Meaningful Training
Academy teams spend a greater amount of time focused on training to improve as individuals and as a team. The teams and players receive direct feedback and evaluations from National Team Staff and ProZone video analysis. To round-out the complete training environment, Academy teams are tested in their physical capabilities using the SPARQ testing methodology and their hydration levels by Gatorade.  They also receive a SPARQ training curriculum for soccer-specific athletic training and Nutrition and Hydration recommendations from Gatorade’s Sports Science Institute.  Each athlete then gains a greater understanding of how they compare physically against their peers and what they need to do to achieve their optimal performance levels. 

Competitive Environment
The Academy program features teams from the top youth clubs from around the country. Each Academy team plays approximately 30 regular season games to ensure all games are meaningful. Games are also played according to FIFA’s Laws of the Game and officiated by a pool of the nation’s top young referees in order to prepare players for the next level of competition. National Team Scouts regularly attend Academy games, so players are evaluated over the course of the season and in their natural positions allowing for better player assessment.

Early Success
As the program enters its second year, it has already dramatically impacted the player development process in the United States. In 2008, more than 100 players from Academy clubs were included in U.S. Youth National Teams and almost 800 graduates from the inaugural Academy class participated in college soccer the following fall. Virtually all college programs use the Academy program as a scouting vehicle and the program has received increased attention from professional scouts representing domestic and international clubs. Visit ussoccer.com to view the top Academy teams in action.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution has formed a strategic partnership with New York-based Empire United, a youth development program that also plays in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Beginning with the 2012-13 season, Empire United will become “Revolution Empire, A New England Revolution Soccer Club.”
 
Revolution Empire will be the Revolution’s first affiliate youth club, allowing its Academy players, coaches and development-level players access and involvement in the Revolution Academy development and competition system, with the ultimate goal to produce Revolution Home Grown players.
 
“We’re very excited and eager to announce Empire United as our first youth development affiliate club,” New England Revolution General Manager Michael Burns said. “This year, we’ve already expanded our development model by adding an Under-14 team. Now with this partnership with Empire United, we’re expanding our geographic footprint. On top of the successful system we already have in place, we expect this new integrated organization will allow us to identify and develop more players who will one day represent the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.”
 
On the competitive side, the Revolution Academy and Revolution Empire youth teams will continue to compete as separate teams in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. However, both teams will train and develop under a similar system and Empire’s youth teams will be afforded the same training opportunities with the New England Revolution senior team as the Revs’ youth teams.
 
Empire’s elite youth team players will have the opportunity to train with the Revolution first team during the summer months. They can also earn call-ups to the Revolution Reserve team during its 10-game season and Empire’s players will get first-hand coaching from the Revolution Academy coaches at home in Western New York throughout the year.
 
“This promises to be an exciting and fruitful relationship for both Empire United and the New England Revolution,” Revolution Director of Youth Development Bryan Scales said. “When we started having conversations about affiliates, it was very important that we found the right people and the right development model to partner with. We feel we’ve found a perfect fit with Jim Mort, Chris Apple and the entire Empire United family.”
 
Empire’s coaches will have opportunities for ongoing coaching and personal development through the Revolution Academy, including training and education sessions with the Revolution first team and youth technical staffs. Additionally, the Revolution and Empire youth technical staffs will collaborate to introduce a consistent training system for both clubs’ development systems.
 
“Our New England Revolution partnership will provide an exceptional resource that will help Empire improve the standard of youth soccer in Central and Western New York,” Jim Mort, Executive Director of Empire United, said. “We want to be a primary asset to identify young players that have the potential of playing at a professional level and give them the training, facilities, resources and professional coaching in an extraordinary learning environment. We are dedicated to creating opportunities for our young players to excel.”
 
On the development side, the Revolution Academy Regional Development School will establish training programs – both week-long and residential, similar to its New England-based programs – in the Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo markets in partnership with Empire. These training and identification courses for all age groups provide young players the opportunity to get professional coaching and evaluation.
 
Additionally, the Empire Training Center (previously the Market Training Center) will expand with support from the Revolution Academy’s coaching staff. The ETC is an early identification program that allows elite players to be evaluated by Empire’s technical staff for consideration for the club’s Development Academy teams, similar to the Revolution Training Centers with the same mission.
 
“Partnering with the New England Revolution is an incredible opportunity for Empire United and I could not be more excited,” Chris Apple, Director of Coaching for Empire United, said. “Similar to a European club, our players and coaches will now have access to the knowledge, training program and innovation of a professional soccer team. This is a huge step forward for Empire and one that will keep us on the cutting edge of the game and enhance our ability to provide our players with the best developmental experience possible.”
 
For more information about the Revolution Academy - both the competitive youth teams (Under-18, Under-16 and Under-14) and Player Development Programs (including the Regional Development School and residential academy among other programs) – please visit revolutionsoccer.net/academy. For up-to-the-minute information on the Revolution, visit the team’s official web site at revolutionsoccer.net, or follow the team on Twitter at @NERevolution, or on Facebook at facebook.com/NERevolution. For more information about Revolution tickets, special packages and 2012 season tickets, call 1-877-GET-REVS or visit revolutionsoccer.net.
 
For more information about Empire United, please visit empireunitedsa.org.

Also invited into the training camp, is former Empire USA player Jordan Allen.  Although he is currently assigned to Real Salt Lake Arizona, Jordan’s ties to Empire United make Empire the only club to have three players invited train with the U18 National team.  Real Salt Lake Arizona, Baltimore Bays Chelsea, CD Chivas USA, LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, and Philadelphia Union each contributed two players to the squad.

Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Alex Bono (Empire; Baldwinsville, NY), Ethan Horvath (Stoke City, Eng; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Zackary Steffen (Philadelphia Union; Dowingtown, Pa.), Jacole Turner (Sporting KC; Lee’s Summit, Mo.)
DEFENDERS (11): Miguel Alves (PDA; Newark, N.J.), Robert Amick (De Anza Force; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Suliaman Dainkeh (DC United; Reston, Va.), Mobi Fehr (Basel FC, Switzerland; Tokyo, Japan), Dylan Greenberg (Albertson SC; Dix Hills, N.Y.), Trevor Haberkorn (Solar Chelsea SC; Roanoke, Texas), Matthew Habrowski (Derby County Wolves; Berkley, Mich.), Malcolm Harris (Baltimore Bays Chelsea, MD; Damascus, Md.), Jalen Markey (Seattle Sounders FC; Renton, Wash.), Jose Ocampo (CrossFire Premier; Bothell, Wash.), Miguel Polley (unattached; Woodridge, Il.)
MIDFIELDERS (11): Marco Delgado (CD Chivas USA; Glendora, Calif.), Matt Dunn (OFK Belgrade, Serbia; Dallas, Texas), Alejandro Guido (Unattached; Chula Vista, Calif.), Romilio Hernandez (Baltimore Bays Chelsea, MD; Lanham, Md.), Koty Millard (S.C. United Battery; Hopkins, S.C.), Antonio Murillo (Downtown Las Vegas Rapids; Las Vegas, Nev.), Adam Najem (New York Red Bulls; Clifton, N.J.), William Raygoza (LA Galaxy; South Elmonte, Calif.), Kristian Scott (Stoke City, ENG; Winterbourne, U.K.), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids; Brighton, Colo.), Stefanos Stemoulacatos (Empire; Camillus, N.Y.)
FORWARDS (9): Jordan Allen (RSL Arizona; Rochester, N.Y.), Paul Arriola (Arsenal FC; Chula Vista, Calif.), Cristian Cruz (San Jose Earthquakes; Hercules, Calif.), Benjamin Lopez (RSL Arizona; San Diego, Calif.), Andrew Oliver (Chicago Fire; Indianapolis, Ind.), Zach Pfeffer (Philadelphia Union; Dresher, Pa.), Esteban Rodriguez (Tijuana, MX; Palmdale, Calif.), Ben Spencer, JR. (CD Chivas USA; Albuquerque, N.M.), Jamie Villarreal (LA Galaxy; Inglewood, Calif.)

U.S. Soccer is pleased to offer you the opportunity to view and share an in-depth interview featuring U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. During this extended interview, Klinsmann shares his vision for the program by discussing topics such as player development, team building and performance testing.

We encourage you to provide a link on your website directing visitors to view the videos on ussoccer.com, or to post the YouTube version of the videos directly on your website. The interview can be watched in full, or you can select individual topics to view.

Watch the interview on ussoccer.com - Entire Interview | Individual Topics
Watch the interview on YouTube - Entire Interview | Individual Topics

After six months in the position, Klinsmann forges ahead with instilling new ideas and building a team that will have a style of play that reflects the very best that the United States has to offer. To accomplish his goals, he continues to reach out to all members of the soccer community so that all voices will be heard.

"This process does not only belong to the National Team," said Klinsmann. "I deeply believe that is critical we engage all the soccer constituents in this country, from coaches to fans to members of the media. After all, this team belongs to all of us! By continually exchanging ideas, we ensure that no stone is unturned in our effort to develop a team that represents what America is all about. More importantly, we are all inspired to continue to grow the game in the United States as best we can."

Watch the interview on ussoccer.com - Entire Interview | Individual Topics
Watch the interview on YouTube - Entire Interview | Individual Topics

If you have any questions or comments about these videos, please don’t hesitate to contact U.S. Soccer at communications@ussoccer.org.

Sincerely,
U.S. Soccer

We strive to provide all players, challenging programs that will offer opportunities to participate in developmentally appropriate competitions. Achieving this goal will allow players to gain exposure and enhance their opportunities to further their development as student athletes. 

On a continual basis, U.S. Soccer provides constructive feedback on how Empire United (EUSA) can improve as a soccer club, as well as, at the U.S. Development Academy team level. The key message to EUSA over and over is “recognize, identify, and train potential academy players at younger ages to maximize their potential and development.”

Market Training Centers

Recently Empire United has been organizing Market Training Centers (MTCs) for players in all of the EUSA organizations (Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse) in age groups U11 through U15 for both boys and girls. The MTCs are taking place once a month between January and April 2012. There is no extra fee to participate other than the cost of traveling to the facility (carpooling is suggested). The MTCs will take place in all three cities and it’s encouraged that players attend the MTCs whenever invited.

The goal for the MTCs is two-fold: 1) To bring together top players from across the state to participate in high level academy-style training sessions at an earlier age; 2) Start identifying players for our Boys U.S. Development Academy Program and our Girls EUSA Academy Program. In the past, we have waited until ages 15/16 to start engaging players and educating families on these programs and realize we need to improve this process.

The Academy

The goal of the Empire United “Academy” programs is to provide our most proficient players the opportunity to play with exceptional teammates in the advanced training environment against competition from the top clubs across the country. This is about player development and giving an opportunity for your son or daughter to reach his/her potential. During Developmental Academy matches, there are US Soccer Federation Staff (National Team Staff) in attendance, along with all the top colleges and universities, which gives them the best possible exposure as a soccer player.  Players performing well in the Academy and pre-academy ages have opportunities for invitations to US Soccer Training Centers (pre- National Team identification) and National Team Training Centers.    

When the Boys turn age 15 (some 14), they have an opportunity to earn a place on the USSF Developmental Academy Team (click the link for more information), to train and play with and against the best players at the highest level of youth soccer in the country. The decision to play with the Academy does not need to be made until that time. The MTCs are simply an additional training opportunity enabling the coaching staff to track players’ development. During the 2010-11 season, both our U15/16 and U17/18 teams won their divisions and competed in the playoffs against the top academies and MLS clubs.

EUSA’s Girls Academy is part of the USYSA National League, which is the top league in the country. As with the boys, the girls compete with and against the nation’s top clubs. This enables the girls to develop as players and get exposure to top colleges and USSF scouts and coaches. Similar to the boys, the girls academy teams compete in college showcase tournaments across the country attracting the top universities. During the 2011 season, our U16 EUSA Academy team placed 4^th in the Region 1 League earning acceptance in the National League at u17 to compete against the best in the country.  Beginning in July 2012, EUSA will field girls academy teams in the U15, U16, U17, and U18 age groups.

The Coaching Staff

A critical component of player development is to have a coaching staff with the experience and expertise to help each player achieve his or her full potential.  EUSA academy coaches relate well to players, run dynamic and challenging training sessions and place each player’s growth as the number one priority.  They have excellent coaching experience and the highest licenses available in the country.

Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jeffrey Joseph Gal (Sockers FC), Fernando Piña (Houston Dynamo)
DEFENDERS (4): Jonathan Campbell (North Carolina Fusion), Holden Fender (Concorde Fire), Luis Hernandez (Atlas Merced No Cal), Nico Rittmyer (South Carolina United Battery)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Diego Lopez (Atletico Santa Rosa No Cal), Casey Macias (Pateadores), Stefanos Stamoulacatos (Empire United), Cooper Vandermass-Peeler (North Carolina)
FORWARDS (2): Mario Rodriguez (LA Galaxy), Jonathan Top (FC Dallas)

It could be a true sign that the Syracuse University Men’s Soccer program is on the rise.

The Orange signed local stars Stefanos Stamoulacatos (West Genesee) and Alex Bono (Baldwinsville) who will join the team in the fall.

Both are dynamic enough, that  ESPNU lists them among their top 150 prospects for the Class of 2012.

Bono, a standout goalkeeper for the defending Section III champs from B’Ville hopes to shore up the Orange’s defense. Stamoulacatos, a blue-chip midfielder recently played for Team-USA’s Under-19 team at the World Championships.

Coincidentally, both Stamoulacatos and Bono were honored as CNY Central Athletes during this school year.

Both Stefanos and Alex say they hope they can start a trend of local talent staying home. That, no doubt, would help lead the Orange soccer program to new heights.

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Now with 14 seasons as the head coach of the Cavaliers under his belt, Gelnovatch has seen his player selection process undergo a major overhaul since the inception of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

“I think the Academy program is still relatively young, but already I think there are some benefits,” said Gelnovatch, who won his first NCAA College Cup championship in 2009. “The standards that have been set by U.S. Soccer for these clubs are good standards, but the biggest change I have seen is in the identification process.”

With Development Academy scouts in attendance at a majority of regular season games and every game during Showcase events, players are identified and tracked more closely and consistently than in the past.

The coaching staff at Virginia takes advantage of both the Richmond Strikers and the Richmond Kickers proximity to Charlottesville. Not only does Gelnovatch keep a close eye on local talent, but he has a full slate of quality teams coming in from across the country on a weekly basis.

Gelnovatch and his staff are also among nearly 300 college coaches in attendance at every Development Academy Showcase.

“For college programs, those Showcase events make it easier to get into a four-day environment and watch all of the Academy teams,” he said. “To come out to three events a year and see all these players shouldn’t be an issue for any major program.”

Keeping a close eye on the Academy talent, Gelnovatch has definitely seen a change in the type of players coming out of the member clubs.

In 2009, the Cavaliers brought in Will Bates from the Richmond Strikers, D.C. United’s Marcus Douglas, Sean Murnane and Shane Cooke, and BW Gottschee NYC’s Ahkeel Rodney, meaning all but one freshman on the team hailed from an Academy club. On Feb. 3, three more Academy players signed National Letters of Intent to play for Virginia as they attempt to defend their national championship.

The 2007 NCAA Champion Wake Forest will add no fewer than six former Academy players to the Demon Deacons squad for 2010. The 2008 and 2005 NCAA Champion University of Maryland also continues to bring Academy players into its highly-regarded program, building on six first-year Academy alums who helped the Terrapins advance to the tournament quarterfinals in 2009.

“The impact of the level of play in the Academy has been tremendous for our program,” said Sasho Cirovski, head coach at Maryland. “Every time you see a game, it’s highly competitive, good spirited and played a very high level with a great deal of accountability. That’s something you want to see as a college coach, how players deal with that kind of environment and it’s more clear when you watch an Academy game than maybe another youth game that isn’t as meaningful.”

In addition, the structure of the program, which includes training at least three times per week and playing games on the weekend, mirrors that of a college season.

“The regimen of playing other Academy teams and traveling with some consistency has definitely added some structure and development that makes the transition from a youth club to a high-level college soccer team a little bit easier,” said Gelnovatch.

As college programs continue spring training in preparation for the 2010 season, Development Academy players continue to train with their respective clubs, hoping for a taste of the NCAA tournament. The current Academy season will conclude at Finals Weeks at The Home Depot Center in July.

-ussoccer.com-

U.S. Soccer Federation
1801 S. Prairie Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616

Ball Work

This workout can be completed on all days off and only requires a ball and a 4x4 space.

Individual Work Out

Juggling

1. 50 touches each with feet, thighs, head (if space permits)

2. Set of 15 push ups, 15 sit ups

Footwork Exercises

Do a footwork exercise for 1 minute straight then a set of 15 push ups and 15 sit ups between exercises. Continue this pattern for all four exercises:

1. Triangles - Push ball from 1 foot to the other, second touch is out in front of the first foot, third touch is pulling back and starting all over. The pattern of ball movement is a triangle.

2. Stop and cut - Push ball to one side with the outside of your foot, stop the ball with the same foot, and then explode with a quick touch back the other way with the outside of your opposite foot.

3. Fast feet/Toe Touches - Roll the ball back and forth between both feet at a high speed while keeping your head up.

4. Sole role stop - Roll the ball with the sole of your foot from side to side alternating feet, draw letters of the alphabet with the ball.

Juggling

1. 50 touches each with feet, thighs, head (if space permits)

2. Set of 15 push ups, 15 sit ups

Dribbling

1. 2 Cones 4 yards apart, dribble at cone, 180 degree outside-turn.   (5 times each foot=total of 10 outside turns per)

a. Inside foot chop

b. Outside foot chop

c. Pullback

d. Cryuff

Wall or Partner Work Out

Passing/Receiving

1. 1-touch passing on the floor (10 yards, 2 minutes)

2. 2-touch passing on the floor (10 yards, 2 minutes)

3. Half turns off the wall...turn and play

- receive right, play with right, receive left play with left 15 times each

- receive right, play with left, receive left play with right, 15 times each

US Soccer looks has developed a series of four videos looking at different aspects of the "Everyday Environment".  To view the vidoes, select the links below:

• Individual Training
• Team Training
• Off-Field Lifestyle
• Games