Minnesota United’s Development Academy continues to grow at a rapid pace. The program is adding age groups quicker than initially planned as more and more kids show up to try out in hopes of donning the Black and Blue.

But the talent on the field doesn’t appear overnight. It’s found by working every day. It’s found in the camps put on by the Development Academy. It’s found at tournaments across the country that scouts from the DA attend. Sometimes it’s even unearthed within the program, in players who are growing throughout their time with the DA. 

"Scouting is the life-blood for any professional club, whether it is for the first team or the Academy,” said Academy Director Tim Carter. “We incorporate some form of talent identification in every Academy program we conduct and our staff is constantly looking to improve the process. It is that important to our success."

Thus, talent identification is one of the most crucial tasks at the Development Academy. The DA does its best to try to see the future in every player whose path intersects with the club, working to identify those who can benefit both the club and themselves the most through the academy’s training.

There are four focuses the DA hones in on when it comes to talent identification. The first is a player’s intelligence. The second is technical ability and the player’s skills on the field. The third is character, which shows itself as much off the field as on. The last focus is speed, encompassing not just the pace of a player’s body on the field, but also their mind. 

Those focuses are how the DA coaches measure potential and decide how to work with a player, but there are also certain skills that are seen as fundamental. They need to be comfortable and have confidence with the ball, paired with their first touch. It’s important for players to have a presence on the field. And it’s essential that players be able to make the connection between their technical skills and their ability to read the game as it happens. 

If that makes it sound simple, it’s anything but. There are many challenges when it comes to making these assessments and scouting is something that will never be 100 percent accurate, especially at such a young age. 

With players starting with the DA as young as 11, there is still an enormous amount of growth for them to go through. For the younger age groups, the focus on the fundamentals and the basic areas of identification. As the players age and move up through the age groups, there is more to observe on the field, and coaches can begin to see what they can bring out of each player.

The talent identification process is a constant in the life of the Development Academy. Whether the DA is finding talent externally or internally, players are bringing new energy to the table every day as they learn the game and grow.