BREAKING: New Virginia Development Academy formed by three Northern Virginia clubs

SoccerWire.com has learned that three major youth soccer clubs in the competitive travel soccer cauldron of Northern Virginia will be announcing a joint venture over the next few days.

Longtime powerhouse club Prince William Soccer, Inc (PWSI) have successfully petitioned U.S. Soccer to allow the transfer of their U.S. Soccer Development Academy franchise into a new project to be known as the Virginia Development Academy, or “VDA.” 

+READ: SW Q&A: Development Academy debutants PWSI eager to seize opportunity

It’s a move which we understand was the last key hurdle to clear in an effort that has been long in the making.

Joining PWSI will be Virginia Soccer Association (VSA) and Chantilly Youth Association’s travel soccer arm (CYA), with coaches and leadership from all three organizations cooperating around the formation of new teams for 2016/17 Development Academy play in the Under-12, U-13 and U-14 age groups.

Sources also say the VDA venture will field showcase tournament teams, while retaining each club’s team slots in Virginia Premier League play. It does not appear the clubs will be merging overall.

Tryouts for the newly-forming Development Academy teams apparently could begin as early as next Friday.