TAMPA, Fla. - United Soccer Leagues is pleased to announce that Samba Futbol Club has been accepted into the Next Generation Series, a new effort from USL and IMG Academy to change not only the way the game is played, but how young players are trained. 

 

NextGen will focus on providing players, coaches, and clubs the unique opportunity to take part in an eight month national league. 

 

The 2013 NextGen format will consist of U12 and U14 boys and girls teams participating in an eight-month season beginning in August and culminating in April. Top players will be identified through the NGS Player Tracking Program and invited to attend the NGS ID Training Camp at IMG.

 

Through the guidance of Director B.T. Mason, Samba Futbol Club approaches the game a little differently than most academies. 

 

“Players are taught to win with a strong emphasis on tactical development at a young age and skills are learned secondarily, mainly as a by-product of playing,” Mason said.  “We believe in a more European/Latin system, where skills and fundamentals are the paramount portion of training at the younger ages and winning becomes the by-product. We see NGS as an avenue to help us achieve more visibility.”

 

More than just another youth soccer league, NextGen features 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.

 

“We look forward to the opportunity for our young athletes to compete in a more challenging league where emphasis is the overall development of the modern player,” Mason added.

 

The inspiration for NextGen was the consistently repeated message received from top youth soccer clubs and coaches that they were seeking a fresh development initiative specifically geared toward younger teams and players. NextGen 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.

 

"One of the aspects we're most excited about with NextGen is that it's a comprehensive development system," said NextGen Director and former Major League Soccer player Abe Thompson. "Players, coaches and parents are all integral parts of this model. Samba FC understands this philosophy and we're thrilled to work with them to not only develop elite-level talent but also help lead the club into a new generation."

 

“We see the introduction of NGS through USL's Partnership with IMG as an opportunity not only for player growth, but coaching education that will allow the strong fundamental changes needed to allow the American player more success on an international stage,” Mason added. 

 

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.

 

“Our goal at Samba FC is to work diligently to keep up with the modern game and its training practices to produce fundamentally sound, sophisticated players that can compete at any level. Domestic or abroad,” Mason said.