Chivas USA's Youth Development Teams
The Chivas USA U-18 and U-16 Teams participate in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, a nationwide youth development initiative organized by the U.S. Soccer Federation. The league features 74 of the top youth teams in the country, including one U.S. Youth National Team in each age group. The Chivas USA Youth Teams are in the Development Academy's SoCal Division of the Western Conference. The top team from each of the eight divisions will qualify to the national finals to be held at The Home Depot Center after the regular season concludes in late June.
To view the latest Academy information, including schedules, standings, player rosters and contact information please visit the U-15/16 and U-17/18 Academy Team Pages. |
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Chivas USA Club Philosophy
The Chivas USA U-18 and U-16 Teams, as well as the rest of the teams in the Chivas USA system, pay tribute to the club's Mexican heritage. Chivas USA's sister team, Club Deportivo Guadalajara (or Chivas Guadalajara), has always placed a priority on developing its own players. Chivas USA honors this heritage by continuing a commitment to developing local players, giving young soccer players the chance to make their dreams come true as they pursue a professional soccer career. Chivas USA's system of play at the youth level is based on an attack with outside forwards. This system requires players with certain characteristics, which we look for in our try outs and through our scouting. This system of play develops complete soccer players who understand their roles on and off the ball, and take responsibility in when the ball is in transition. Chivas USA wants to play attacking, attractive soccer, with an emphasis on skills and dominating possession in a match. Based on this principle, the club has a Training Manual which serves as a guide for our Youth Teams. Starting with the youngest players in our Academies up to the U-18's, each team practices within this same philosophy. Exercises geared specifically toward each age group help develop each player's skills. The final principle of our Philosophy is that, at the youth team level, it is more important to develop the player than to win games. While it will always be a goal to win the game, the main focus will always be the development of the player. Young players will only learn if they are challenged, so they have to play competitive, difficult games. For this reason, we look for strong competition and sometimes even move our teams up in age groups if needed.
U.S. SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY PROGRAM
Developing the Next GenerationU.S. Soccer’s Development Academy program is driven by the game and its players, coaches and referees. This game-centric approach allows for long-term development to occur through a deep understanding of what makes players successful around the world. As the sport of soccer grows in the United States, young players in our country need the proper environment to compete against the world’s elite. The U.S. Soccer Development Academy program provides the optimum developmental environment for the nation’s top youth soccer players, coaches and referees by emphasizing development through quality training and limited, meaningful competition. Meaningful Training
Academy teams spend a greater amount of time focused on training to improve as individuals and as a team. The teams and players receive direct feedback and evaluations from National Team Staff and ProZone video analysis. To round-out the complete training environment, Academy teams are tested in their physical capabilities using the SPARQ testing methodology and their hydration levels by Gatorade. They also receive a SPARQ training curriculum for soccer-specific athletic training and Nutrition and Hydration recommendations from Gatorade’s Sports Science Institute. Each athlete then gains a greater understanding of how they compare physically against their peers and what they need to do to achieve their optimal performance levels. Competitive Environment
The Academy program features teams from the top youth clubs from around the country. Each Academy team plays approximately 30 regular season games to ensure all games are meaningful. Games are also played according to FIFA’s Laws of the Game and officiated by a pool of the nation’s top young referees in order to prepare players for the next level of competition. National Team Scouts regularly attend Academy games, so players are evaluated over the course of the season and in their natural positions allowing for better player assessment. Early Success
As the program enters its second year, it has already dramatically impacted the player development process in the United States. In 2008, more than 100 players from Academy clubs were included in U.S. Youth National Teams and almost 800 graduates from the inaugural Academy class participated in college soccer the following fall. Virtually all college programs use the Academy program as a scouting vehicle and the program has received increased attention from professional scouts representing domestic and international clubs. Visit ussoccer.com to view the top Academy teams in action. Please click here to learn more about the origins of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program. Find out more about the Development Academy by watching these following videos: Further questions about the Development Academy can be answered in this U.S. Soccer FAQ.
