The Future
By: Tom | July 13th, 2007I have nothing to say about last night’s 4-0 defeat. I’m not even going to link to a game wrap. If you really want to wallow in frustration, go ahead and let loose in the comments, but I for one prefer not to dwell on the past (even if by the past, I mean yesterday, and that not dwelling on the past is possibly a bad trait for myself, given I’m a graduate student in the History Department).
We have a new manager, a new owner coming, our most expensive player ever arriving next week, and now this: the Fire today announced the launch of the Chicago Fire Academy.
Chicago Fire Soccer announced yesterday the formation of the Chicago Fire Soccer Academy, an elite player development initiative designed to identify and develop the best young talent within the Chicagoland area. The program will be fully funded by the Chicago Fire, with no financial responsibility falling on Academy players. The Academy will be limited to 44 players and will field two Academy teams, under-16 and under-18 men, that have been accepted to participate primarily in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
“The launch of the Chicago Fire Soccer Academy is one of the most significant developments in the history of the Fire,” said Fire President/CEO John Guppy. “I cannot stress enough how important this initiative is to the future of soccer in Chicago, and I’m thrilled that we are now in a position to provide the best young talent with a professional player development environment that is focused solely on the ultimate goal of developing professional caliber players.”
The emphasis of the Academy will be on providing a high-level training environment for elite players based around individual player development. Players will train year-round, three to four times per week, and play approximately 32 games per year as part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The Fire Academy will be based at TOYOTA PARK, providing access to a number of first team amenities such as practice facilities, weight room, training room, and locker rooms.
Hopefully this will mean the quality of the young players at the Fire improves. Not that it could get much worse, but still: the future!
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Category: Team News
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Comments
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it’s about time. i’m growing more optimistic about this club even as the results keep piling up against us. i’d love to see luis a. really ask some detailed questions about how they’re going to recruit players and the coaching staff that is responsible for developing the players in the academy. nice find, i must have missed this todayas i was too depressed after yesterday’s shellacking.
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I’ve had nightmares since last October of Ngwenya pounding down the pitch to help destroy the Fire in our home closer last season. We lost 4-0 that night (or maybe 4-1, but does it really matter?) to a pathetic Columbus and now we lose 4-0 to Houston. I think I should just avoid watching matches where Ngwenya is playing against us.
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