Invited: All interested players and parents in Western New York are invited

Guest Speakers:

• USSF Development Academy Director - Jared Micklos
• USSF Development Academy Girls Director - Miriam Hickey

Date: Monday, May 8 th 7:00 PM

Location: DoubleTree by Hilton, 1111 Jefferson Road, Rochester, N.Y. 14623

Host: Empire United Soccer Academy, Inc. www.empireunited.soccer

Empire United Soccer Academy, Western New York’s leading youth soccer program, has been named as a founding member of the US Soccer Girls Development Academy. The 2017-2018 Girls’ Devolvement Academy kicks off this fall with a projected 70 clubs across seven regions to compete at U-14, U-15, U-16/17 and U-18/19 age groups.

The Academy will provide member clubs with a consistent schedule of league and showcase games as part of a balanced program built on an appropriate training-to-game ratio. The overall schedule is designed to provide meaningful games and a variety of competition.

“The U.S. Soccer Girls’ Development Academy program will raise the standards and assure that the pathway for the most talented and dedicated female players exists, and that we will be able to continue to compete with the elite players and teams in the world,” Hickey said. “To achieve this, we must commit to a positive training and game environment at the club level to ensure the best players are playing together and not one talented player is overlooked.”

Empire United Soccer Academy was an inaugural member of the US Soccer Boys Development Academy in 2007. The Boys DA started with approximately 3,500 players from 71 teams participate in the U-15/16 and U-17/18 age divisions. Since then, the program is set to carry more than 13,000 players across 165 clubs for the 2017-2018 season, competing in six different age groups.

By the numbers:

• 70 Number of clubs joining the Girls Development Academy in Fall 2017
• 6 Number of Girls Development Academy regions: Northeast, Southeast, Mid-America, Frontier, Northwest, Southwest
• 5,000 Number of projected Development Academy girls players for inaugural season
• 10,700 Current players in the Development Academy
• 179 Number of unique boys and girls Academies, developing the next generation of talent
• 135 Number of USSF licensed coaches currently committed to Girls Development Academy clubs
• 1,544 Number of players to receive scholarships from Girls Academy Clubs