SVSA JOINS THE MLS ELITE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM

Press Release (May 13, 2020) – SVSA joins the MLS Elite Youth Development Platform!

 Silicon Valley Soccer Academy and Palo Alto Soccer Club are excited to announce that SVSA has accepted an invitation to be a founding member of the MLS Elite Youth Development Platform!

After the demise of the US Soccer Development Academy (DA), Major League Soccer began forming the next generation of player development by inviting 65 elite academy clubs to join the 30 MLS youth academies in a competitive platform that spans the United States and Canada. This platform includes 8,000 players and consists of full year competition as well as player identification initiatives, coach education opportunities, and additional programming that supports players’ personal growth and contribution to the community.

 As a Founding Member of this new platform, SVSA joins a group of clubs that have been leaders in the development of players for college, MLS and the national teams. Combined, this founding group has produced more than 90 percent of the U.S. Youth National Team players in the last year, making the new platform the top destination for the best young players in North America.

 Locally, SVSA will compete locally with 7 other clubs in Northern California, 12 clubs in Southern California, and 4 clubs in the Mountain states. The club has also joined the technical working group that defines strategic objectives, competitive and development standards, and league and showcase guidelines.

 Academy Director, Gerson Perez: “Silicon Valley Soccer Academy is excited to extend its collaboration with Major League Soccer and to help develop the premier competitive platform in North America. We are committed to providing a pathway for our players to compete professionally, nationally and internationally, on youth national teams, and in college programs. We are excited to be Founding Members of the MLS Elite Youth Development Platform and to play a role in advancing world class soccer in the United States.”

 Executive Director, Rodrigo Baptista: “Palo Alto Soccer Club is committed to providing the best opportunities to the players in our community on and off the field. We believe that MLS Elite Youth Development Platform provides an incredible opportunity for our players to pursue their professional and college dreams. We believe that a holistic approach that incorporates player and coach development, as well as personal development and community engagement, will benefit everyone that touches the game in our community.”

Technical Director, Savio Carrijo: We are proud to be part of the MLS Elite Youth Development Platform. We believe that EYDP will provide our players with an excellent pathway to the collegiate and professional soccer levels. We look forward to having our boys competing at this prestigious platform.”

“We are having daily conversations with top elite youth academies across the country who have committed to building this new development platform with us,” said Fred Lipka, Vice President and Technical Director of MLS Player Development. “There is strong positive momentum and excitement among MLS academies and elite academy clubs to co-create a high-level competition that will deliver the premier player development environment for the nation’s top players and clubs.” – Elite Platform Club Announcement

SVSA-PASC JOIN THE GIRLS ACADEMY LEAGUE!

Silicon Valley Soccer Academy and Palo Alto Soccer Club are excited to announce that SVSA-PASC has accepted an invitation to be inaugural members of the Girls Academy League!

After the demise of the US Soccer Development Academy (DA), the Girls Academy (GA) League was formed by unifying clubs from DA conferences across the country. The GA was founded to maintain the defining standards of the DA while providing flexibility in two key areas: (1) permission for all players in the GA to participate in high school soccer and (2) a revision of substitution rules to encourage clubs to fully utilize their players pools, in particular when showcasing players to college coaches.

SVSA-PASC will compete in the Northwest Division of the Girls Academy League. The GA includes many of strongest clubs in the country in the Southwest, Frontier, Mid-America, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast Divisions. The GA will allow SVSA-PASC players to compete at the highest level against the strongest teams in the country. Competition will encompass not only regular season league play, but also showcases across the country.  Those showcases will give players the opportunity to gain exposure to college coaches and will provide an identification platform for youth national team coaches.

Executive Director, Rodrigo Baptista: “Palo Alto Soccer Club has been serving players and families in Palo Alto for more than 40 years. We are extremely excited to participate in the Girls Academy and give the young women in our community the opportunity to showcase their talent and compete at the highest level. We are committed to providing the best opportunities to our players on the field, impacting their college journey, and helping them gain the life skills that will help them thrive on and off the field.”

Academy Director, Gerson Perez: “Silicon Valley Soccer Academy is thrilled to be able to offer the highest level of training and competition to female players. Adding a girls program has been a standing goal of the Academy from our founding and the GA is an outstanding platform that allows us to achieve that goal. We are thrilled to be competing with the best youth development programs in the country and are excited to provide a pathway for our players to participate in college programs and youth national teams.”