Last year I started a thread trying to get an understanding of what each team was doing with their youth program in the month following the announcement of their youth Academy system. It’s been a little over a year now and I figured its time for an update. Here is my current understanding: Chivas – The organization mostly seems likes it is working to build up grass roots support and as a bonus maybe develop a few players in the process. They have U16 and U18 teams playing in USSF Leagues. Focus has been on Hispanic players and unlike other LA based Academy teams they are not playing during the HS season. U18 team recruited some kids that can really play and might be willing and able to make the transition to the senior team. I think a couple may have been selected for US residency. U16 has more marginal players. Club runs 14 different “Academies” in US 2 in LA that are run by the club and 12 others that are "independently owned and operated under license from Chivas USA Futbol Education, LLC," Galaxy – Announced with great fanfare in March that they starting Galaxy Rios and announced Tristan Bowen as there first player. Never heard of a second. Announced that they were going to have teams in the USSF league and then were replaced by LAFC. Run the Beckham academy targeted for kids 4-18 willing to pay the going rate. Chicago – Started out with what looked like just another mediocre club outfitted in Fire gear at players cost. However with their two teams in USSF league, they appear more serious about acquiring talent. They appear to have attempted to recruit all the top area club players with free training, travel and gear. They also appear to have signed many of them. Colorado – Have teams in USSF League. Played this summer in Super-Y against RSL’s teams and seemed to be a cut above the couple of club teams that played in the league. Columbus – Have Crew Jrs. entered in USSF league. The program seemed to me nothing more than another glorified club much like Fire Juniors was. However, they seemed to partner with Friedel’s program which seems to be the real deal so maybe they are getting a bit more serious. DC United – Has teams entered in USSF league and has a number of pretty good looking teams entered in Super Y. Seem to have hired a group of experienced coaches. They seem to be make a reasonable effort acquire and develop talent. FC Dallas – Seemed to turn a large youth club (inter) into FC Dallas. Seems like just another Tx club outfitted in FC Dallas Gear (most likely at the players cost). Houston – Houston has a unique system. They work with all the clubs and offer supplemental training. They appear to also play matches in Mexico as well as the US. They also appear to be pretty serious about finding potential players. Last year I thought their model was the way to start out. It seems to work with clubs rather than competing with them. However it is at odds with the USSF model (which I strongly question). Kansas City – Have a U15,U16, U17 program called KCW Juniors. Appear to play against local club teams – something like a smaller version of DC or Red Bulls, only they are not part of USSF League New England – Seem to having nothing more than an “Academy” that is targeted at anyone from 4-18 willing to pay the going rate. Red Bull – Has teams entered in USSF league and a U15 Academy team as well. Seem to have hired a group of experienced coaches. They seem to be make a reasonable effort acquire and develop talent and seem to have players capable and interested in moving to the team. Real Salt Lake – They also have an interesting model. They seem to partner with OPD in Arizona and Utah and have a U16 and U17 team in the Super-Y league. Talent looked a step above as Colorado Rush (at one time not too long ago one of the strongest clubs in the US) one of the two club teams also in the league at U17. They also seem to have a Chivas like licensed program in Florida that seems more like branding and money than development. From my view – Galaxy, New England and FC Dallas have nothing. Columbus, Chicago, Colorado, KC Real Salt Lake all seem to be getting a little more serious in their own way although none seem to have player in their program chomping at the bit to turn professional. DC was about a year ahead in organizing but seems to be in the camp as well. Red Bull, DC, Houston all seem to have players capable and interested in foregoing college and turning pro. Chivas is building up the grass roots with Hispanic targeted programs and is also providing a platform for lower income kids that want to go directly to the pros. Houston seems to be targeting similar players but is working in conjunction with South Tx programs. Red Bull also seem to have players ready to make the jump but does not seem as strongly Hispanic based as the other two. Only Chivas, Columbus, Chicago, Colorado, Red Bull, and DC have teams in the USSF Academy League. I find it interesting that almost half the teams seem to question its utility at this time Please make corrections, changes and additions to help fill out the picture of each teams plan, the appropriateness of their plan, and how successfully they appear to be executing their plan.
Thanks for compiling this info. Just to add a couple of items: In addition to the academy in Houston, the Dynamo have also opened the Dynamo South Texas Academy (and more info here) in the Rio Grande Valley. This post contains some brief translations from a local Spanish-language paper about the Dynamo's youth program plans for 2008.
Glad to see MLS is making progress. It will take some time to displace the existing clubs and to build their own facilities: not an overnight proposition. Especially consider how many clubs are playing on leased fields that are dedicated to non-profit uses. Maintaining a strict salary cap and giving teams rights to players they develop is key to further youth development. Increased professionalism of players down to the age of 15 will be necessary to truly develop skill levels.
I don't know whether this is what scoachd1 was referring to, but the USSF has formed a country-wide league structure called the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy. Teams in this structure include those from pro academies such as DC United, RedBulls, and Crew., as well as non-MLS affiliated clubs. This from the USSF site: Here, from another page of the USSF site, is the conference line up of the 64 clubs: I see seven MLS academies in the mix.
The ESC Fanzine has a six-page feature on Red Bull's academy. Lots of detail and information on the three guys (Matt Kassel, Ward Hines and Johnny Exantus) who may be ready to make the leap to the senior team.
Six DC United Academy players were invited to play in the Nike Friendlies with the U.S. National Training Select teams. They are forward Chris Hegngi and defender Ethan White for the Under 17/18 team; defenders Julio Arjona, Samuel Bradley and Shaquille Phillips and midfielder Lester Dewee for the Under 15/16 team. Add the L.A. Galaxy to that list, according to the USSF site. I wonder if it was questioning the utility or some other factors that may have entered into it. Could any of them not have had teams ready (such as those who run pay-to-play programs) or those that weren't good enough to be selected? From the USSF site:
Interesting that the Galaxy are in that USSF league, because in all honesty, I don't think we have any type of reserve team at all. There has been requests from fans for the Galaxy to clarify our youth set up but they have gone on deaf ears. There are some powerful youth clubs in the region, so it wouldn't surprise me if there was some politics issues here in SoCal. Still, one year later, what we've seen so far for the Galaxy is disapointing.
should be interesting to see if any academy players get pro contracts this upcoming year, with Kassel being the most likely IMO.
That's not true at all about FC Dallas. The head of our youth teams is a guy named Chris Clarke who was with the team before they turned Inter into FCD. Here's a little youth update http://worldcupway.blogspot.com/2007/11/fcd-youth-update.html
TFC was given an extra year before starting up an academy by MLS so they could get their feet on the ground. I don't know a ton about it but there were a couple of times now where if you called up ticketmaster and paid $125 or so, they would graciously let you try out. I also understand that they have training grounds under construction. http://toronto.fc.mlsnet.com/news/t...nt_id=130527&vkey=pr_t280&fext=.jsp&team=t280
they had an open tryout (cash grab) last year and one token player was selected (Jamal Smith, currently plays for U of T and may one day land a spot in the CSL) they are holding tryouts again this year and swear that they are actually trying to find talent with them. There was supposed to be an announcement this past wednesday about the youth academy but it has been postponed until next year after the holidays. i suspect they'll keep having these paid tryouts and use them to fill up their academy.
Yep, if anyone here really wants to know about the NY youth academy instead of justr snarking off assumptions, then its a must read.
As a resident of the Valley and a friend of an academy member I think this is awesome. There is a lot of talent here. The high school state champion usually comes from one of the Brownsville schools. Last 2 have been Porter and Lopez. They beat teams from Dallas loaded with high level pay to play club players. University of Texas at Brownsville started it's first varsity program in autmn of this year. Now that the Valley is starting to get it's shit together I think we'll starting seeing players on the national teams coming out of the valley. Friedel's academy has a kid from Edinburgh.
Chivas USA already signed Jorge Flores after playing in the U-18 and he was called up by the U-20 National team. Flores made his pro debut last season. I know we signed another kid from our youth team but I cant remember his name right now.
Update on New England There is no update. The last info on a youth program plan we had here in Revsland was dated April 3, 2007. http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/search/index.cfm?ac=searchdetail&pid=24736&pcid=115 Still 11 days left in the year to make an announcement.
I love the Valley. The sight and sound of all those birds is seared into my memory. I spent some time down there about seven years ago in Harlingen and it seemed then that all they were interested in was high school football, like the rest of Texas. Or maybe that was just my perception.
Forget the USSF site. I'm looking for reality from people that are familiar with what is going on in their area. As I noted in my initial post, the Galaxy was replaced by LAFC. Take a look at the USSF league schedules. In 2007 LAFC U19 was last in Premier (12 of 12); 5th at U17 (their only real strong olders club); Last in Premier at U16 (12 of 12) and were not in the 12 top 12 at U15 and did not win the second division bracket the were playing.
Do you speak Spanish? If you don't I can understand how that could be your perception. For some reason the English language media here pretty much ignores soccer. I think that's weird because there are tons of soccer fans here. Go to any large gathering of people and you'll loads of America, Chivas, Cruz Azul, and various other Mexican team jerseys. A lot of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea, and even the occasional MLS jersey. Usually Houston.
I'm glad to see they're traveling and successful and whatnot. I guess the true test will be to see who graduates the best players...But in as much as FC Dallas is basically just another pay-to-play youth club I would agree that they have nothing. I mean, what exactly are they providing that Texans or others are not. OK a player could potentially go directly into FCD without getting drafted, but so what. If you're good, you can go pro anyway. So while Houston is opening academies around the state (and I don't know if they're worth a damn, but the club are making an effort), FC Dallas are letting Pachuca pluck players (i.e. Torres) from their backyard. And don't even have a side in the Dallas Cup super group though the tournament is played in their own stadium/complex. Their kids could be playing the youth from Liverpool and Benfica, and Chivas but we cede that opportunity for some reason.
I wouldn't be so sure. The MLS model allowed you to set up two academies (I think that was the number) in areas outside your home location. So they could be setting up a great opportunity to sign kids from Florida that others won't get if they do it right.