U.S. Soccer Development Academy 2017-2018 schedule released

Boys 2017-2018 Academy Schedule | Girls 2017-2018 Academy Schedule

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – U.S. Soccer Development Academy has released the schedule for the 2017-2018 Academy season. This will mark the 11th season of the boys program and the inaugural season for the girls.

The Academy regular season schedule is just one important component of the Academy program. The U.S. Soccer Development Academy provides a professional game day environment, as part of an overall goal to improve player, coach and referee development.

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The Development Academy is the elite development model for the nation’s best youth players. The Academy 10-month calendar is focused on creating the proper ratio of training to games, with appropriate rest for player health and well-being. Academy clubs train a minimum of 4 days per week to create a consistent training environment for players to develop. The Academy game schedule provides on average 1 game per week over the course of 30 weeks throughout the fall and spring Academy seasons. The Academy scheduling philosophy is to provide a regular season and event schedule framework that will provide meaningful competition to support player development. Benefits of the Academy schedule include:

REGULAR SEASON:

• Scouting Opportunities – Approximately 1/3rd of regular season games scouted by Technical Advisors and U.S. Soccer Scouts
• Variety of Competition – Teams play a variety of opponents in regular season, and will face opponents from different regions at Academy events
• Meaningful Games – Clubs have roster flexibility to move players up and down based on the individual player needs and the opponent to create the most competitive games
• Playing Rhythm – Academy teams will be scheduled for 20-30 regular season games (varies by region) to provide a full season schedule that provides the best playing rhythm

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EVENTS:
The 2017-2018 Academy season will feature 3 showcase and postseason playoff events:

• Scouting Opportunities – 100% of event games scouted by Technical Advisors, U.S. Soccer Scouts and Youth National Team coaches
• Like-for-Like Competition – At Showcase events, matchups are scheduled to provide the most meaningful competition
• World-Class Environment – Academy events are hosted at the nation’s top facilities with professional technical areas supported by scouts, technical staff and referee coaches
• Player Health and Safety – Games are scheduled with built in rest days along with medical and support staff to ensure players have what they need to compete at the highest level