D.C. United are pleased to announce a landmark Development Academy Partnership with two of Northern Virginia's top clubs, Arlington Soccer and Loudoun Soccer. With U.S. Soccer's recent announcement on the expansion of the Development Academy and fifty-six new clubs joining the league to go along with expansion to the U12 and U13 age groups, the Development Academy Partnership changes the local landscape of elite player development and will provide a defined player pathway to professional soccer.
The partnership will target and attract the top soccer talent in Northern Virginia. Working closely together, the Partner Clubs will each offer U12, U13 and U14 teams within the Development Academy League. Through the partnership, the top players at U12, U13 and U14 will participate in elite training sessions, MLS competitions, and international competitions with D.C. United, while representing their home club within the Development Academy. In an effort to advance and place the area's top players on a pathway to professional soccer, each of the clubs will work together to identify and select players through Talent Training Centers throughout the spring and summer.
"This partnership provides a very clear and defined pathway for aspiring youth players to their hometown MLS club," Dave Kasper, D.C. United general manager and VP of soccer operations, said. "We are excited to join with Arlington Soccer and Loudoun Soccer to provide a top development structure for youth players within our soccer community."
Once within the club partnership structure, the top players will be closely monitored by D.C. United and will be selected and move to D.C. United's Academy program at the U14 level and will continue to be monitored for future consideration at the U15 level and beyond.
"It is D.C. United's role to provide the best training environment and greatest platform for development for the top players within our homegrown territory. With this partnership, the top players within Northern Virginia will have a clear pathway to an MLS Academy and professional soccer," Nolan Sheldon, D.C. United Academy director, said. "We will work hard to identify the top players in our area and provide an opportunity for them to represent their hometown professional club."
D.C. United will announce D.C. United Development Academy Talent Centers for players ages ten through fourteen later this week. Full-time, Development Academy teams will be selected and formed at U12, U13 and U14 age groups by summer 2016 and set to begin competition in August 2016. Each club will host a number of Talent Centers, which will be used to build the U12, U13 and U14 rosters for the upcoming U.S. Development Academy league season.
"We are incredibly pleased and excited to partner with DC United and Arlington Soccer in our admission into US Soccer's Development Academy," said Darryl Gee, Loudoun Soccer Technical Director. "Collaborating with a historic MLS club like D.C. United while gaining access for some of our players to compete at the highest level of youth soccer in this country is a tremendous benefit to our entire club and area. The current expansion of the boys Development Academy and the introduction of the girls Development Academy in 2017 are two exciting improvements for youth soccer in this country."
"We are excited to partner with D.C. United and Loudoun Soccer in this new Development Academy Partnership. We believe this new partnership will be a model for how clubs can work together throughout the country to improve the level of soccer in the U.S." said German Peri, Arlington Soccer's Director of Travel Coaching. "We are eager to begin this process of identifying Northern Virginia's top players and accelerating their soccer development.
