Fire announce first Academy class

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - Chicago Fire Soccer has announced the club's first Fire Academy class this Saturday, Sept. 15, in advance of the Chicago Fire - New York Red Bulls match. Of the 39 overall players announced today, the "original six" players, the first to sign with the Academy, will be introduced to the media today at halftime. Five of the first six players to sign are products of the Chicago Fire Juniors youth development program. The Fire Academy will open play on Feb. 23 and 24, 2008, when they face AFC Lightning (Fayetteville, Ga.) and Concorde (Marietta, Ga.), respectively.

Announced in July of 2007, the Fire Academy is an elite player development initiative designed to identify and develop the best young talent within the Chicagoland area. The program will be fully funded by the Chicago Fire, with no financial responsibility falling on Academy players. The Academy will be limited to 44 players and will field two Academy teams, under-16 and under-18 men, that have been accepted to participate primarily in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

The "original six players" are as follows: Logan Spidle (Chicago Fire Juniors), Bart Boguszewski (Rockford Raptors), Robbie LaRocque (Chicago Fire Juniors), Bryan Ciesiuka (Chicago Fire Juniors), Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire Juniors), and Chris Prince (Chicago Fire Juniors). The Fire Academy roster currently consists of 39 players representing 13 different local clubs and 32 high schools from the Chicagoland area. Seven Chicago Fire Juniors players overall have joined the first Academy class.

"We're very excited about the talent level of our inaugural class, said Fire Director of Soccer and Team Development Roland Hahn. "We feel confident that a player from this class will someday become a professional player and we hope that in time this will become the model for future Chicago Fire success."

Full-time training begins Tuesday, November 6, with players training year-round, three to four times per week, and playing approximately 32 games per year as part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The Fire Academy will compete in the Mid-America Conference, which includes: Chicago Magic Soccer Club, FC Milwaukee, Metro United Soccer Club, Scott Gallagher, Sockers FC Chicago, Solar SC, and the U.S. National Team (U-15/16 & U-17). The Fire Academy will be based at TOYOTA PARK, providing access to a number of first team amenities such as practice facilities, weight room, training room, and locker rooms.

Overseeing player selection and all technical instruction and development for the Academy will be former Rockford Raptors Director of Coaching and club co-founder, Louis S. Mateus (pronounced mah-TOOS). Mateus has over 20 years coaching experience, with collegiate head coaching posts at National Louis University (1985-1989), Benedictine University (1989-1996), and most recently Rockford College (1997-2001). He has also been involved in the game at the national and state youth levels, having previously served as an assistant coach for U.S. U-17 National Team (1995-1997) and is currently an assistant with the U.S. U-14 National Team. A former professional player for the Milwaukee Wave, Chicago Shoccers, and the Chicago Power, Mateus has been involved with the game at all levels.

"What a great day for the Chicago Fire organization," said Mateus. "We're very proud of the quality of our initial class and being a part of the beginning of something special here in respect to MLS youth development."

With the launch of the Chicago Fire Academy, the Fire now has player development programs and partnerships at every level, including the Fire Juniors, Super-20s, and the Fire Premier PDL Team. The Academy will be directly tied to the Major League Soccer (MLS) Home Grown Talent initiative. This initiative allows players involved in the Chicago Fire Academy that meet specific minimum training standards to be signed directly by the Chicago Fire without entering the MLS SuperDraft or Supplemental Draft. The rule is designed to provide increased opportunities for local players to realize their goal of playing for their local MLS team, while teams strengthen their connection with the community.

Supporting the launch of the Academy is Red Bull North America and adidas. The Academy will be integrated with and supported by Red Bull North America's Bullieve initiative that is committed to help provide enhanced opportunities for under-privileged youths with special soccer talent.