FRISCO, Texas --
FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock has announced the creation of the FC Dallas Juniors program and the formation of two elite youth teams that will compete in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy beginning in the summer 2008. The FC Dallas Juniors program will develop the top 13- to 18-year-old local soccer players to compete in the Development Academy's Under-16 and Under-18 divisions, and players will be eligible for promotion to the FC Dallas professional team.
"We're excited to announce the launch of the FC Dallas Juniors program, where local youth soccer players will have an opportunity to become a part of FC Dallas at a young age," said Hitchcock. "North Texas has a rich history of developing top soccer players, with players like Kenny Cooper and Drew Moor already playing for FC Dallas. And now, similar to other top leagues around the world, the area's talented youth players will have a chance to live out their dream of playing for their hometown professional team."
The FC Dallas Juniors teams will be coached and managed by the FC Dallas coaching staff and both teams will share the Pizza Hut Park facility with the professional team. The U-16 and U-18 squads will serve as the flagship teams for the FC Dallas Youth Development program and they will be financed exclusively by FC Dallas.
The Juniors teams will be directly linked to the FC Dallas professional team, and players may be signed directly from the Juniors teams to the professional team without entering the MLS Superdraft.
Four players selected from the Sueño MLS tryout event held at Pizza Hut Park earlier this year have been identified by FC Dallas as the first players invited to join the inaugural FC Dallas Juniors teams: Gabriel Funes (17, Arlington), Alexei Reyes (16, Dallas), Noel Luna (17, Fort Worth), and Rafael Martinez (16, Dallas). The coaching staff will continue developing relationships with other area clubs and high schools to identify the best area talent.
Both Juniors teams will compete against other U.S. Soccer Development Academy teams, with Academy Conferences being realigned for next season to reduce travel and continue to provide a diversity of meaningful competition.
The first games for each Juniors team will be a friendly home-and-home series against the Houston Dynamo U-16 and U-18 teams, playing at Robertson Stadium in Houston on June 26 and at Pizza Hut Park on July 27, prior to FC Dallas' game versus the Los Angeles Galaxy. The FC Dallas Juniors will also participate in the second annual Soccer United Marketing U-17 Cup. Further details on the U-17 Cup are expected to be announced by SUM in the coming weeks.
The U.S. Soccer Development Academy program will now field 74 clubs, plus the U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team. This is the second year of the national team program. Other MLS clubs participating in the program are: Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and New England Revolution. The Kansas City Wizards will join in 2009-10.
Launched in the fall of 2007 after a detailed review of player development systems in the United States and across the world, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy has provided over 3,000 players, 400 coaches and 500 referees with a nationally coordinated program designed to enhance their development environment. Focusing on all aspects of player development, the Development Academy has improved the training environment, provided relevant, high-level matches on a consistent basis, increased the level and efficiency of scouting for the national teams and provided players, coaches and referees with structured programming.
Director of FC Dallas Youth teams Chris Hayden will oversee the inaugural FC Dallas Junior evaluation process, in which other area players will be invited to practice once a week at Pizza Hut Park. The team will also host an open tryout on June 14. To sign up for the tryouts and for more information, players should contact Hayden at chayden@fcdallas.net.
