The first US Development Academy (DA) ID session was a huge success. Thank you to all the players a for coming out to show your stuff. Also, thank you to all of the coaches and staff for putting on a spectacular event. We will continue to hold DA ID sessions in the coming months so be on the lookout for the next session by liking our facebook page.

We are very excited for the opportunities the RSL-AZ DA program will bring to elite players in Tucson and surrounding areas. In case you missed it, here are some highlights from last night’s session.

The DA staff announced plans to establish Tucson as a primary training environment for DA players based in Southern Arizona. We are firm believers that there are a lot of talented players and coaches in the area. Players and parents should not have to drive up to Phoenix to train on a nightly basis. Instead, players will train in Tucson with the top coaches in the club in higher age groups to sufficiently challenge players. Then, players may go up to Phoenix every couple weeks to have the opportunity to train and be tested with high-level players of their own age group.

To accomplish this, the DA staff has been rolling out a world class training curriculum designed to provide a high level training environment. Coaches at all levels in the club implement this training program so players are all on the same page with regard to terminology, technical, and tactical understanding of the game. This cohesive training strategy means players will have the ability to jump right in to any team in the club and perform at a high level with peers of similar ability.

We envision two types of players to come out of the DA training environments in Tucson:

  • Full-Time DA Players – These are players that are full time rostered with a DA team. These players will not be able to play in local RSL-AZ Southern Arizona teams as they are full time with the DA team. They will continue to train in the high-level training environments in Tucson and join the DA team for games in the Southern California Division of the DA.
  • Part Time DA Players – These are players that have been identified as having a lot of potential to eventually become full-time DA players. However, they may not quite be ready for the jump to full time. Part-time players will be rostered on RSL-AZ Southern Arizona teams but will have the opportunity to guest play with the DA teams for up to a certain amount of games per season. This will give them the opportunity to play at a higher level and potentially earn a full-time spot with the DA.

Looking forward, we will be hosting additional DA ID sessions for the boys in the coming months. The DA staff also plans to hold periodic training sessions in Tucson. This week, we are excited to host Tiffany Roberts, the Girls DA Director for an ID session on the girls’ side. Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on all RSL-AZ Southern Arizona events.

For more information on the RSL-AZ Boys DA, contact the Academy Director, Mike Kraus, mkraus@rls.com.