Youth – Player Development Program

Potential is evenly distributed

Opportunity is not

When the Soccer professionals at BQE Soccer Partners started assembling the inter-locking pieces of the ASC New York Project, the U.S. Development Academy program was barely 5-6 years old – having supplanted the U.S. Soccer U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla.

At that time, far too many of the Youth training and academy programs in the U.S. – when compared to the best Pro-Club Academies in Europe – were the equivalent of comparing piano lessons at Miss Kathy’s music camp to matriculation at the Juilliard School.

Recently, MLS has taken the DNA of the former U.S. Soccer Development Academy and has seemingly made it the league’s own – with MLS Next.  And the American soccer community is looking in to see if that “Player Pathway” *** will begin to produce the only measurable barometer of success – players developed from youth providing the lion’s share of MLS first team players and securing positions on the ‘First 11 team-sheet’.   Game after game, year after year.  

Coinciding with the MLS Next initiative, the virtual alphabet soup of youth leagues, youth academies, and ‘Elite’ programs has only pushed their particular brand marketing of a “Player Pathway” *** further down into the younger age groups.

But what was true then is even more true now – the combination of Access and Affordability is largely absent for the youngest and vast majority of American soccer players; particularly for those young players from families that can’t write the big checks.  ASC has always had a central tenet of its Mission - creating an environment in which sporting opportunity can be seized by all that choose to do so and can meet the standards of play.

At the ASC New York’s PDPP:

  • Affordability is in the Club’s control – No player pays anything, ever.

  • Connectivity is here – Rail and Road connect everyone, everywhere in our 5-County area – so Access can be provided.  And ASC has developed unique approaches to supplementing that infrastructure for the benefit of players and their families.  

  • Players earn their way into the program to gain access – they don’t pay exorbitant fees to enter the program made more financially painful with some crazy travel costs.  

Each Player from age 9 to 19 maintains their access every day by fully matriculating in the program and meeting the competitive standards.  

The Club has a simple philosophy that everything else is built on for the Youth Player–

“The Club makes a defined commitment to the Player

and 

The Club expects a defined commitment from the Player in return.”

This is a regional program - one designed to leverage the Density and Diversity of the 5-County area and somewhat beyond.

As we commence the Player Development Program in 2025, we also look forward to working with Tom Byer and his global football program for youth - Soccer starts at Home.   Watch this space for more information coming on this unique alliance.