevin Payne served as D.C. United president during its golden years of the 1990s and has also held key positionswith U.S. Soccer. Payne became U.S. Club Soccer’s CEO in January. U.S. Club Soccer, which gained U.S. Soccer Federation membership in 2001, has member clubs and leagues in all […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
D.C. United will launch residency program this fall
D.C. United will become the latest MLS club to launch a residential program when it opens a program this fall in conjunction with The Calverton School, a prep school located 25 miles outside ofWashington, D.C., in Huntingtown, Md. “This is a major step forward for the D.C United Academy,” said D.C. United Director of Youth […]