Next Generation Series News Release

Friday, February 1, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. - United Soccer Leagues announced today the acceptance of Knoxville Soccer Academy into the Next Generation Series (NGS), the joint venture between USL and IMG Academy featuring a forward-looking, innovative, comprehensive, and unique development program designed to develop the complete elite youth soccer player through a defined regimen of training, competition, testing, and evaluation.

Knoxville Soccer Academy was founded on the premise that players train and develop in a holistic environment focused on individual player development. With the club joining the Next Gen Series, players will have the opportunity to train at the elite level during early stages of their careers.

"NGS presents us with the opportunity to further develop our programs by tapping into other top level soccer developers in the [United States]," Knoxville Soccer Academy’s Director of Coaching Derek Broadley said. "NGS has recruited some excellent people whose purpose is to enable players to develop to their full potential regardless of where they live in the [United States], by offering the sharing of ideas and skills supported by great venues and state of the art facilities.”

Broadley brings a wealth of experience to Knoxville Soccer Academy having previously served as technical director for the Bermuda Football Association as well as Academy Director for Crystal Palace.

In Knoxville, coaches teach the “four cornerstones of development” for each individual player: technical and tactical development, physical development, social development and psychological development. While this concept of total player development is typically reserved for older players, the Next Gen Series aims to build from a young age.

"The principles that Knoxville Soccer Academy was founded on fit perfectly with the Next Generation Series model," NGS Director and former Major League Soccer player Abe Thompson said. "Knoxville Soccer Academy is a newly formed academy led by a group of extremely talented coaches, and the Next Generation Series will help elevate the club to new heights. We couldn’t be more thrilled to begin working with Knoxville Soccer Academy."

The Next Gen Series is an exciting, new youth soccer initiative established to provide players, coaches and clubs the opportunity to take part in an the first elite-level league totally devoted to player development.

The 2013 Next Gen Series format will consist of U12 and U14 boys and girls teams participating in an eight-month season beginning in August and culminating in April that will feature two evaluation/competition events at IMG. More than just another youth soccer league, top players will be identified through the NGS Player Tracking Program and invited to attend the NGS ID Training Camp at IMG presenting the unique opportunity for these elite soccer players to showcase their talents and train with distinguished IMG and NGS coaches.

"We are experts in the overall development of the soccer player and will play a key role in making the players better, educating the parents and bringing in the coaching education component as well," Director of Soccer at IMG Academy Scott Dean said.

The inspiration for the Next Gen Series was the repeated and consistent message received from top youth soccer clubs and coaches that they were seeking a fresh development initiative specifically geared toward younger teams and players. NGS was launched to fill the void by providing a comprehensive platform for clubs to best prepare their young players for the challenges which await them at the next level.

The Knoxville Soccer Academy will focus on producing players who have the ability to perform consistently at all levels of the game by establishing a proven curriculum that has been tested at the highest levels of English soccer.

"NGS completes the puzzle for KSA by giving us the ability to be part of a development system that has a games program that really supports player development based on best practices from other developed soccer nations," Broadley said. "Players will train more and play less competitive matches. There will be a focus on the ’whole player’ not just technical physical and tactical development."

The world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and education complex, IMG Academy hosted myriad soccer team training camps in 2012, including clubs such as the Seattle Sounders, D.C. United, Columbus Crew, Sweden’s Malmö FF, as well as the U.S. Women’s National Team preparing for the London Olympic Games and the Antigua & Barbuda Men’s National Team preparing for World Cup qualifying.

To learn more about the Next Generation Series please visit

www.NGSsoccer.com

.