What Can We Expect From Nycfc Academy?

[Brooooooklyn2015]

I came across this article about the Union Academy

http://www.delcotimes.com/sports/20141125/looking-to-future-union-banking-on-player-development

Some interesting bits:

Historically the Philly region(their definition was a 90 mile radius with over 9 million people) has produced two pros a year. The union want to dominate pipeline and produce 1.5 pros a year.

The union have a high school with over 60 kids. The school is about 15k a year but top players receive scholarships. For example Seba Elney a top prospect from Fla joined their program and in the future would considered a homegrown. The union also recruited a top prospect from jamiaca to go to their school. The Union u16 are currently top team in the country.


SO...this brings me to NYCFC. What can we expect from the academy and when? What format or what models should we use?

I think the idea of a high school just for soccer is ideal, so we can get top talent from the city and country under one roof. Im usually not so hot on our MCFC connections but this is a area where our partnership could help us a lot.

 

[MagnusPax]

I thought NYCFC was going to create a super u18 team out of its 8 affiliates. Isn't that fundamentally different than the Philly HS system?

 

[Brooooooklyn2015]

The youth affiliates will be a pipeline or access point to join the NYCFC academy. The academy will have separate teams and run completely separate from the affiliates. The structure and amount of investment is different than 8 affiliate clubs.

 

[MagnusPax]

The youth affiliates will be a pipeline or access point to join the NYCFC academy. The academy will have separate teams and run completely separate from the affiliates. The structure and amount of investment is different than 8 affiliate clubs.

But do they come into NYCFC's system at a younger age than 16? Meaning will they be young enough to attend a "high school" if NYCFC had one?

Because I think Philly has affiliates too. And at age 16 they start filtering into their HS.

 

[SayWhat44]

This is an interesting topic. There has been a lot of these specialty high schools popping up across the country. Especial down south for football. These schools are privately funded but some do get money from the state board of education. Each state has their own guidelines that need to be adhered by but those are just semantics. Could NYCFC start their own high school? Certainly, but they would have to see their investment being worth it.

Speaking about the recruiting homegrowns that is starting to come into play more and more. Currently the player only has to have played and lived within the 90 miles for 1 year. The kids are free to move wherever they want but to be considered homegrown they just have to be in the academy for a year. So a kid from Jamaica or the north pole it doesn't matter about their nationality just if they've lived in the area for a year.

 

[Ahab_Flanders]

I think the way forward for US soccer development is to get as far away from pay to play as possible, and a private high school sounds an awful lot like pay to play to me.

 

[Brooooooklyn2015]

So the Union have u-18,u-16, u-14 academy teams. The players come from many places, including many from their official affiliates. But many come from other clubs in the area or country.
For kids younger than their u-14, they pull kids from other youth setups and have supplemental union practices.

 

[Across the Pond]

In the first few years, I wouldn't expect much. Maybe, some of the younger first team players can get some gametime for the younger age groups. But, for the first few seasons, it'll be setting up.
But once it has settled, it should produce some really good players. For a diverse area, full of all races etc I don't think you can beat NY. There's a lot of uncovered talent in the area.

 

[Brooooooklyn2015]

Yes, for the Union the high school is pay to play. I can't find how many scholarships are given. But you'd have to think it would be a lot. 15k is lot. It would be great for the Union to completely underwrite the high school but either cannot or do not want to. However, I think it a strong first step to develop a strong academy even though it is away from the free model. Hopefully, once MLS revenues grow the school will be free.

I am not sure if the other high schools in MLS (I think VAN and RSL have them) are completely free either.

 

[Brooooooklyn2015]

What was really interesting was the number of 2 pros per year coming out of Philly region. What is the NYC regions number? I know Southeast PA produces a lot talent but NYC has to be more right?

 

[BxLio91]

I think if we had some sort of HS, we wouldn't be charging the kids. The money CFG is saving due to the league's salary can be used to make sure we're the standard to aim for in terms of youth development.

 

[CP_Scouse]

instead of owning a highschool, wouldnt it be better if they just scouted kids already in highschool? that relinquishes building costs, teachers, maintence, while seeing the same kids

 

[Falastur]

instead of owning a highschool, wouldnt it be better if they just scouted kids already in highschool? that relinquishes building costs, teachers, maintence, while seeing the same kids

It also creates the issue of having to negotiate training time around the school's schedule. If you're running the school, you can have training sessions down on the lesson plan.

 

[BlueWarrior]

red bull thought about starting a boarding school where their academy players can live, study, and play. I think that would be a good idea for NYCFC. It would allow the kids to train a lot more and become way better players.

 

[BlueWarrior]

Would also be cool because we have have scouts bring in talent from around the world and bring them to the school on a scholarship.

 

[Fabio]

I hope that it will be in Brooklyn.

 

[Without a Dream]

The way a lot of the top clubs in England run it is to have an agreement with a local private school. The club pays their fees (even if they get released whilst at school) and they have a specialised programme where they often only have lessons in the morning and train in the afternoon.

The City Football Academy will be officially opening next month and that has a 6th form college (for pupils 16-18 years old) on site so training time will be further increased, whilst also giving the academy kids more qualifications. I would imagine that this will be the CFG blueprint.

 

[Across the Pond]

The college at the CFG is rubbish, I got offered a place there but it offers like 5 subjects. Literally bare minimum.

 

[Falastur]

The college at the CFG is rubbish, I got offered a place there but it offers like 5 subjects. Literally bare minimum.

Isn't that because it's a Sports Science specialist college?

 

[Kjbert]

People here would complain if they didn't have the school in the city.

They should have the school in Westchester where the training ground would be. That would make the most sense.