Girls’ Recruiting: Adidas College Cup Plays It Smart
In the world of women’s college soccer recruiting, a general belief is that a family has to have their player on a DA or ECNL team in order to be recruited for college soccer. Those two soccer systems, without a doubt, produce college soccer players. However, there are impressive numbers of elite-level players and teams […]
“ECNL has more to offer our girls.” Why Crossfire Premier Is Leaving the Girls’ DA
The US Soccer Girls Development Academy recently announced the arrival of six new clubs into the Girls’ DA program. While clubs are joining the Girls’s DA, more than a few clubs have decided to leave and have all of their top girls’ teams compete in the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League). One of those clubs […]
How do they do it? Crossfire Premier Fully Funds Their Top DA Teams
Among the landscape of US Soccer Development Academy programs, non-MLS clubs are constantly struggling to compete with professional clubs that fully fund their DA programs. Most (not all) MLS Development Academy teams are fully funded by the parent club, meaning their DA players have no out-of-pocket costs. Travel. Club fees. Coaching fees. Food. Uniforms. Even […]
The DA debate continues: “It wasn’t the best fit.” -Slammers FC
Slammers FC was one of the most dominant girls’ clubs during the Girls Development Academy’s inaugural year. Surprisingly to many, Slammers FC then left the DA and returned to the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League). Why? I recently spoke with Christen Press’s Slammers FC coach, Ziad Khoury about Christen’s years of youth soccer. Neither ECNL nor the DA […]
“Honestly, it’s the parents who want HS soccer.” Club coach describes his view of DA vs High School
I recently spent time with a high level girls soccer team who joined the girls’ DA in the inaugural 2017 season. This team is full of NCAA D1 commits, and even a few US Soccer National Team selectees. The girls began their high school years in the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League). A top-level club coach […]
San Diego Surf’s NLI Signing Day Ceremony
On Wednesday November 14, 2018, high school athletes across the country put pen to paper, officially signing their NLI (National Letters of Intent) to commit to their future college athletics programs. At the Surf Cup Sports Park in Del Mar, San Diego Surf Soccer held a celebratory signing ceremony for their impressive class of high […]
Why does the Development Academy Bar Players from High School Soccer?
US Soccer Director of Talent Identification explains why DA players can not play for their high schools. The Boys’ Development Academy started in 2007, and the Girls’ Development Academy started in 2017. Since then, many families strongly disagree with US Soccer’s directive that DA players are not permitted to play for their high school teams […]
You Won’t Die if You Choose Not to Play College Soccer after Club
Are you a failure if you’ve been playing club soccer for years but don’t end up playing in college? We are in a time of frantic and stressful college soccer recruiting. Therefore many families are feeling pressure to land a spot on a college team. Now is a good moment to remember that college soccer […]
SoccerNation Sitdown: Shannon MacMillan
US Soccer Hall of Famer Shannon MacMillan has built a stable, competitive, multi-level soccer organization over the past eight years as the Executive Director of the Del Mar Carmel Valley Sharks Soccer Club. Recently, she sat down with Carrie Taylor of SoccerNation to discuss the growth of DMCV Sharks and the state of the game […]
CVFC takes 3 out of 4 USSDA Matches Over Halloween Weekend
Chula Vista Football Club returned to U.S. Soccer Development Academy action on Saturday, October 29th, with two matches against fellow USSDA teams from San Diego Soccer Club. Chula Vista would lose the first match with a late goal by SDSC and even up the tally with a win in the second match. Shortly after kickoff […]
Chula Vista FC Academy U12 Boys Kick Off Season
Over Labor Day Weekend, Chula Vista Futbol Club kicked off league play in the United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) for their two U12 teams with a pair of matches against Strikers FC from Orange County on Saturday. These matches were firsts of their kind for CVFC and South San Diego. In June of this year, Chula […]
USSDA Finals Recap: U-15/16 LA Galaxy Finish Second & U-17/18 Nomads Finish Fourth
The 2016 United States Soccer Development Academy season has come to a thrilling conclusion with FC Dallas becoming the first academy club to capture both the U-15/16 and U-17/18 titles in the same season. The state of California was well represented with the U-15/16 LA Galaxy and the U-17/18 Nomads advancing to Finals Week. In the […]
LA Galaxy U-15/16 & Nomads U-17/18 Advance To USSDA Semifinals
This past August, more than 190 clubs from around the country kicked off another United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) season. Less than 12 months later that list is now down to eight teams that include California’s own LA Galaxy U-15/16 and Nomads U-17/18. The other advancing teams in the U-15/16 group are FC Dallas, […]
USSDA Playoffs Kick Off Tonight With 13 California Teams Vying For National Title
The United States Soccer Development Academy playoffs kick off tonight in Dallas with a combined 13 California teams competing in the U-17/18 and U-15/16 age groups. Six teams are from the U-17/18 age group with the LA Galaxy finishing as the top team in California. They will be joined by Sacramento Republic FC, Pateadores, Arsenal FC, Nomads SC, […]
Final weekend of U-17 Generation adidas Cup Qualifying
The U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) is the home of the truly elite youth soccer player. There are currently 79 teams playing in this elite division of youth soccer in the U.S. and only a handful of these teams are directly tied to clubs from Major League Soccer as MLS Academy teams. Playing for the youth […]
TFA APPROVED BY U.S. SOCCER AS AN OFFICIAL USSDA MEMBER
As of fall 2016, TFA will join the ranks of the nation’s elite youth clubs. Total Futbol Academy has been accepted into the United States Soccer Develoment Academy. This acceptance comes after 8 years of hard work and dedication. More information can be found about the USSDA here: USSDA This is a special moment for […]