Northern Virginia United Academy launches year-round youth soccer programming

Brian Welsh has announced the launch of a year-round program by the Northern Virginia United Academy (NVU), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth soccer club servicing the greater Northern Virginia community.

Drawing from his award-winning professional soccer career with Dundee United, as well as a 14-year coaching career leading to multiple national championships in Scotland and United States, Welsh’s initial boys’ teams will include ages U9-U19 at all skill levels who share his passion for the game. The new teams will compete in local, regional, and national leagues beginning this Fall 2022.

“Brian believed in me as an aspiring pro player. He was more than a coach. Every minute spent with him was an education. His knowledge of the game, teaching style, and ability to bring out the best in youth players are second to none. In addition to his superior technical training, his infectious love for the sport and community left a lasting impression,” said Marc McNulty, professional player for Dundee United FC and Scottish International.

In addition to differentiating itself as a club in Virginia to be run by a former soccer pro with experience in building and successfully running two professional European youth academies, NVU brings forth an elite slate of coaches and a robust international partnership with Dundee United, bringing both elite training and international competitive play opportunities to NVU teams.

“The ultimate achievement for youth coaches is to see your players succeed both on the pitch and in life. I am launching this year-round academy to provide experiences aimed at serving all players throughout Northern Virginia communities. Seeing players sign pro contracts, play in college and for their high schools brings me great joy, but nothing puts a smile on my face more than seeing players give back to the game and their communities,” said Welsh. “We are thrilled to have former players joining the coaching ranks and guiding the next generation of players in our area.”

Welsh achieved a fourteen-year professional soccer career in Europe, most notably with Dundee United, where he was the 25th inductee into the Dundee United Hall of Fame. He led the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championship win for a local Northern Virginia club. Many of his youth players have gone to pro teams or were successfully recruited to play in top Division I schools.