Our Program
A Dual Pathway Program
Train & Learn
Continue your college education with out compromising your chance to become a professional player
A Next Generation Education & Player Development Pathway Program
Let me introduce you to the most dynamic Platform yet for for study abroad athletes, (Soccer Players) to attend. This program will completely disrupt the college system here in the USA and abroad.
The typical route for a college bound soccer players is that the aspiring student athlete might have been Identified as a prospect through the Tournament Showcase format, more than likely by playing on their travel club team. Some of the other routes maybe that the player might have been invited to attend a ID Camp and a coach may have identified them at the camp or the player has shown an interest in attending that school, then scouted by the college staff.
If the player is a potential fit for the program, taking into consideration the college teams needs, his position, financial requirements, how many seniors are graduating the program, etc, the player needs to question if the college and the development is the correct fit for them.
Does the School have the Degree or Program the Student player is looking for?
Affordability, cost of the school after scholarship, financial aid, loans etc,
On going development as a player. Is he going to get an opportunity to go pro doing his time at school? More than likely not.
Can I learn from this coach,? is he going to take me better ? What contacts does the coach have to open doors for me at the next level?
The latter points are very important and is often if not always ignored, as the potential of an Academic or Athletic Scholarship if offered regardless of the amount $$$ far out weighs what could be the most important item to the player, if that player believes that his overall development might maybe jeopardized.
The truth is once a player is recruited into college team he will be expected to attend the same program and play for the same coach for the next 4 years. Depending on the level of that player chances are he might not see a lot of actual playing time in his first year as a freshman.
This player who has trained and worked hard to achieve such a high level of performance all his life may have a higher goal and ambition to exceed beyond that level , in fact more than likely the player will see his development be regressed rather than progressed.
If you are familiar with the quote from Malcom Gladwell who states that it takes over 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert. If this holds true then there is no way that playing in college is going to offer that type of deliberate practice if you do the math that is around 20 hours a week for 10 years. Recognizing that the Student athlete will hardly play in competitive games in the first year and that they will train only during the fall season (12-14 weeks out of the year) college has so many restrictions to prevent the players from playing and training out of season the player will never reach the 10,000 hours needed.
We are starting to see that more and more top college players are leaving to seek their development and opportunities outside the college game, they travel abroad or seek professional playing opportunities right here in the USA. This too is not ideal to a player
What about the parents role in this process, parents want their son to get the best opportunity possible for them to realize their dreams but they also have to be the voice of reason at times unpopular as it maybe at the time, by trying to explain that it is only the few who make it to the professional level at any sport. But if they don’t try they will never know!
SO WHY NOT HAVE IT ALL?
Soccer Universities has taken several years to develop a model for exactly this type of situation where a student athlete that is seeking a pathway for Professional Player Development but also one that covers the Education and courses that the student athlete may choose as a career after they have finished in there quest to become a professional player.
This is called a Dual Pathway Program: A program where you can continue their college education with out compromising their chance to become a professional player following a deliberate practice schedule in player development.
Soccer Universities has partnered with several colleges and education institutions where we are able to offer the same level of education and courses as many of the top Universities and Colleges offer often at a more reasonable cost while at the same time we are able to offer more courses in education than specific Schools without compromising our format for player development.
Your degree will run simultaneously along side our world class player development program. Allowing the student to turn professional at anytime should that opportunity present itself.
This year round – 10 month Next Generation Player Education and Development program creates a unique experiencial platform to maximize exposure for each of the players while they are in our program.
Core components of our program
Development
Training on a daily basis 7 days a week.
Competition
Compete in meaningful games weekly in Pro- Leagues in USA, Spain, Brazil, England & Portugal
Experience
Train and Play in leagues and teams around the world.
Exposure
Be scouted by professional teams globally and top Universities in the USA.
Opportunity
To travel, to learn, to develop, to exceed expectations to live your dream!
HOW IT WORKS!
The year will be broken into 4 seasons. The Fall, Winter, Summer and Spring, each term/season will be approximately 10 weeks. This is to maximize your time on the field. Our calendar will be updated in January 2022.
After Selection Example
The season will start July 1st at the national training center in Clermont Florida for player testing, evaluations and Squad selection. Squads will be selected by Player Position, Ability, Objective and Squad Selection (draft).
This will also serve as a time to prepare for online classes and introductory to the Soccer Universities Education Staff and Technical Staff as well as any preparation needed for International Travel.
September 1st will see you attached to a specific squad for the year and from there you can expect to go immediately into the following.
- Developing team formations based on – Systems of Play
- The style of play based on the individual’s skill set and ability.
- Position Specific Training, making you the best version of yourself.
- Individual player and game analysis.
- Increasing your Soccer IQ on and off the field with various lectures. in the classroom using game and video analysis.
- You will be placed in one of these groups and rotated through the system throughout the year.
- Until we know where Covid restrictions are it is difficult to say where we will start, however we are in locations now like the Bahamas which has an incredible facilities and is extremely safe.
YEAR
ONE
- Play in UPSL in the USA – September – December 1st
- Abroad in January- March 15th South America
- Abroad March 21st – June 1st – Europe
YEAR
TWO
- Play abroad in September – December 1st Europe.
- Abroad in January- March 15th South America
- Plays in USA March 21st– June 1st UPSL USA.
YEAR
THREE
- Play Abroad in – September – December 1st South America
- Plays in Major League Indoor Soccer 2 USA. January-March
- Plays in Europe March 21st– June 1st
After graduating with your degree we are able to offer you placement with our partner company the Judge Group one of the largest private Staffing Agencies in the USA who will be charged with finding you a position in the corporate world should you not be able to gain a professional playing contract over the period of the 4 years.