While excitement was at full tilt during the 32 games, the more than 350 players, coaches and referees involved were also exposed to a number of experiences in a continuing effort to provide the best possible environment to develop and commit them to a higher standard.
During the week, players and coaches heard from U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley and midfielder Landon Donovan to gain a better understanding of the top level of the sport and the national team environment, learned about health strategies to improve hydration and nutrition, had in-depth sessions with ProZone to objectively evaluate their performances through video and statistical analysis and received individual team media training sessions.
“The entire week here at The Home Depot Center was a remarkable success,” said U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy Technical Director John Hackworth. “We couldn’t have asked for better competition on the field, including two fantastic championship matches on Friday and Saturday, but along with the games there was a substantial number of experiences off the field that we believe were extremely beneficial to coaches, players and referees.
“From the beginning of the Development Academy, our goal was to do everything possible to provide players, coaches and referees with an environment to help them develop and we definitely accomplished that during our inaugural season. The next step will be to continue to improve our system and provide experiences that will allow everyone involved to get better on and off the field.”
The Development Academy is also designed to provide a closer connection to the U.S. national team programs, with the specific goal of identifying talent to bring into the national player pools. In the first year alone, 98 players from Development Academy teams were identified by U.S. Soccer scouts and brought into participate in camps and games at the U-17, U-18, and U-20 Men’s National Teams.
In terms of the competition, coaches and players across the board cited the quality of opponents and meaningful matches as one of the most important aspects of the new program.
“This program is the best thing we have ever been a part of, “said Scott Nichols, head coach of the U-17/18 champion Baltimore Bays. It’s the best clubs, the best teams, and an unbelievable environment. I think this is well on the way to being the best league in the country.”
