U.S. Soccer: Focus On Developing American Homegrown Players
“U.S. Soccer Development Academy Clubs have made a tremendous commitment to player development in the past 9 years and will serve as the example for clubs and leagues throughout the country to provide the best possible environment for young players,” said U.S. Soccer Development Academy Director Jared Micklos.
As of today, 124 Academy graduates are currently rostered in the MLS and 16 Academy players have earned USMNT caps.
Exclusive Interview: Jared Micklos, Development Academy Director
The world of competitive youth soccer in the USA is dedicated to developing homegrown talent and grooming players for the men’s and women’s national teams. On the boys side, the top of the elite pyramid for players is the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program which was kicked off in 2007. The Development Academy’s philosophy is based on increased training, less total games, and more meaningful games using international rules of competition.
Professionally run and well organized, the Development Academy is the flagship of the future. Even when you look at the Development Academy Crest on the sleeve of every player, you see the hope of the future with an interpretation of the American flag along with the three stars which represent the three Academy mixed-age groups: U-13/14, U-15/16 and U-17/18.
Jared Micklos, Development Academy Director, is the man responsible for USSF academy operations and strategic vision. The Academy has been the leader in developing players in the U.S. with the thousands of alumni moving on to play college soccer, 124 Academy graduates are currently rostered in the MLS and 16 Academy players have earned USMNT caps. Two more players were just added as of last Friday.
In an exclusive interview, Diane Scavuzzo chats with Micklos at the U.S. Soccer Academy U14 Showcase in Los Angeles, California at the StubHub Center.
Diane Scavuzzo: Why do you host these U.S. Soccer Development Academy showcases?
Jared Micklos: The showcases are a great opportunity for our staff to see some of the players they do not get to see on a regular basis. We hold these showcases on a regional basis – with a variety of competition to cut down on the travel.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is the goal of the showcase?
Jared Micklos: The goal is to get the match ups right – the ideal result is a tie with two even teams playing. The main goal is for the scouts to see these players in a showcase environment, so we are less concerned about the result and more focused on the performance of the individuals and how the teams play.
Diane Scavuzzo: Are you looking at identifying individual talent?
Jared Micklos: Yes, individual players within the team concept. The scouts are specifically looking at players and watching how they are developing through their individual player development plans that the coaches and clubs have set for them. This is a chance for our scouts to see the players and then either help accelerate their development or bring them into the Youth National Team or U.S. Soccer Training Centers.
Diane Scavuzzo: Is there a big difference between the MLS Academies and the Club?
Jared Micklos: While there are differences amongst the academies, and not just between the MLS and youth soccer club academies, we feel all of the clubs are making strides in improving the everyday environment to help players develop. The most important thing is that all the clubs and all the players in the Academy are getting the best training environment on a day-to-day basis.
Diane Scavuzzo: Are you pleased with the growth of the academy?
Jared Micklos: Yes, absolutely.
Diane Scavuzzo: What are your expectations for the next few years?
Jared Micklos: For us to see more focus on the individual player at a younger age. This is part of the reason for the expansion next year — creating U13 and U14 into single age groups and the addition of the U12 age group.
We want to see more emphasis from the coaches on the youth players, starting at a younger age, developing those players within the team and progressing them throughout the club.
Diane Scavuzzo: What about the “off years”? For example, the U-15/16 age group – those younger U15 players who are frequently left off the academy program for a year. What is the best thing for players to do?
Jared Micklos: One of the main goals of the program is to play players up. So if there is a 14-year old player and he could play up at U16, we want him to be on the U16 team. It might not be everyone’s step to play up, so a U14 might not be ready for the U16 Academy team.
Diane Scavuzzo: Are there any plans to add teams for the U15 or U17 ages and not have those years be combined in a two-year age group?
Jared Micklos: We will start by splitting the U-13/14 age group into single ages in 2016 along with the addition of U-12; all will be critically important to developing players at a younger age. We have also discussed making some of the combined birth years into single age in 2017 and future years.
Diane Scavuzzo: America is a big country – is there a major difference between the East Coast and the West or the South and the North? Which area is the strongest?
Jared Micklos: The size of the USA is the one of the hardest aspects for us to manage and this is a difficult question to answer. Throughout the country, there are major markets such as LA and New York, that have a ton of talent and this is why we have more Academies in these markets.
Diane Scavuzzo: How many clubs are in the Development Academy?
Jared Micklos: The Academy has 96 unique clubs, 74 that play in the older age groups.
Diane Scavuzzo: From the 4 million plus soccer players all across the USA, how many players were selected to play in the 2015/16 Development Academy?
Jared Micklos: There are just over 5,000 players in the Development Academy. I expect the total number of registered players to grow to 6,000 by the end of the year, which is June 2016. These additional players are the ones still in the process of being added by clubs, such as Developmental Players (DP) and late additions.
Diane Scavuzzo: How many scouts does the U.S. Soccer Development Academy have around the country?
Jared Micklos: We have 110 scouts across the country and 9 full-time technical advisors.
Diane Scavuzzo: Is there an evaluation process for the coaches who train in the Academy?
Jared Micklos: Yes, we have our TA’s and scouts evaluate training, and we have great open communication with our Academy Directors.
Diane Scavuzzo: What would you say to the players who are at the showcase? What advice would you give them?
Jared Micklos: U14 players are at a critical point where they are starting to mature and experience changes, so for this age group it is important for them to continue to focus on improving in their everyday environment and commit time and effort outside training to develop individually.
