As players, parents and staff look back at Minnesota United's Pre-Development Academy’s inaugural season, there is tremendous pride for how much it accomplished. Since its launch earlier this year, there has been a relentless drive to continue building and growing the program into something special for youth players in the state.
In year one, 100 U11 and U12 players from 32 different local clubs came through the Pre-DA’s highly competitive programs and were exposed to an environment they otherwise may not have experienced at the club level.
“My son’s time with MNUFC has exceeded expectations on all fronts. The coaching staff is not only developing soccer players, but also exceptional young men. We could not have asked for a better experience.” - Pre-DA Parent Testimonial
In addition to the weekly programming, players had the chance to compete against other Development Academy programs, be a part of a U.S. Soccer Futsal event, and go to Texas for the MLS Generation adidas Cup against MLS academies. Twenty players were invited to train with the MNUFC U13 Development Academy team.
“He was given the chance to train with highly skilled players, both technically and mentally. The program structure created a competitive culture that pushed everyone to train hard, compete and reach for the match opportunities throughout the season." - Pre-DA Parent Testimonial
Looking forward, the Pre-DA is expanding its programming for 2019 and adding more opportunities for players. Information about the new program and its structure can be found here. Players will be added to this group through trials. All assessed players will receive placement — no player is cut.
The Pre-Development Academy is also adding an MLS Generation adidas Cup event over Thanksgiving break for the U12s and a Development Academy competition event in the fall for the U11s.
MNUFC announced the trial dates for its Development Academy (DA) teams and assessment dates for the Pre-Development Academy program. Trials will be for U13 (2006), U14 (2005) and U15 (2004) DA teams, along with placement trials for the U11 (2008) and U12 (2007) Pre-Development Academy programs. All trials will be held at the Minnesota United Training Ground located at the National Sports Center in Blaine. Visit this link for more information.
