Overview

Following a comprehensive review of elite player development in the United States and around the world, U.S. Soccer created the Development Academy in 2007 to improve the everyday environment for the elite youth player.

The Development Academy is a partnership between U.S. Soccer and the top youth clubs around the country to provide the best youth players in the U.S. with an every day environment designed to produce the next generation of National Team players. The Academy’s programming philosophy of increased training, less total games and more competitive games is based on U.S. Soccer’s Best Practices utilized by the U-17 U.S. National Team Residency program.

The Academy also connects National Team coaches directly with the Academy clubs to develop and identify players and coaches for future Youth National Teams. Each Academy team is evaluated by a National Team coach at least ten times each year and each Academy club receives two formal evaluations in over 100 categories each year from National Team staff.

The Development Academy is also focused on identifying and developing the next generation of elite referees. U.S. Soccer assigns up-and-coming officials to participate in Academy games at the local level and at national events.

To maintain a focus on training, Academy teams do not play in any other leagues, tournaments, State Cup competitions, ODP or All-Star events without written permission from Academy staff. Full-time Academy players can only participate on their designated Academy team, with only 2 exceptions: high school soccer and national team duty.

Please click here for more information on the Structure of the Academy.

Overview
U.S. Soccer provides two yearly evaluations to clubs participating in the Development Academy to provide feedback on quality of the club's developmental environment for elite players. Clubs are graded on a five-star system in comparison to the top international developmental environments. The evaluation criteria consists of eight key components necessary for a club to provide elite everyday environments for player development with technical components based on the U.S. Soccer Curriculum.

How should this information best be used?
The information has a few different purposes. First and foremost, this feedback is necessary to help clubs improve and sharing this information increases the accountability for Academy clubs to reach the high standards and expectations set by U.S. Soccer. Second, the information empowers individuals to make the most informed decisions to help choose the right long term fit for an elite player. U.S. Soccer encourages families, players and clubs to use all the information available as the current holistic view of each Academy club. Third, the evaluation system helps U.S. Soccer to evaluate the progress and deficiencies in order to continue improving the impact of Academy Program on elite player development. One purpose this evaluation is not useful for is to draw comparisons between Academy club programs and other domestic programs or teams associated with other organizations.

How often are clubs evaluated?
Clubs are graded twice a year; once during the midpoint of the Academy season and once at the end of the season. Only the end of year evaluation score is shared and applied to their membership status for the following season.

How does U.S. Soccer determine the grades?
U.S. Soccer conducts live evaluations and video analysis at Academy club's training and games and collects administrative information on the club throughout the year.

Is all criteria worth the same?
The criteria receive different weights based on their importance to providing an environment to develop elite level players. The technical components carry the greatest weight.

Who is involved in the grading process?
U.S. Soccer Technical Advisors, National Team Scouts and U.S. Soccer Development Academy staff participate in live evaluations, observations, video analysis and data collection.

What does an evaluation that a club receives look like?
Each evaluation is personalized for every Academy club based on last season's data, statistics, and analysis for their 15/16 and 17/18 age teams . View a template here.

Club Evaluation Grades
You can view each club evaluation in its entirety in the evaluation document.

• More Training
• 3 mandatory training sessions per week
• Fewer Total Games
• Approximate 30 game season
• No outside participation for full-time Academy players
• 25% Minimum Start Requirement
• More Meaningful Games
• Compete against top youth clubs in the country
• FIFA Rules (i.e. no re-entry on substitutions, January 1 birthday cut-off, players participate on older teams if appropriate)
• Top Instruction
• Players receive integrated oversight from Academy club coaches and U.S. Soccer coaches in their local environment.
• Connection to U.S. Soccer Resources
• Select teams compete against U.S. Youth National Teams
• Regular Game and Training Evaluations by National Team staff
• Referees assigned by U.S. Soccer
• SPARQ Testing and Training
• Gatorade Hydration Testing and Education
• ProZone and Interplay Analysis

• Direct connection to U.S. Soccer National Team Scouting Network (NTSN)
• National Team coaches evaluated over 80% of all Academy games in the 2010-11 season
• Showcases are premier scouting venues:
• 400-500 college coaches
• 25 Professional Scouts
• National Team Staff observe every game
• Online player profile for all Academy players
• Showcase games footage can be purchased
• Over 250 players from Academy clubs were called into an YNT camp or trip since fall 2007 from 59 different Academy clubs