Tell me about DC United Academy?

[Anonymous]

How are kids recruited?

Where do they practice? How often?

Where do they play? How much travel? Who pays for travel? Does a parent go on all trips?

So many things I want to know!

[Anonymous]

1) How old is your kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1) How old is your kid?

U13 but mostly I'm just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How are kids recruited?

Where do they practice? How often?

Where do they play? How much travel? Who pays for travel? Does a parent go on all trips?

So many things I want to know!

They practice at Segra. The club plays for travel - parents free to make their own way to games if they wish. Most will make the NY trip for example - but only a couple of diehards go to Toronto. U14 not all that much travel - basically pretty much the same as any MLS Next club. U15 and U17 has quite a bit of travel with some weekends away with flights to Canada, Florida etc.

The other thread deals with kids being recruited. Best way is to get your kid on one of the better local teams - either an MLS Next team, or one of the clubs with a relationship with DCU - and get your kid's coach to support you.

[Anonymous]

DC United seems hyper focused on size in the younger years (U14). So if you kid has developed or gone through puberty early and is big for their age, that is definitely something they like. They do take U13 kids who play up a year for U14, so this year their U14 team has 2010s and 2011s on it.

They took a bunch of kids from Pipeline this year. I think 2 from SYC, one from Arlington, Achilles, maybe Paragon, 1 from ASA.

My kid plays for an MLS Next local team and here is how the recruiting worked last year. A scout will come to fall games, usually you can tell who the scout is and often he's wearing DC United swag so he's not hiding it. Sometimes the coaches know in advance and tell the kids, sometimes not. But parents usually notice.

A coach may recommend a kid to the scout or the scout may see something they like and get info from the team about the kid. The scout contacts the parents to invite them to come out to Segra (which is basically next to Dulles) to an invitation only training session with other kids from same or other clubs. So you basically have to be scouted to even try out.

I believe you can also send them game footage/play reels and request a scout go to your game to be on their radar. But they're really only interested in MLS Next or ENCL players. Offers go out in the spring on a rolling basis, although I do know a kid that got an offer late last summer. Being in the academy is pretty cut throat. You have to compete every week to be on that weekend's roster. Practices are at Segra. It's tough.

[Anonymous]

How often and how long are practices?

Also, do they also provide strength and conditioning classes and individual training or are those still the responsibility of the individual players and their parents?

I guess I’m wondering how comprehensive the training is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC United seems hyper focused on size in the younger years (U14). So if you kid has developed or gone through puberty early and is big for their age, that is definitely something they like. They do take U13 kids who play up a year for U14, so this year their U14 team has 2010s and 2011s on it.

They took a bunch of kids from Pipeline this year. I think 2 from SYC, one from Arlington, Achilles, maybe Paragon, 1 from ASA.

My kid plays for an MLS Next local team and here is how the recruiting worked last year. A scout will come to fall games, usually you can tell who the scout is and often he's wearing DC United swag so he's not hiding it. Sometimes the coaches know in advance and tell the kids, sometimes not. But parents usually notice.

A coach may recommend a kid to the scout or the scout may see something they like and get info from the team about the kid. The scout contacts the parents to invite them to come out to Segra (which is basically next to Dulles) to an invitation only training session with other kids from same or other clubs. So you basically have to be scouted to even try out.

I believe you can also send them game footage/play reels and request a scout go to your game to be on their radar. But they're really only interested in MLS Next or ENCL players. Offers go out in the spring on a rolling basis, although I do know a kid that got an offer late last summer. Being in the academy is pretty cut throat. You have to compete every week to be on that weekend's roster. Practices are at Segra. It's tough.

Don't forget 2 Potomac, 1Celtic, 2 Armor, 2 Bethesda and 2 Loudoun. I believe 2 from each local clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often and how long are practices?[/quotr]
4x / week. 90 mins.

Also, do they also provide strength and conditioning classes

Sort of. Half assed.

and individual training

no.

I guess I’m wondering how comprehensive the training is.

A bit more than local youth teams. Less than almost any other MLS academy in the country.

[Anonymous]

Google map tells me to expect an hour trip both ways from where I live to Leesburg. Obviously, that's not close enough that I can come home during practice, so it would be an extra 90 minutes in the car for my kid, and a lot of waiting around time for me.

Have people found that it's worth it, compared to an MLS or ECNL club in one's own neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

If this turns out to be an option for you, I believe that United provides shuttles from at least a couple locations. Several players in the Ellicott City area have used it, from what I hear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If this turns out to be an option for you, I believe that United provides shuttles from at least a couple locations. Several players in the Ellicott City area have used it, from what I hear.

Oh, that might make a difference. Does anyone know the locations?

[Anonymous]

If you can’t sit in the car or go for a walk, you should not be looking at DCU. It is hardcore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can’t sit in the car or go for a walk, you should not be looking at DCU. It is hardcore.

What is so hardcore about it? 90 mins practice 4 times a week and some addl strength training does not sound very hardcore.

Does that coaching create a hyper competitive/cut-throat environment? How much more different is it from other top teams in the area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this turns out to be an option for you, I believe that United provides shuttles from at least a couple locations. Several players in the Ellicott City area have used it, from what I hear.

Oh, that might make a difference. Does anyone know the locations?

They map out routes based on all the players attending that practice time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this turns out to be an option for you, I believe that United provides shuttles from at least a couple locations. Several players in the Ellicott City area have used it, from what I hear.

Oh, that might make a difference. Does anyone know the locations?

They map out routes based on all the players attending that practice time.

+1. My son's Arlington friend who plays for DCU gets picked up by the shuttle after school and does homework on the bus.