D.C. United Academy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
D.C. United Academy

Full name	D.C. United Academy
Founded	2005
Stadium	Segra Field
League	MLS Next
Home colors Away colors

The D.C. United Academy is a special program that helps young soccer players grow and develop their skills. It's part of the Major League Soccer club D.C. United. The program has different teams for players of various ages, from young kids to those almost ready for professional play.

The D.C. United Academy is known for being one of the best youth soccer programs in MLS. Many players from the Academy have gone on to play professionally. Some have even joined the D.C. United first team directly. Famous players who started here include Bill Hamid, a top goalkeeper for the U.S. national team, and Andy Najar, who played for Honduras and was named MLS Rookie of the Year.

History of the Academy

The D.C. United Academy started in 2005. Its main goal was to give talented local players a chance to get professional soccer training. D.C. United was one of the first MLS clubs to create its own youth academy.

In 2013, Michael Seaton, who came from the Academy, made his first league appearance for D.C. United. This was a big deal because he was the first player born after MLS began in 1996 to play in an MLS game. Later, in 2015, D.C. United made some changes to how much they spent on the Academy. This was partly to help with the costs of building the team's new soccer stadium.

How the Academy Works

Like most Major League Soccer teams, D.C. United has youth teams that help players move up to the professional level. Since 2016, United has also had a reserve team, Loudoun United FC, which plays in the USL Championship. This team helps players get more experience before joining the main MLS squad.

Below the professional teams, there's an under-23 team. These players often play friendly matches to keep their skills sharp.

The U-16 team playing Triangle F.C. in the 2006 Super Y League semifinals.

The main Academy includes teams for teenagers, from under-15 to under-19. These teams play in the MLS Next league. They compete against other top academy teams from all over the country. Before, they played in a league called the USSDA.

For even younger players, from under-12 to under-14, there's the Pre-Academy. This helps younger players get used to the academy style of training. These teams play in the Northeast Pre-Academy League.

If you're under 10, D.C. United also offers special training camps. A great thing about the D.C. United Academy is that it's completely free for all its players. You don't have to pay any fees to join.

Famous Players from the Academy

Many talented players have come through the D.C. United Academy.

• Andy Najar was the first player from the D.C. United Academy to move to a European club permanently. He transferred to Anderlecht in Belgium.
• Chris Durkin was the youngest player to sign with D.C. United from the Academy. He was only 16 years old.
• Several Academy players have also played for different U.S. national youth teams.

MLS Players

Here are some players who came from the D.C. United Academy and later played at least one game in Major League Soccer.

D.C. Academy prospects who played in MLS

Name	Turned Pro	DCU apps	Left DCU	Departure	National team (caps)
Bill Hamid	2009	240	—	—	United States (7)
Andy Najar	2010	100	2013	Transferred to Anderlecht (Belgium).	Honduras (36)
Conor Shanosky	2010	5	2014	Left the team.	United States U20
Ethan White	2010	38	2013	Traded to Philadelphia.	United States U20
Michael Seaton	2013	5	2015	Traded to Portland.	Jamaica (14)
Collin Martin	2013	15	2016	Traded to Minnesota.	United States U20
Jalen Robinson	2014	26	2019	Contract ended.	United States U18
Romain Gall	2014	0	2010	Moved to another academy.	United States U20
Tyler Rudy	2015	0	2011	Played college soccer.
Chris Durkin	2016	36	2020	Transferred to Sint-Truiden (Belgium).	United States U20
Ian Harkes	2017	33	2018	Left the team. Signed with Dundee (Scotland).	United States U20
Eryk Williamson	2017	0	2018	Traded to Portland Timbers.	United States U23
Antonio Bustamante	2019	2	2019	Left the team.	Bolivia (2)
Donovan Pines	2019	64	—	—	United States (2)
Griffin Yow	2019	36	2022	Transferred to K.V.C. Westerlo (Belgium).	United States U18
Moses Nyeman	2019	32	2022	Transferred to S.K. Beveren (Belgium).	United States U16
Kevin Paredes	2020	41	2022	Transferred to VfL Wolfsburg (Germany).	United States U20
Jacob Greene	2021	16			United States U20
Jeremy Garay	2021	1			El Salvador (1)
Ted Ku-DiPietro	2022	39			United States U17
Jackson Hopkins	2022	34			United States U20
Matai Akinmboni	2022	7			United States U17

Notes:

• D.C. United appearances were updated as of November 29, 2020.
• If a player played for different levels of a national team (like U20 and the main team), only the highest level is listed.

Source: D.C. United

The Academy Teams

The D.C. United Academy has several teams based on age groups. These teams help players develop their skills at each stage.

U19 Team

This is the team for players aged 19 and under.

U16/U17 Team

This team is for players aged 16 and 17.

U15 Team

This team focuses on players aged 15 and under.

U14 Team

This team is for players aged 14 and under.

Coaching Staff

The Academy has a dedicated team of coaches who help guide the young players.

Position	Staff
U-19 Head Coach	Mattar M'Boge
U-17 Head Coach	Phil Gordon
U-15 Head Coach	Marco Etcheverry
U-14 Head Coach	Phil Nana

Reserve Team

From 2005 to 2012, D.C. United had a reserve team that played in the MLS Reserve Division. A reserve team is like a backup team where players can get more game time and experience. This team stopped playing when MLS and USL Pro (another soccer league) started working together. D.C. United then partnered with the Richmond Kickers as their USL Pro team.

Honors

The D.C. United Reserve team won the:

• MLS Reserve Division: 1
  • 2005

See also

• D.C. United
• D.C. United U-23
• D.C. United U-20
• U.S. Soccer Development Academy