Academy

ECNL launches Super Cup, a robust 'first team' platform for nations top players

The ECNL, the nation’s leading youth soccer league, announced Wednesday the creation of a groundbreaking and exciting new program within the league’s Player Identification and Selection Platform in the fall of 2021 focused on further serving and developing the very best players in the United States.

Reflecting the growth and increasing strength of the league and its players, the ECNL Super Cup will be an additive program for U15-U18/19 players to supplement the training and competition provided in ECNL Club Competition, and to create a “First Team” culture and pathway within youth soccer clubs — including the Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC academies.

The Super Cup program will allow each participating club (boys or girls) to manage a single pool of top players from across the U15-U18/19 ages for additive training and competition in addition to existing ECNL Club Competition. The program, piloted in early 2020, is the first of its kind in American youth soccer, providing ECNL clubs a unique platform and pathway for players to achieve new levels of excellence, and further paving the path from youth soccer to the highest levels, including college, professional, and national team soccer. Super Cup players will continue to roster with their age appropriate teams and competitions, with this added opportunity to train and compete in best-versus-best environments.

“For more than a decade the ECNL has been paving new ground and creating new opportunities for the nation’s best athletes to fulfill their potential,” said ECNL President Christian Lavers. “The pathway created by the ECNL Super Cup is once again raising the bar of what our clubs can offer their best players, without creating more burden on, or reducing the value provided to, every other player in the league.”

The ECNL Super Cup will include a limited but scalable number of divisional games per participating club in the 2021-2022 season, with many clubs expected to offer a 10-month programming option for these players. The Super Cup will also include additional minimum standards beyond the standards and expectations within ECNL Club Competition in areas of coach licensing, substitution, video and training. Complete Super Cup standards and expectations will be released by the ECNL in the near future.

Super Cup rosters will have a minimum number of required players in each age group in training and competition, from U15 to U18/19, to ensure development opportunities are provided to all ages. Super Cup rosters will also be fluid and able to change day-by-day based on performance and development, at the club’s discretion, with matches scheduled to avoid overlap with ECNL National Events and with most age-specific programming and competition.

“The Super Cup will foster an environment of best versus best where the physical, mental and emotional development of players will be tested in new ways to allow ECNL clubs – both male and female – to continue to serve as the clearest pathway to college, national teams, and professional soccer,” Lavers said.

The Super Cup program is part of the league’s rapidly expanding Player Identification and Selection Platform, adding to the existing National Selection Games, National Training Camp, and Conference Selection Programming.

With the addition of the Super Cup, ECNL clubs will now be able to manage a complete and progressive development and competition platform for players across multiple age and performance levels, extending from the ECNL Regional League, to the ECNL Club Competition, to the ECNL Super Cup. This scope of programming and opportunity constitutes the most robust and thorough developmental pathway for players in the country.

Academy partners with 91st Minute Training on soccer-specific conditioning

Furthering its mission to provide youth soccer players with the best resources possible to take their games to the next level, the Louisville City FC Academy has partnered with 91st Minute Training.

Led by LouCity Academy coach Michael Roman, 91st Minute Training delivers soccer-specific conditioning programs that are developmentally appropriate, taking a results-driven approach rooted in exercise science.

Academy athletes can register for one of the many programs happening over the course of the winter and spring at the following links: December Clinic (Dec. 18); January Clinics (Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29); and Spring Performance Program (Feb. 12-May 28).

“Partnering with 91st Minute Training will give our academy players an opportunity to further their physical development,” youth academy director Mario Sanchez said. “91st Minute Training understands the physical needs of high level soccer players due to their own soccer playing experience, which is why we decided to partner with them.”

As the game of soccer continues to change, the sport has become more physically demanding, with the volume of high intensity bursts and distance covered increasing. To keep in step, 91st Minute Training believes players should be developing the movement literacy and physical attributes of an elite athlete to allow skill and natural ability to take over, giving the player freedom to move and play with confidence.

Also understanding that the game of soccer is as cognitively demanding and as it is physically, the program also incorporates drills that test players’ analytical skills and awareness to improve decision making.

“This partnership follows our mission and vision for the academy, which is to ultimately give our players the resources to pursue their long term goals and aspirations while at the same time creating the best academy system in the country,” Sanchez said.

To learn more, visit 91stminutetraining.com or check them out on Instagram @91st_min. Parents can also contact Michael Roman at 91stminutetraining@gmail.com with any questions.

LouCity academy taking 'huge step' with start of ECNL play

Upon seeing hundreds of academy players decked out last weekend in Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC gear, Mario Sanchez considered it “a really proud moment” for the club as a whole.

Then the opening whistles blew for the Grand Park Cup just outside of Indianapolis.

“The soccer itself was a pleasant surprise in that we’d really only been training two weeks, and we had some good results,” said Sanchez, director of youth development, about the academy’s first-ever games. “Overall, I thought it was a great first weekend.

“Most importantly were smiles on the kids’ faces. The amount of kids and families who told me how happy they were just to be playing again is what it’s all about.”

Sanchez is now looking forward to the academy’s next chapter: hosting games this weekend in Elite Clubs National League action.

LouCity and Racing are the first clubs from Kentucky accepted into the ECNL, a nonprofit organization sanctioned by U.S. Soccer that regularly feeds top talent on to youth national teams and the college ranks.

“To me this is a huge, huge step for soccer in the state,” Sanchez said. “The ECNL’s on the national level. It’s exclusive and a great platform. We’re really looking forward to seeing out teams compete on this level while understanding it’s a process.

“We want to win, but at the same time this is a longterm process for these kids. Ultimately, we want to make sure they get better every day. And how do you do that? You play against the best opponents, which the ECNL is providing us.”

LouCity and Racing will send out teams from the U10 to U14 levels — high school seasons are getting underway for older age groups — primarily against Ohio Elite Soccer Academy (girls) and another club from the Buckeye State, Pacesetter Soccer Club (boys).

Games will be hosted at regional sites as the Champions Park training facility site is constructed. The new grounds to be completed in 2021, with natural grass and turf fields, will include lighted pitches for day-night academy play.

'This sees us become a full club'; academy sides set for first games

There’s more to Louisville City FC’s interests up north this weekend than a matchup with rival Indy Eleven.

On Saturday and Sunday, the LouCity and Racing Louisville FC academies will also feature in their first-ever games, traveling for the Grand Park Cup in Westfield, Ind.

“We’re just excited the kids get to play soccer again,” said director of youth development Mario Sanchez, whose team has overseen about 700 players — 350 girls and 350 boys — since the start of training last month under COVID-19 protocols.

“The No. 1 priority is that kids get to be kids in a safe environment, they can play the sport they love, and they’ll represent Racing and LouCity.”

The academy’s official launch is a watershed moment for parent company Soccer Holdings, which fields the two-time USL champion LouCity and is launching National Women’s Soccer League side Racing Louisville FC in 2021.

Both pro clubs and the academy will be based next year at the new Champions Park training facility now under construction.

“This sees us become a full club, from the top down,” Sanchez said. “I think it’s been an important part of the overall vision of the entire organization — with LouCity, Racing and now the academy on board, there’s plenty of opportunity here locally.”

Girls and boys teams from the U-11 to U-14 age groups will compete this weekend in an event hosted by Indiana Fire Juniors. Safety guidelines due to COVID-19 include segmented schedules to reduce the size of gatherings, plus recommendations to wear face coverings and physically distance.

Kentucky Youth Soccer members are permitted to travel to states currently under the 15% positive case threshold as reported by the Johns Hopkins Testing Tracker. Indiana is below 10%.

Grand Park Sports Complex regularly serves as training camp for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. Coincidentally, LouCity’s first team will play Indy Eleven at Lucas Oil Stadium, also the Colts’ venue.

Sanchez won’t stress the results — only about two weeks of training are in the books — but rather views the Grand Park Cup as a building block. Longterm, the hope is the academy’s 40-plus teams will produce the type of talent that can sign and play with the local pro clubs.

“It’s been extremely gratifying that we’ve built this from scratch,” Sanchez said. “It provides a platform that inspires kids to reach for their dreams.”

Sanchez expects 'a big jump' in youth talent with new training facility

Benefits of Soccer Holdings’ training facility and the fields that will circle it are obvious for the USL Championship’s Louisville City FC and NWSL’s Racing Louisville FC, with both clubs able to base their operations under one roof next season.

Mario Sanchez, the organization’s director of youth development, expects a high impact as well on local kids with aspirations of becoming professional soccer players themselves.

“I think you’re going to see a big jump in youth soccer in general in this area,” Sanchez said after helping break dirt on the new facility Tuesday at Champions Park, with the site about two miles east of the new Lynn Family Stadium.

“In a few years, you’ll see quite a few boys and girls, whether it’s with LouCity or Racing, that will come out of the greater Louisville area and move into professional sports.”

Sanchez and his LouCity/Racing Louisville FC academy staff have already assembled the first wave of elite local talent comprised of approximately 700 kids — 350 girls and 350 boys — making up 44 academy teams.

“We’re full,” Sanchez said. “The feedback’s been amazing. We just this week — Monday — started full-team training while navigating through COVID-19. We’re doing our best by following the guidelines while providing kids an opportunity.”

As soon as October, the academy sides could hit new turf fields on the training facility site. The rest of the facility and its natural grass fields are expected to be ready by spring of 2021.

The whole concept has Sanchez feeling “like a kid in a candy shop — super excited and thankful.” It is, after all, his ideal vision for reaching a goal of making kids better.

“It’s having kids show up and be able to see pro women and pro men and then the facility,” said Sanchez, who holds a USSF A license and boasts more than 20 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience. “The facility allows us to train essentially year round thanks to the turf and will help all kids in Louisville.”

Sanchez, a member of the University of Louisville’s staff from 2010-2015, most recently held the head coaching role with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville before signing on with Soccer Holdings for 2019. In edition to leading the academy, he will coach the club’s U23 team once USL League Two launches and helps out with LouCity’s first team.

All the while, academy staff are looking forward to a series of competitions this fall. The youth teams will essentially play across four spheres, with pre-high school kids having a spring and fall season; older girls and boys competing in the Elite Clubs National League circuit; the USL Academy Cup; and an NWSL academy circuit should it form.

“It’s something that, from day one, it’s a challenge when you try something new getting people in the community to realize we’re not trying to destroy other clubs,” Sanchez said. “We’re not trying to say hey, we’re the greatest thing ever. We all have ideas how to do things.

“Thankfully we have an organization that’s backing us. With the women’s and men’s pro teams, I think it gives kids something to aspire to — to show they’re truly apart of it is unique.”

LouCity 'setting the benchmark' with new training facility

Soccer Holdings, LLC, parent company of the USL Championship’s Louisville City FC and NWSL’s Racing Louisville, broke ground Tuesday on its new training facility targeted to open in the spring 2021.

Shovels hit dirt just past 1 p.m. at Champions Park off River Road, where the clubs’ operations will be based in the future along with their accompanying youth academies. The training facility site is within two miles of the new Lynn Family Stadium, continuing to enhance owners’ investments in local professional soccer.

“This is an awesome day for us,” said Soccer Holdings’ president, Brad Estes. “It’s hard to believe in 2015 we started out as this little fledging club trying to make pro sports work in a town where pro sports hadn’t been that successful.“…As you pivot away from surviving and sustainability, you want to get to the point to where you’re thinking about flourishing. That’s what this training center’s going to allow us to do.”

Estes, along with Soccer Holdings’ executive vice president of development, James O’Connor; LouCity coach and sporting director John Hackworth; and Mario Sanchez, youth academy director, spoke to a small group limited to media, board members and essential club staff.

“What we’re doing here, I’m telling you clubs around the country — Major League Soccer, NWSL, USL — are taking notice,” Sanchez said. “People are calling us, and we’re setting the benchmark.”

The 30,000 square foot center is being built AML Construction. On the property, three natural grass fields will accompany four turf fields fashioned by The Motz Group. Stadium lighting will allow for play at night, and the club plans to make the facility open to other community events.

In addition to locker room spaces for the pro clubs, the facility will include gym and workout areas, a kitchen, dining hall and media room. The building’s layout also houses Soccer Holdings’ front office staff.

“It’s just going to be a huge advantage for us going forward,” Hackworth said of the facility. “Now we have a youth program as well. It’s going to be incredible to have the vision of boys and girls playing and having professional teams, men’s and women’s, side by side. This is a phenomenal achievement for us, and I’m proud to be part of it.”

“To actually have our own training center — for us to attract elite-level talent on the female side — brings tremendous opportunity for us as an organization,” added O’Connor, who’s overseeing next year’s launch of Racing Louisville FC. “It’s not just for the professional aspect but for the whole community. We’ve got four turf fields we genuinely want the community to use.

“…The commitment from ownership is inspiring and something all of us feel privileged and honored to be a part of.”

Soccer Holdings Releases Plans for New Training Facility

Today Soccer Holdings, LLC released schematic designs for its practice facility located on the grounds of Champions Park on River Road. The plan will provide training facilities for its USL Championship club Louisville City FC, the new NWSL franchise launching in 2021, and youth academy.

AML Construction has been selected as the contractor for the Champions Park site that will feature four turf fields for the youth academy and local community, three natural grass fields on which the professional clubs will train as well as a 30,000 square foot women’s and men’s training building.

“We now have the ability to house all of our teams in one place,” Soccer Holdings Executive Vice President of Development, James O’Connor. “This allows us to strengthen our culture of excellence while improving and inspiring all of our players, male or female, young or old to become the very best versions of themselves.”

The two-story men’s and women’s training building will consist of locker rooms for the NWSL, USL and academy teams, gym and workout areas, a kitchen and dining hall, and media room. Inside the facility will provide offices for front office staff and a concession space for the academy families.

“This new training facility is yet another example of the commitment of our Club to invest in our professional teams, youth academy and the Louisville community as a whole,” said Louisville City FC Head Coach and Sporting Director, John Hackworth. “Housing all these programs in a state-of-the-art facility will continue to strengthen our belief in becoming one of the preeminent clubs in the US. “
As another asset to help the Louisville City Academy grow the game of soccer locally, the practice facility’s turf fields will feature stadium lighting allowing them to host large soccer tournaments or accommodate other community events.

“Our new facility is a game changer for youth soccer in the greater Louisville area. The new facility will allow kids to train and develop all year long in a world class environment,” Youth Academy Director, Mario Sanchez. “Most importantly, our facility will inspire kids to dream as they train alongside our LouCity men and our NWSL women. We will also now have the opportunity to bring Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) and USL Youth events to the city of Louisville. I am extremely proud of our city and ownership group for working together to bring this facility to fruition.”

The training facility will be privately financed and is expected to cost around $15 Million.

“This facility will provide access to the game of soccer for youth players in our region regardless of their means,” said Soccer Holdings, LLC President, Brad Estes. “We will be able to expand our offerings of free clinics, and we will be able to provide practice fields for other organizations that have struggled to find it. This game is for everyone and LouCity is striving to make it available to all.”

LouCity Youth Academy and SportsRecruits Finalize Multi-Year Partnership

The LouCity Youth Academy has finalized a multi-year partnership with SportsRecruits to give student-athletes in the academy a competitive advantage in their college recruiting journey.

SportsRecruits is a platform that provides clubs, players and their families access to every college coach in the country. Club organizations use the platform to empower their players in the recruiting process and oversee their efforts and communication with complete transparency. Connections made on the platform have resulted in commitments to the best academic and athletic institutions across the country. SportsRecruits is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit www.sportsrecruits.com.

“As one of only four organizations that bring together a Men’s, Women’s, and Youth Academy program, Louisville City FC is at the forefront of what it takes to provide support for players from start to finish. We are proud to integrate SportsRecruits with LouCity Youth Academy to streamline college recruiting and empower their student-athletes” said Matt Wheeler, co-CEO and co-Founder of SportsRecruits.

Since announcing the Academy in March, the LouCity Youth Academy has created a list of impressive partnerships within the youth soccer space, first being accepted to the ECNL and now a partnership with SportsRecruits to offer a FREE subscriptions to each of the academies’ high school student-athletes.

“Our mission is to develop a pathway for our players to reach their soccer goals. SportsRecruits is the perfect platform to aid our high school players in the college recruitment process. I am extremely proud that we will be able to offer this great recruiting tool at no additional cost to our LouCity Academy high school age players. As a staff, we will be working with our players and SportsRecruits to make sure that we do everything we can to help each player reach their college recruitment goals.”

More information about the LouCity Youth Academy is available by visiting www.loucity.com/Academy.

NWSL Louisville Academy becomes Kentucky's first ECNL Girls club

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020 – The NWSL Louisville Academy is Kentucky’s first youth soccer program accepted into the Elite Clubs National League, the top youth league for young women in America.

“This is a great day for youth soccer in the city of Louisville,” NWSL Louisville Academy Director Tim Nowak said. “To be a part of the ECNL is truly something special and I am so proud that the young women in our community will have the opportunity to showcase their ability on this elite stage. The leadership at NWSL Louisville Academy has been so supportive of all that we strive to achieve and today is another example of their commitment to providing the highest level of opportunities for girls’ soccer in the area. I know that I speak for all of the coaches at NWSL Louisville Academy when I say that we are excited to represent the ECNL and ‘Raise the Game!’”

“We are excited to welcome NWSL Louisville Academy and to offer the ECNL Girls platform to players in Kentucky for the first time,” said ECNL Girls Commissioner Jen Winnagle. “They will be a great addition to the Ohio Valley Conference, and we look forward to working with their leadership to support both the youth and professional game in Louisville.”

The NWSL Louisville Academy will be part of the Ohio Valley conference in the ECNL Girls along with powerhouse programs Ohio Premier Soccer, Ohio Elite, Western New York Flash, FC Alliance, FC Pride, Internationals SC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Tennessee SC, and Indiana Fire Academy.

“The ECNL Girls is the top level of girls’ youth soccer in our country,” Louisville City Youth Academy Director Mario Sanchez said. “The ECNL platform allows all of the girls to compete on a national level and be seen by U.S. Soccer National team scouts and college coaches from across the country. The ECNL allows girls to pursue all of their dreams, whether that is the pursuit of a college soccer scholarship or an opportunity to play for the U.S. National teams. I am extremely proud of our Girls Academy Director Tim Nowak and his dedication to girls’ youth soccer. Tim has been a great leader and advocate for girls’ soccer in Louisville throughout the years.”

“When we launched our club, our goal was to compete at the highest levels of American soccer, and the ECNL Girls presents the best competition for these young women,” Louisville City and NWSL Louisville President Brad Estes said. “We are looking forward to seeing local athletes compete with the nation’s best.”

The NWSL Louisville Academy was founded in March and is planning to begin its first season of competition in 2020. The NWSL Louisville Academy is part of the Louisville City Youth Academy. The girls’ academy aligned with Louisville’s NWSL franchise, which will begin play in 2021, and the boys’ academy is aligned with Louisville City FC, the city’s USL Championship men’s club.

“This is an exciting day for girls’ soccer in Kentucky and for NWSL Louisville,” Sanchez said. “I am thrilled for all the girls in our community who aspire to play and compete at the highest level of girls youth soccer.”

NWSL Louisville Academy will launch teams in the U8 (local youth born in 2013) through U19 (local players born in 2002) age groups, with two teams in each age group.

“We are developing a comprehensive program for our young athletes that will guide them from an early foundation in the game through youth development and into their collegiate and professional careers,” Executive Vice President for Development James O’Connor said. “Our hope is that we see our young ECNL stars playing for our NWSL first team in the future.”

The ECNL Girls is a national brand that includes eight conferences that span the United States. Bordering Kentucky, the ECNL Girls includes three clubs in Ohio, two in Indiana, Tennessee, and one club in Missouri. NWSL Louisville Academy will be the first club in Kentucky admitted to the elite league.

“Having an ECNL program in Louisville is a development that many in the soccer community have been waiting a long time for!” said Samantha Hope, a Louisville native and WPSL head coach of the Charlotte Eagles. “Louisville is a place with humble soccer beginnings, and it has made me proud to see the sport grow in not just quantity over the years, but quality. I’m eager to follow the program and the club from afar!”

NWSL Louisville Academy will compete in regular-season conference games, cross-conference events, and ECNL national events while trying to qualify for the ECNL Playoffs. Tryouts for NWSL Louisville Academy are tentatively scheduled for the first week of June. Tryout dates may be adjusted due to safety precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on the NWSL Louisville Academy, please visit www.loucity.com/Academy. For more information on the ECNL Girls, visit https://www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com/

Louisville City Youth Academy – COVID-19 update regarding tryout dates

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 – As Louisville City Youth Academy continues preparation for its first season this Fall, the club is hopeful to conduct tryouts in June based on direction from local and state officials along with guidance from the USL for the upcoming Boys ECNL and girls’ club teams. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tryout dates may change as our primary focus is on the health and safety of our young athletes, the coaches, and our club community.

“The safety of the kids and the community is our number one priority,” Louisville City Youth Academy Director Mario Sanchez said. “We are hopeful that by June we will be able to start returning to activities, but we will take all of our direction from local and state officials.”

Tryouts for boys and girls in the U8 (2013 birth year) through U19 (2002 birth year), are set for the week of June 1 at Christian Academy of Louisville (700 S. English Station Rd., Louisville, KY 40245). Youth Academy tryout dates are dependent on local and regional clearance to resume gathered activities.

Louisville City Youth Academy plans to field two teams in each age group for both boys and girls from U8 up to U19. During the tryout period, players in each age group will be asked to try out either one or two nights depending on the age group. Players will be evaluated by the Louisville City Youth Academy staff that will be coaching their age group during the in-person tryouts.

“It is important for us to have an open selection process because we want to work with kids of all levels in our area,” Sanchez said. “We want this to be as inclusive as possible because we understand how important it is that our sport be available to all.”

Because tryout dates may need to change depending on our community’s response to COVID-19, we are asking those players who are interested to fill out our Pre-Tryout Form (click here). Once we are allowed to gather again, we will send out our Tryout Registration details at that time.

Once selected for a youth academy team, the season will run from late July until mid-May for pre-high schoolers and late Fall through late May for high school players so that players will still be available to play for their local schools. Travel for the teams will be based on age-appropriate demands and league and tournament play.

On the boys’ side, the LouCity Academy was selected as Kentucky’s first Boys ECNL club in March. The Elite Clubs National League boasts some of the top clubs in America including St. Louis Scott Gallagher (MO), Vardar (MI), Pittsburgh Riverhounds (PA), Ohio Premier (OH), Minnesota Thunder (MN). LouCity will be in the Midwest Division alongside teams from Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

On the girls’ side, the NWSL Louisville Academy has also applied for entry into the Girls ECNL which recently added powerhouse clubs United Futbol Academy (GA) and North Carolina Courage to its prestigious ranks.

Player fees for the 2020-21 season will be announced at least two weeks prior to the tryout dates. Scholarships are available for qualifying local athletes. Tryout registration will be $20.

Earlier this week, Louisville City Youth Academy announced the coaching assignments for its girls and boys teams. To read more about the coaches who will be coaching each age group, click here.

For more information on the upcoming youth academies, please visit www.loucity.com/Academy.