CHICAGO (March 9, 2018) – As part of its ongoing effort to impact everyday environments to develop world-class players, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy has expanded its membership of 197 existing clubs for the 2018-2019 season, welcoming 16 new clubs that include 32 additional teams, as well as 38 additional teams from existing clubs.
NEW CLUBS JOINING THE DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY FOR 2018-19 SEASON
|
Club |
Gender |
Age Group(s) |
Division |
|
Dallas Texans Fort Worth |
Boys |
U-12 |
Texas |
|
GPS Florida West |
Boys |
U-12 |
Florida South |
|
Houston Dynamo Academy - West |
Boys |
U-12 |
Texas |
|
Lonestar SC Academy South |
Boys |
U-12 |
Texas |
|
Northeast United Soccer Club |
Boys |
U-12, U-13, U-14 |
Oregon |
|
OC Surf Soccer Club |
Boys |
U-13, U-14 |
Southwest |
|
Oklahoma Energy FC |
Girls |
U-14, U-15, U-16/17, U-18/19 |
Frontier |
|
RGV FC Toros Academy |
Boys |
U-15, U-16/17, U-18/19 |
Frontier |
|
Sacramento United Soccer Club |
Boys |
U-12 |
Valley |
|
San Jose Surf Soccer Club |
Boys |
U-12 |
Bay Area |
|
Solar Soccer Club West |
Boys |
U-12 |
Texas |
|
Sporting Omaha |
Girls |
U-14, U-15, U-16/17, U-18/19 |
Frontier |
|
Tigres San Antonio |
Boys |
U-12 |
Texas |
|
Toronto FC |
Boys |
U-15, U-16/17, U-18/19 |
Mid-America |
|
Utah Royals FC (Phoenix, Ariz.) |
Girls |
U-14, U-15, U-16/17, U-18/19 |
Southwest |
|
Ventura County Fusion |
Boys |
U-12 |
LA |
ACADEMY CLUBS ADDING NEW GENDER TEAMS FOR 2018-19 SEASON
|
Club |
Gender |
Age Groups |
Division |
|
Arlington Soccer Association |
Girls |
U-14, U-15 |
Atlantic |
|
West Florida Flames |
Boys |
U-12, U-13, U-14 |
Florida North |
ACADEMY CLUBS ADDING AGE-GROUPS FOR 2018-19 SEASON
|
Club |
Gender |
Age Group(s) |
Division |
|
Albion SC |
Boys |
U-18/19 |
Southwest |
|
Arlington Soccer Association |
Boys |
U-15 |
Atlantic |
| Armada FC Pro Academy | Boys | U-18/19 | Southeast |
|
Ballistic United |
Boys |
U-16/17 |
Northwest |
|
Cedar Stars Academy - Bergen |
Boys |
U-16/17 |
Atlantic |
|
Chula Vista FC |
Boys |
U-13 |
Southwest |
|
Cincinnati United Premier |
Boys |
U-15 |
Mid-America |
|
Davis Legacy Soccer Club |
Boys |
U-12 |
Valley |
|
Discoveries Soccer Club |
Boys |
U-13, U-14 |
South Atlantic |
|
LA Galaxy San Diego |
Boys |
U-15 |
Southwest |
|
Legends FC |
Boys |
U-13, U-14 |
Southwest |
|
Los Angeles Football Club |
Boys |
U-15 |
Southwest |
|
Los Angeles Premier Futbol Club |
Boys |
U-13 |
Southwest |
|
Loudoun Soccer |
Boys |
U-15 |
Atlantic |
|
Metropolitan Oval |
Boys |
U-15, U-16/17 |
Northeast |
|
Minnesota United FC |
Boys |
U-15 |
Mid-America |
|
Murrieta Surf Soccer Club |
Boys |
U-13 |
Southwest |
|
Mustang SC |
Boys |
U-13, U-14 |
NorCal |
|
New York Soccer Club |
Boys |
U-16/17 |
Northeast |
|
San Antonio FC |
Boys |
U-15 |
Frontier |
|
San Diego Soccer Club |
Boys |
U-13, U-14 |
Southwest |
|
San Francisco Elite Academy |
Boys |
U-13 |
NorCal |
|
San Francisco Glens Evolution |
Boys |
U-13 |
NorCal |
|
Star Academy FC |
Boys |
U-13 |
NorCal |
|
Total Futbol Academy |
Boys |
U-13, U-14 |
Southwest |
|
United Futbol Academy |
Boys |
U-18/19 |
Southeast |
|
Virginia Development Academy |
Boys |
U-18/19 |
Atlantic |
New clubs and clubs receiving expansion into new age groups were selected for admission to the Development Academy's 12th season based on:
Four new clubs are being introduced for the second year of Girls’ programming, while 12 Academies will be welcomed for Boys’ programming. These new clubs will account for 14 and 20 additional teams, respectively, while 27 existing clubs on the Boys’ side have been granted additional teams in age groups where they previously did not field a team.
While the number of divisions remains the same for both gender programs, clubs from two new geographical regions are joining the Girls’ Development Academy: Oklahoma Energy FC (Oklahoma City, Ok.) and Sporting Omaha (Omaha, Neb.). While a small number of clubs were added for the 2018-19 Girls' Development Academy Season, there was an encouragingly sizeable pool of applicants.
With the addition of Utah Royals FC, eight of nine NWSL clubs will be represented in the Academy. The addition of Toronto FC means that all 23 current MLS clubs are now part of the Development Academy.
In total, the Boys’ Development Academy will see 12 new teams added to the U-12 age group, 14 to U-13, eight to U-14, 10 to U-15, six to U-16/17 and five additional six teams added to U-18/19. The 2018-19 Girls’ Development Academy season will welcome a total of four new teams to U-14, four to U-15, three to U-16/17 and three to U-18/19.
The charts below compare the 2017-18 Academy season with the upcoming 2018-19 season.
|
U.S. Soccer Boys' Development Academy |
|
||||||
|
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
||||||
|
Age Groups |
Divisions |
Clubs |
Age Groups |
Divisions |
Clubs |
||
|
U-12 |
18 |
150 |
U-12 |
18 |
162 |
||
|
U-13 |
12 |
115 |
U-13 |
12 |
129 |
||
|
U-14 |
12 |
123 |
U-14 |
12 |
131 |
||
|
U-15 |
7 |
82 |
U-15 |
7 |
92 |
||
|
U-16/17 |
7 |
77 |
U-16/17 |
7 |
83 |
||
|
U-18/19 |
7 |
73 |
U-18/19 |
7 |
79 |
||
|
6 |
63 |
Teams: 620 Unique Clubs: 165 |
6 |
63 |
Teams: 676
Unique Clubs: 178
|
||
|
U.S. Soccer Girls' Development Academy |
|||||
|
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
||||
|
Age Groups |
Divisions |
Clubs |
Age Groups |
Divisions |
Clubs |
|
U-14 |
7 |
69 |
U-14 |
7 |
73 |
|
U-15 |
7 |
69 |
U-15 |
7 |
73 |
|
U-16/17 |
7 |
69 |
U-16/17 |
7 |
72 |
|
U-18/19 |
7 |
69 |
U-18/19 |
7 |
72 |
|
4 |
28 |
Teams: 276
Unique Clubs: 69
|
4 |
28 |
Teams: 290
Unique Clubs: 73
|
“The Development Academy is focused on creating a clear pathway for players across the country. The expansion for the 2018-19 season creates opportunities in new markets that show potential, while building on existing markets that have successfully developed players,” Development Academy Director Jared Micklos said. “This expansion is based on the quality of work that Clubs and coaches are doing in their environments every day, investing in the development of each individual player. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with existing and new Academy clubs as we continue our mission to develop world-class players."
BY THE NUMBERS:
U.S. Soccer and Development Academy staff will continue to review applications and markets for potential growth for the 2018-19 Academy season based on new developments and a continued analysis of clubs and their player development environments.
ABOUT THE ACADEMY
Following a comprehensive review of elite player development in the United States and around world, U.S. Soccer created the Development Academy program in 2007 to improve everyday environments with standards focused on individual player development. The Academy launched with two combined age groups for male players, U-15/16 and U-17/18. In 2013, the Academy expanded to include the U-13/14 age group, and in 2016, the Academy launched the U-12 program, which has continued to build a player pathway for elite players and clubs.
In 2017, the Girls' Development Academy was launched with a mission to improve the player development landscape and create a pathway for elite female players. Today, the Academy is comprised of teams across six age groups in the Boys' program: U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16/17, and U-18/19 and four age groups in the Girls' program: U-14, U-15, U-16/17, and U-18/19.
As Boys' Academy alumni have progressed to play at elite amateur and professional levels with MLS paving the way, NWSL clubs have also created Academy teams to develop the same pathway for future female players to progress to the professional level.