Via press release on their website, the US Soccer Federation announces the following
The Montreal Impact and Portland Timbers have been selected to join the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for the 2012-13 season following an extensive review process of both the technical and programmatic sides of each club.
What is the U.S. Soccer Development Academy?
As per US Soccer ,
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.
The US Soccer Development Academy talks about '' meeting criterias '' to join the Academy, what are they?
- National Team Coach Analysis
- History of Elite Youth Player Development
- History of Success in Elite Competitions
- Geography
- Impact on existing Academy members
What does this mean exactly for the young players developing at the Montreal Impact?
- The Montreal Impact will field U-15/16 and U-17/18 teams in the Development Academy.
- The Montreal Impact will be playing in the Northeast Division in the East Conference that features Albertson SC (Great Neck, N.Y.), Empire United (Rochester, N.Y.), FC Greater Boston (Waban, Mass.), FC Westchester (Scarsdale, N.Y.), Met Oval (Lynbrook, N.Y.), New England Revolution (Foxborough, Mass.), New York Red Bulls (Secaucus, N.J.), N.Y. Cosmos Academy (Queens, N.Y.), Oakwood Soccer Club (Glastonbury, Conn.), Seacoast United (Hampton, N.H.) and South Central Premier (Branford, Conn.).
Interesting to see this announcement and I am not sure if this means that the Canadian Soccer Federation has no say over the development of the implicated Montreal Impact youth teams. Is this move a hint towards lack of structure, competitiveness and tools provided by the CSA?
Stay tuned for more on the interesting dossier of youth soccer development for the Montreal Impact..