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Development Academy Program

U.S. Soccer Development Academy

 JOIN THE MAGIC -- U.S. Soccer has created the U.S. Soccer Development Academy to improve the everyday environment for the elite youth player. The Chicago Magic Soccer Club is one of the select clubs that participates in the USSDA.  The Academy format provides top quality matches that challenges players on emotional, mental and physical levels." The Magic Academy strives to provide players with the best possible opportunity to achieve their utmost potential as elite soccer players.

 

ACADEMY PHILOSOPHY

 

Developing the Next Generation

U.S. Soccer's Development Academy program is driven by the game and its players, coaches and referees.  This game-centric approach allows for long-term development to occur through a deep understanding of what makes players successful around the world.  As the sport of soccer grows in the United States , young players in our country need the proper environment to compete against the world's elite.  The U.S. Soccer Development Academy program provides the optimum developmental environment for the nation's top youth soccer players, coaches and referees by emphasizing development through quality training and limited, meaningful competition.

 

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.

ACADEMY ALUMNI 

The Chicago Magic has placed a high number of players into great academic and athletic programs at colleges and universities across the country. This is a true credit to the players, their families, and the coaches in the Chicago Magic Soccer Club, as it shows that hard work and being prepared can pay off in the end.

The Academy Program begins a new era of players placed into College and the Professional ranks.

 

PYRAMID TO SUCCESS

 

U.S. Soccer has created the U.S. Soccer Development Academy to improve the everyday environment for the elite youth player. The Chicago Magic Soccer Club is one of the select clubs that participates in the USSDA.  The Academy format provides top quality matches that challenges players on emotional, mental and physical levels." The U16 and U18 Chicago Magic Academy strives to provide players with the best possible opportunity to achieve their utmost potential as elite soccer players.

Joining the #1 club in Chicago-land is easier than you think. You can start the process of joining the #1 club in the Chicago-land by attending one of our upcoming Academy tryout sessions

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION