AS ROMA ADDS FOUR ELITE U.S. YOUTH CLUBS TO
STRENGTHEN ELITE UNITED STATES SOCCER ACADEMY PROGRAM
Real So Cal (Woodland Hills, CA), Scott Gallagher Soccer Club (St. Louis), Players Development Academy (Bernardsville, N.J.) and Crossfire (Redmond, Wash.) join Italian soccer club AS Roma’s USA Academy
Fall 2015 - AS Roma announced four new U.S. youth soccer academies to its world-renowned USA Academy program. Those clubs – including Real So Cal (Woodland Hills, CA), join the most authentic, collaborative, progressive and holistic youth academy among professional soccer clubs.
Founded in 1927, the legendary AS Roma plays in the world-renowned Italian Serie A soccer league. The club is owned by Boston-based James Pallotta and is the only Italian league team owned and managed by a United States-based group. AS Roma is currently competing in the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League – the annual European club soccer competition and one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world.
AS Roma’s USA Academy now features nine top-flights clubs from across the U.S.:
• Real So Cal (Woodland Hills, CA)
• Scott Gallagher Soccer Club (St. Louis)
• Players Development Academy (Bernardsville, N.J.)
• Crossfire (Redmond, Wash.)
• FC Greater Boston Bolts (Boston, Mass.)
• Chargers (Clearwater, Fla.)
• Pateadores (Southern Calif.)
• Real Colorado (Denver, Colo.)
• Vardar (Detroit, Mich.)
The AS Roma USA Academy is a one-of-a-kind program fostered in shared resources and player and coach development. At the heart of the program is identifying U.S. players that have the ability to compete for AS Roma at its highest level. There have already been multiple USA Academy players across different age groups that have been invited to train in Rome.
For the U.S. academies, a partnership with AS Roma allows for accelerated player development and broadened exposure for their already top-tier youth club. AS Roma provides U.S. academies the same resources and year-round support as it does for its Italian academies – such as its top academy club, Primavera.
“We have no reservations saying that AS Roma has the best academy system in the world,” said AS Roma President James Pallotta. “With the addition of four elite clubs in the U.S., our USA Academy continues to distinguish itself from what other professional soccer clubs are doing in the U.S. Our partnerships with U.S. academies are real and genuine and we’re in constant communication with each club to find innovative ways to bring true value to both sides.”
Elements of the AS Roma USA Academy include ongoing coaching development and exchanges, tailored physical performance programs and team training and competition in both the United States and Italy. Recent highlights include:
AS Roma hosted the first USA Academy Summit in Miami on January 28 with the first five U.S. academy clubs
In June, AS Roma hosted all nine clubs for a two-day coaching and development summit at AS Roma’s practice facility in Rome – Trigoria; AS Roma USA Academy staff received professional development from AS Roma’s Performance Coach while in Rome.
AS Roma provides a quarterly training curriculum to the youth clubs
AS Roma’s U.S. Academy U15 team participated in the Dale Farm Milk Cup 2015 tournament, which featured teams from all over the world, including English Premier League clubs Liverpool and Southampton, as well as Sydney United from Australia.
The Scott Gallagher 2000s (St. Louis) is sending 16 players and two coaches to Rome this November.
The AS Roma USA Academy showcase takes place in Florida in early December
In March 2012, Roma entered into a multi-year agreement with Disney Sports to become the official professional football club of the renowned Wide World of Sports amateur and pro sports complex in Orlando. The complex hosts the Disney Soccer Showcase presented by AS Roma – a top U.S. youth football soccer tournament. Roma’s top Italian academy club, Primavera, regularly competes there.
In 2007 two prominent clubs in Southern California merged to form Real So Cal. The club consistently produces some of the top boys and girls teams in the country and is one of the few select clubs that participates in both the USSDA and the ECNL. With a 3500+ player recreational soccer program, the club has a built in farm system that integrates with its high level, nationally recognized competitive program. Real So Cal has several graduates playing on MLS teams and on foreign professional teams, as well as current members participating on youth national teams.
“The AS Roma affiliation offers us educational and technical resources that we were looking for to enhance our club. With AS Roma management right here in the U.S. that is willing and able to assist us, we are excited about the future opportunities for our coaches and players. There is a true spirit of cooperation already being demonstrated, and our players have already been abroad as part of AS Roma USA. Upcoming coaching and training interaction will provide great benefits to our club. “
Howard Fink
President Real So Cal
The AS Roma USA Academy program is run by Alex Zecca, AS Roma's Director of Football Development. Zecca has been involved in soccer on many levels in the United States as a player and as an investor of various organizations, both at the pro- and semi-pro levels, and most recently with the Boston Breakers of the Women’s Premier Soccer League. Zecca’s primary goal with the AS Roma USA Academy is to find and develop top U.S. talent to join AS Roma. The program is managed day-to-day by Sean Carey, who is also the League Director of the New England Premiership, a nationally recognized youth league containing the top clubs in New England. A former professional player and experienced educator, Carey specializes in maintaining a club’s focus on player development, player identification and game day playing environment.
All nine clubs are also part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
Click here for more information on AS Roma’s USA Academy and click here for AS Roma’s Italy Academy.
About AS Roma
Founded in 1927, the legendary AS Roma plays in the world-renowned Italian Serie A football league. The Rome based professional team – which will compete in the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League – has won three Serie A titles, nine Coppa Italia title and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. AS Roma’s youth academy regularly produce more Serie A players than any other in Italy. Roma is the only Italian League team to be owned and managed by a United States-based group. The group, based out of Boston, is led by owner James Pallotta, Chairman of Raptor Group, who is President of AS Roma. Off the pitch, AS Roma is planning a new 52,000-seat stadium and surrounding entertainment development – Stadio della Roma – that will serve the club and city of Rome as the pre-eminent sports and entertainment district in the world. More information is available at www.stadiodellaroma.com.
Real So Cal is a founding member of the USSDA, and has been a perennial playoffs participant since inception. The club has been recognized for its sense of community, coaching excellence, and style of play. Great pride is taken in the players that move on to play professionally and in college Division 1 programs throughout the country.