Best Soccer Academies In America

If you are thinking of sending your child to one of the best soccer academies in America in 2023, you are in the right place to find out about them. Here you will get to know about the top soccer academies in America, their legacy, and their current condition.

Soccer is currently the fourth most popular sport in the United States. The popularity of the game has been increasing rapidly lately. More children are now into soccer and want to become the next Messi or Ronaldo.

But it is not an easy dream to achieve. One has to start working from an early age, and soccer academies help you do that. Today, there are hundreds of soccer academies in different states. But which ones are the best? Let’s find out.

Here Are 10 Best Soccer Academies in America 2023

Academy Name

State Name

IMG Academy

Florida

Barca Academy

Arizona

New York Red Bulls Academy

New Jersey

LA Galaxy Academy

California

FC Dallas Academy

Texas

Real Salt Lake Academy

Utah

Seattle Sounders Academy

Washington

Sporting Kansas City Academy

Kansas

Philadelphia Union Academy

Philadelphia 

San Jose Earthquakes Academy

California

It is a good thing that there are some top-quality academies in different states of the country. Otherwise, you would have to travel a lot or would have to leave home.

But if the academies are not in your state, then you still need to leave home to join the academy. Before doing that, learn about them in detail, and see if they are worth it.

1. IMG Academy

IMG Academy

Established

1978

Location

Bradenton, FL

Owner

William Morris

Trained by

Various

Famous Players

Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, Freddy Adu

The IMG academy is one of the oldest sports academies in the United States. It is the best soccer academy in Florida. At first, the academy started as a tennis training center, but soon, they started training in other sports too.

As a consequence, the soccer program started in 1994. Today they offer a soccer program for both boys and girls. The academy has produced so far many famous soccer players, including Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, and Freddy Adu.

Right now, there are several good coaches who are training young talents. IMG Academy has set its mission to ensure that everyone is achieving success by utilizing their full potential.

Setting across over 600 acres, the academy offers programs consisting of sports camps for youth athletes and adult camps. If you are worried that you are not from Florida and so cannot receive training there, then to assure you, they also offer boarding school.

Are you an immigrant and not an American? That is not a problem either. IMG academy is one of the best Soccer Academies in the USA for international students. They are open to everyone. You can also pay a visit to see their activities. You will love them for sure.

2. Barca Academy

Barca Academy

Established

2017

Location

Casa Grande, AZ

Owner

FC Barcelona

Trained by

Eric Iribarren

Famous Players

Giovani Dos Santos, Raul Gonzalez,

Barca Academy is owned by FC Barcelona; what else do you need to know? If you can perform as per their expectation, you know what is waiting for you. A contract to play for the Spanish giant! Do you need any other motivation to give your best?

The academy is set over a huge area. It has multiple playgrounds so that everyone can train. Besides, it offers a performance center, hotels, and a golf resort. You won’t get bored training hard. The hotel is a nine-story building with luxurious rooms.

The USA is slowly becoming more active in soccer, and so the club wanted to groom the raw talents and turn them into the next big things. With that goal, the academy was established in 2017 in Arizona. If you are serious about your career in soccer, then it is a great option for you.

3. New York Red Bulls Academy

New York Red Bulls Academy

Established

2009

Location

Whippany, NJ

Owner

Red Bull GmbH

Trained by

Sean McCafferty

Famous Players

Matt Miazga, Tyler Adams, Juan Agudelo

New York Red Bulls Academy was established in 2009 by the Red Bull GmBh to help the youth in racing their potential, as well as create the next generation of players for the Red bulls. The academy offers the first-ever cost-free soccer training program in Major League Soccer.

Robert Montgomery is in charge of observing the growth of the young players, and Sean McCafferty is the head trainer of the academy. They recruit youth from the root level through soccer camps to find the best talents.

It has been only a little more than a decade since the academy was established, and it has already groomed players like Tyler Adams, Matt Miazga, and Juan Agudelo. These players are playing in some of the biggest tournaments, including the Premier league.

There are multiple layers before one gets to reach the academy, where they get to represent the Red Bulls team before becoming a part of the First team. If you are from New Jersey, then you are in luck, as the best soccer academy in New Jersey actively recruits young talents.

4. LA Galaxy Academy

LA Galaxy Academy

Established

2007

Location

Carson, CA

Owner

Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)

Trained by

Juan Carlos Ortega

Famous Players

Gyasi Zardes, Omar Gonzalez,

If you are a teenager or looking for an academy for your teenage sibling or children, LA Galaxy Academy is one of the finest ones. MLS ranked the development program of LA Galaxy in the third position among all the MLS academies.

The academy aims at grooming the next Elite level players, and they want to start early. They offer admission to the age group between 14 and 17. But the competition is too tough. Almost 400 applicants fight for one seat in the academy.

So, if you think you have got what it takes to be the next elite-class player, apply today to one of the 10 best soccer academies in America in 2023. What benefits will you get?

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If you get into a two-year contract with the academy, they will bear your full educational expenses at a local high school, housing, travel, equipment, training, and a weekly salary. Yes, you will earn your money from the academy!

5. FC Dallas Academy

FC Dallas Academy

Established

2008

Location

Frisco, TX

Owner

Hunt Sports Group

Trained by

Luchi Gonzalez

Famous Players

Kellyn Acosta, Weston McKennie,

The Hunt Sports Group established the FC Dallas Academy to promote young talent and groom them to make them skillful players. Many experts have marked the academy as the number one youth development academy of the MLS.

Weston McKennie, Kellyn Acosta, Ricardo Pepi, Chris Richards, and Jesus Ferreira are some of the well-known alumni of the academy who have made it big in their soccer careers. Apart from individual success, the academy has also won many international competitions.

The primary goal of the academy is to utilize the raw talent and help them grow significantly so that they can reach their dream. The academy has been a good supplier for MLS players. You can be the next big star from the academy; why not?

6. Real Salt Lake Academy

Real Salt Lake Academy

Established

2010

Location

Herriman, UT

Owner

Dell Loy Hansen

Trained by

Freddy Juarez

Famous Players

Carlos Salcedo, Luis Gil,

Dell Loy Hansen founded the Real Salt Lake Academy to help young talents from Utah to reach their maximum potential. You must know the Mexican soccer player Carlos Salcedo, who was also groomed and trained in the Real Salt Lake Academy.

You can apply to join the academy in three ways: personal player application, scouting identification, and youth programs identification. The mission of the academy is to bring out fresh and talented young players for its first team that competes in the MLS.

If selected, you can enjoy a free tuition fee, training, and living in the academy from grades 9 to 12. The academy does not have any adult program yet, so you must apply before it is too late.

7. Seattle Sounders Academy

Seattle Sounders Academy

Established

2007

Location

Tukwila, WA

Owner

Adrian Hanauer

Trained by

Gonzalo Pineda

Famous Players

DeAndre Yedlin, Jordan Morris,

If you are looking forward to paving your soccer career to the highest level like Messi, or Ronaldo, then Seattle Sounders Academy is a good option. If you are selected, you do not have to pay any tuition fees for training, coaching, and living.

They have a partnership with different clubs’ discovery programs and recruit a good number of U-8 talents. If your child is selected, he or she will enjoy full-time membership with the academy once they turn fifteen.

It lets the recruited talents compete in different regional and domestic tournaments, which helps the young talents understand their capabilities and flaws. They can work on their leggings and shine better.

If you are talented and lucky enough, then you can also get a professional contract with any of the partner Washington Clubs.

8. Sporting Kansas City Academy

Sporting Kansas City Academy

Established

2007

Location

Kansas City, KS

Owner

Sporting Club

Trained by

Jon Parry

Famous Players

Erik Palmer-Brown, Gianluca Busio

Sporting Kansas City Academy was founded in 2007 and, since then, has helped many young talents flourish to their full potential. Their U-19, U17, and U15 teams compete in the MLS NEXT and let the trainees have some real competition experience.

It is a great opportunity to sharpen your skill and ability by playing against some other young talents who are waiting to be great players, just like you. Erik Palmer-Brown, a center-back of the US national team, had been a member of the academy.

The academy has multiple layers of competition so that young players can grow gradually without feeling extra pressure.

9. Philadelphia Union Academy

Philadelphia Union Academy

Established

2013

Location

Wayne, PA

Owner

Keystone Sports and Entertainment

Trained by

Kevin Coleman

Famous Players

Brenden Aaronson, Mark McKenzie,

Philadelphia Union Academy is an affiliate youth development academy. It focuses on training young talents and helping them get signed by any of the MLS clubs. It aims at grooming raw talents from an early age by offering U-9, U-10, and U-11 team selection.

How much will it cost you to train there? Nothing. Yes, you will get full free training and grooming by the experts once you make it to the academy.

If the academy interests you, visit their official website to apply. You will be called by one of their representatives about the next line of action. It has different programs for making you the next big soccer star. You will find the details on their official website.

10. San Jose Earthquakes Academy

San Jose Earthquakes Academy

Established

2007

Location

San Jose, CA

Owner

San Jose Earthquakes

Trained by

Paul Holocher

Famous Players

Nick Lima, Tommy Thompson, Jackson Yueill

Do you enjoy the gameplay of the San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS? Want to be a part of them? Then try to join the developmental program run by the San Jose Earthquakes Academy. It is one of the best soccer academies in California in 2023.

The academy was founded in 2007 and since then has groomed some very talented players like Nick Lima, Tommy Thompson, Jackson Yueill, and others. If you are interested in joining the academy, then you have to apply and get called for tryouts.

There are various levels of teams in the academy based on age and gender. You will get multiple advantages, such as regular participation in NCAA. In addition, you will get the opportunity to play and train along with the first team, which is a great chance to develop your game.

If you perform well and satisfy your manager, you have a high chance of getting recruited for the first team and getting a professional contract. So, what are you waiting for?

Conclusion

To become a great soccer player, you need dedication and passion. One cannot become Messi, Maradona, or Pele overnight. Years of training and grooming will lead you there. So, join one of the best soccer academies in America in 2023 now and get one step ahead to touch your dream.

Golam Muktadir is a passionate sports fan and a dedicated movie buff. He has been writing about both topics for over a decade and has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with his readers. Muktadir has a degree in journalism and has written for several well-known publications, including Surprise Sports and Surprise Movies.

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