WHAT WE DO

 

• Form statewide all-star teams modeled on US Club Soccer’s Player Development Program and ODP. 

• Create age-specific player pools at a series of annual tryouts in the fall. 

• Employ nationally licensed and professional coaches who also are former professional or collegiate players. 

• Provide up to two training sessions (eastern & western Washington) a month, training camps, ID Camps, special ID events, regional and national showcase tournaments.

• Coordinate player identification events through the U.S. National Team and US Club Soccer’s id2 programs. 

 

The PSPL Academy provides additional training opportunities for elite players to train and compete together under the guidance of top national and regional coaches.

 

It is an improved version of the Olympic Development Program (ODP) system that sought to identify and develop top talent.  

 

In our program, players still play their regular league season with their club team and then participate in Academy events. We work with the clubs to coordinate annual calendars and competitive events.

 

Player pools are based on true birth year, not club year.

The program continues for nine to eleven months depending on the age group. 

 

We work closely with US Club’s PDP and id2 programs, which identify top players for regional camps, national camps, and the US Men’s and Women’s National Teams. 

 

Our Academy Director, Eddie Henderson, is an id2 scout, a US National team U15 scout, who has personally sent eight players to various youth National team pools and dozens to top colleges!

 

 

HOW DID IT BEGIN? 

 

More than two years ago, PSPL clubs asked for a program similar to ODP for their top players. In December 2012, the Academy began with one boys and one girls team – birth years ’00 and ’99 respectively.

 

In our first year, scouts selected three Academy players to attend the coveted id2 Regional Camps!

 

We started an academy program for older girls in March 2013. We formed two teams: a ’97 and ’96 group.

 

Our Girls ’97 team was incredibly successful in its first year:  it went undefeated at the Avalanche Invitational in Utah and reached the Semi-finals at Blues Cup, one of the most competitive girls tournaments in the country. 

 

After only a handful of tournaments, the PSPL Academy Girls ’97 team is now ranked 4th in the state of Washington and 38th in region IV! 

 

In December 2013 and January 2014, we more than doubled the size of the Academy program. We added nine more teams for a total of 11 teams, from U13 to U18 boys and girls. 

 

We also created a Junior Academy program for U8 to U11 players, focusing on technical development and identification. 

 

Our goal for the younger ages is to help players develop their skills and to showcase them in front of as many regional and national team scouts as possible.

 

At the older ages, we introduce the players to college recruiting and education process. Our traveling team will attend showcase tournaments across the country. 

 

Showcase Tournaments our teams have attended:

 

• Showcase of Champions – Redmond, WA

• Whitecaps FC Invitational, Surrey, BC

• Avalanche Invitational- Park City, UT

• Blues Cup- San Juan Capistrano, CA

• NORCAL’s NPL Fall Showcase- Davis, CA

• November Nights Showcase- Carlsbad, CA

• Carlsbad Cup, Carslbad, CA.

 

In less than two years, we have helped to place nearly 10 players into various collegiate soccer programs across the country! 

 

We are the PSPL Academy. We are all about helping you climb to the top! Expect to work hard. Expect to have fun! Expand your horizons!