USSF Development Academy

The United States and around the world, U.S. Soccer created the Development Academy in 2007 to improve the everyday environment for the elite youth player.

The Development Academy is a partnership between U.S. Soccer and the top youth clubs around the country to provide the best youth players in the U.S. with an every day environment designed to produce the next generation of National Team players. The Academy’s programming philosophy of increased training, less total games and more competitive games is based on U.S. Soccer’s Best Practices utilized by the U-17 U.S. National Team Residency program.

The Academy also connects National Team coaches directly with the Academy clubs to develop and identify players and coaches for future Youth National Teams. Each Academy team is evaluated by a National Team coach at least ten times each year and each Academy club receives two formal evaluations in over 100 categories each year from National Team staff.

The Development Academy is also focused on identifying and developing the next generation of elite referees. U.S. Soccer assigns up-and-coming officials to participate in Academy games at the local level and at national events.

Premier League

Mission

To provide an opportunity for the most competitive play possible for the highest-level teams within US Youth Soccer Region III to aid in the development of the US Youth Soccer players.

The US Youth Soccer Region III Premier League provides an opportunity for the most competitive teams in Region III to play each other on a scheduled basis. The league will be comprised of boys and girls in the age groups of U-14 through U-18. Each National State Association (NSA) decides what will be the criteria for selecting teams to be considered for inclusion in the upcoming Premier League season. Typically the prior years PL champion in an age group, the state cup finalist(s) or the champion of an instate league are potential candidates. Each NSA is invited to present at least two (2) teams in each age group/gender. Games are scheduled in the fall or the spring, depending on local customs in a sub-region or state.

The region lll is currently divided into three (3) sub regions: Oklahoma, North Texas and South Texas.

Read more...

Olimpyc Development Program (ODP) Region lll:

The primary mission is to identify elite level Region III players and facilitate their selection to the U.S. National Team programs. The selection process takes place through state, regional and national trials. The primary benefit to the player is to be able to try out, train and play against the best players in their age group, allowing the best players to further their development as soccer players.

Objectives
Ensure the elite players from each state are represented at the regional evaluation level. Ensure the regional coaches are comprised of professional, college, high school and club coaches of the highest ethical standards. Ensure the regional coaches evaluate the best players against each other from the 12 states in a fair and impartial manner. Ensure the program to be as cost effective as possible, especially for the elite level players; costs of the program will be equally distributed among all players; and ensure a fair selection process.

Goals
·  To provide a consistent structure the annual camps.
·  To consistently communicate selection process and annual schedules to players, parents and states utilizing website and emails to players, coaches and state representatives and presidents on a regular basis to allow each state to make "area regional camp."
·  To allow states to send full teams or players at the U-14, U-15 and U-16 age group levels with older age groups only represented as region pools (i.e. U-17 and U-18).
·  To appoint a coaching staff for each age group.
To establish a schedule for each age group and publish schedules at least one year in advance.

US Youth Soccer ODP philosophy
To identify players of the highest caliber on a continuing and consistent basis, which will lead to increased success for the U.S. National Teams in the international arena.

Purpose 
The US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program was formed in 1977 to identify a pool of players in each age group from which a National Team will be selected for international competition; to provide high-level training to benefit and enhance the development of players at all levels; and, through the use of carefully selected and licensed coaches, develop a mechanism for the exchange of ideas and curriculum to improve all levels of coaching.

Read more...