U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program

Started in 1999, the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program has become a symbol of U.S. Soccer’s dedication to increasing the development opportunities for players and the success of the Youth National Teams. With the recent successes of the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team, the full-time Residency Program has doubled in the number of players from 20 to 40, adding 10 additional players in both the fall semester of 2002 and 2003. U.S. Soccer has been able to increase the number of players enrolled in the program to provide greater opportunities for young players and increase its investment in player development. The 40 U.S. players live on campus at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and train daily under the guidance of Hackworth and assistant coaches Keith Fulk, Raul Diaz Arce, Tim Mulqueen and Brian Maisonneuve. In the afternoon, the players attend classes at nearby Edison Academy. "We've seen over the years how the program has helped produce talented players, a number of which have gone on to the professional ranks and climbed the ladder in the men’s programs, moving on to the U-20, U-23 and even full Men’s National Team," said Hackworth. “Those type of accomplishments demonstrate the positive direction of the program and are the goals we will continue to strive for as we move forward.” With 40 players now in residency, the program is able to field two full teams who will train together during the week, and get the chance to compete against colleges, professional club teams and international youth teams on the weekends. While in the full-time residency program, the U.S. not only trains daily under Hackworth, but also has access to the IMG Academy’s spacious facilities. The team regularly uses IMG’s state-of-the-art strength-training facilities, as well as some of the nation’s best sports psychologists that work at the Academy. The IMG Academy includes top-of-the-line soccer equipment, three Bermuda grass fields, an indoor dome with artificial turf, two swimming pools, newly renovated student housing and dining facilities. Since its inception, 170 players have been through the Full-Time Residency Program, and more than 40 of those players have moved on to Major League Soccer, or the professional leagues in Europe. Twelve players have also registered at least one cap with the full MNT: Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Bobby Convey, Landon Donovan, Eddie Gaven, Eddie Johnson, Chad Marshall, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, Santino Quaranta and Jonathan Spector. Beasley and Donovan both started in the 2002 FIFA World Cup as 20-year-olds, and were joined by Convey, Onyewu and Johnson in 2006. “The residency program gives our elite players the opportunity to train in a professional environment and to develop in a way they would not otherwise be able to develop,” said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bruce Arena. “I think that increasing the size of the program is extremely important, and it allows us to look at more players over a wider range of ages. I think that in the future you will continue to see the positive results of this program on the soccer field.” The first full-time U.S. Soccer Residency Program began on January 17, 1999 with the U.S. Under -17 Men’s National Team, when U.S. Soccer collected the top 20 of the country’s elite youth players to train year-round at IMG Academy. In its first year of existence, the U.S. Soccer residency program produced instant success as the Under-17s qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in New Zealand in 2001. On the world stage, the American teenagers rose to the occasion, winning their group and advancing to the semifinals before being ousted in a penalty shootout. The fourth-place finish tied for the best showing by a U.S. Men's Youth National Team in a major international competition. On top of that, U.S. stars Donovan and Beasley were awarded the Gold and Silver Balls, respectively, as the top two players in the entire tournament.