US Under 17 Mens Residency Program

Region I Boys ODP Program

The U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program recently named the 40 players selected to participate in the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida beginning today. The 40 players are among the nation’s most recognized and in addition to their skills, determination and motivation to being the best, also share affiliation with US Youth Soccer, the nation’s largest youth sports organization and home to the national championships of youth soccer.

Of the 40 players, over twenty will return from last year’s residency program. Just as those who entered the program last fall, this year’s new additions, sixteen, also have the common thread of player development through the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP).

Representing thirty soccer clubs from across the United States these players will be under the instruction of head coach John Hackworth. The majority of returning players will be vying for a spot on the U.S. roster for the 2005 FIFA Under-17 World Championships, which take place in Peru from September 16 through October 2.

“Our organization is very proud to see the potential that these young men bring to United States soccer,” said David Messersmith, president of US Youth Soccer. “We commend their efforts and those of their coaches who have dedicated time and effort to developing these young men. Through our National Championship Series and ODP, to name a few, US Youth Soccer continues to provide for the highest level of development and visibility to players across the country and better prepare our National Teams for competition.”

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.

US Youth Soccer ODP is the original Olympic development program. US Youth Soccer ODP is the only elite player development program that can claim members of Major League Soccer and the former Women’s United Soccer Association, as well as a majority of current and past national and youth team members, as alumni. And, with programs in all 55 State Associations as well as regional and national championships and participation in international tournaments, US Youth Soccer ODP continues to lead the way for elite player development in the United States.

“We use the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program because it produces the best players and it does a great deal of our work for us,” said John Hackworth, Under-17 Men’s National Team Head Coach. “Players develop through the US Youth Soccer ODP process by continually being placed in a more competitive environment. The Under-17 Men’s National Team has always and will continue to evaluate players through US Youth Soccer ODP. For example, we sent coaches to all four regions over the summer to evaluate the talent and believe that US Youth Soccer ODP is the truest measurement to determine if a player will be successful to the U.S. National Team.”

Started in 1999, the U.S. Soccer full-time residency program has become an important piece of the overall player development picture. Over the past six years, the Federation has doubled the number of players enrolled in the program as it continues to increase its investment in player development and provide greater opportunities for young players, expanding to 40 players two years ago.

The 40 U.S. players attend classes at nearby Edison Academy and then return to the IMG campus in the afternoon to train daily under the guidance of U.S. Under-17 head coach John Hackworth, and assistant coaches Keith Fulk, Raul Diaz Arce, Tim Mulqueen and Brian Maisonneuve. With 40 players in residency, the program is able to field two full teams that train together during the week, and get the chance to compete against college and club teams on the weekends.

“In the past five years the residency program has given our players an excellent opportunity to grow and move up the ladder in the world of soccer and become professionals in Major League Soccer, some of the biggest clubs in Europe and event make an impact on the full U.S. Men’s National Team,” said Hackworth.

A few players that are not returning to the residency program will still be considered for the FIFA U-17 World Championship. Of note is midfielder Nikolas Besagno, a Washington State US Youth Soccer ODP alum, who will continue to train with the U-17s through the World Championship before joining Real Salt Lake, which drafted him first overall in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft last January.

The majority of the 16 newcomers to the residency program was born in 1990 and will be beginning the two-year cycle towards the next FIFA U-17 World Championship in 2007, which will take place in South Korea.

Since its inception, 145 players have been through the full-time Residency Program, and more than 30 of those players have moved on to Major League Soccer, or the professional leagues in Europe. Seven players have also registered at least one cap with the full MNT: DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Bobby Convey, Ed Johnson, Oguchi Onyewu, Eddie Gaven and Jonathan Spector. Beasley and Donovan both started in the 2002 FIFA World Cup as 20-year-olds.

“The residency program gives our elite players the opportunity to train in a professional environment and to develop in a way they would not otherwise be able to develop,” said U.S. Men’s National Team manager Bruce Arena. “I think that in the future you will continue to see the positive results of this program on the soccer field.”

2005 US Soccer Under-17 Men’s Residency Program Roster

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