US Soccer Development Academy

On April 16, 2020, it was announced that the United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) would be closing due to the ongoing pandemic.

The closure of the DA was a significant, but temporary, blow to the future of soccer in the U.S. It ended up being great for youth soccer.

In this article, I’ll shed some light on what the DA was, what it stood for, and the future of youth soccer in the U.S.

What Was the Development Academy?

The Development Academy (DA) was a soccer program designed to identify and develop young, talented players in the United States.

In today’s world, it is comparable to MLS NEXT and Girls Academy.

The DA focused on providing players with the best training, coaching, and competition in the United States.

The program was open to both boys and girls teams. The age groups included U12 through U19.

The closure of the league affected almost 20,000 players across the country!

The DA also served as a feeder system for the U.S. youth national teams, and some players who have gone through the program have continued to play for the national teams and professionally.

Some notable players who came up through the Development Academy include Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, and Chris Richards.

The DA was considered the premier youth development program in the U.S. and was an important step for young players who wanted to pursue a soccer career.

Here’s a video explaining the program from 2010!

Why Did the Development Academy Shut Down?

U.S. Soccer announced its permanent closure and cited that financial difficulties caused by the COVID pandemic were to blame. But, is there more to the story? We think so!

U.S. Soccer was under immense pressure after a lawsuit with USWNT that ended up costing them $24 million.

In that previous year, U.S. Soccer anticipated that it would spend $12 million on the Development Academy. The economics weren’t favorable.

Also, many parents were simply not happy with the DA and their restrictions.

More specifically, players who competed in the DA were not allowed to play for their high school or middle school teams. They also had tight restrictions on what tournaments teams could participate in.

Moreover, there was heavy travel involved throughout the fall and spring seasons. No fault of their own but when elite teams play elite teams, parents need to expect that there will traveling over state borders will be the norm.

Although the pandemic took a toll on the federation and the sport of soccer, it wasn’t the sole catalyst for the DA closure…it accelerated it.

Development Academy Shutdown, Now What?

After the U.S. Soccer made the announcement, Major League Soccer (MLS) announced its intentions to fill the void and formed MLS NEXT in 2020.

MLS has become the new standard for elite boys’ youth soccer. Instead of the U.S. Soccer driving its standards, MLS is defining playing styles, budgets, coaching, and other program essentials.

MLS NEXT has now become the next logical pathway from the youth level to the professionals.

Similarly, the Girls Academy (GA) was formed to provide a top-tier program for talented youth female soccer players.

The GA has been well received by players, parents, coaches, and scouts thus far.

Additionally, many DA players went on to play in the Boys and Girls Elite Club National League (ECNL). The ECNL also provides top-tier development across the nation.

All in all, the closure of DA for the future youth soccer was just a bump in the road. In actuality, it created more opportunities for new programs to elevate youth soccer in the U.S. 

In today’s youth soccer landscape, there are more opportunities than ever. Within their respective clubs, players have a pathway from youth to college soccer.

I’m a firm believer that youth soccer in the United States is alive and well!