CASA GRANDE, AZ – Grande Sports Academy (GSA) is excited to announce that it will be joining the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program for the 2017/2018 season.
Grande Sports Academy is the only year-round soccer residency academy that has on-site high school education provided by a major university – Arizona State University (ASU) for its residents. ASU is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as the most innovative university in the United States, surpassing Stanford University and MIT.
Since its inaugural year in 2010, Grande Sports Academy previously in collaboration with Real Salt Lake, has been setting the gold standard of excellence for youth soccer development in the country. Every Grande Sports Academy graduate has received a college scholarship offer (130) or signed a professional contract (31). Sixty-eight (68) of GSA’s players have been chosen by their home country to compete for their nation’s national team during the past six years (48 for U.S. National Teams and/or 20 for foreign teams).
Grande Sports Academy alumni have earned scholarships to prestigious academic and athletic universities that include current Division I NCAA Champion Stanford University, 2014 Division I NCAA Champion University of Virginia and soccer powerhouses – University of Maryland, UCLA, Wake Forest University, Clemson University, Georgetown University, University of Louisville, Marquette University and University of New Mexico.
Grande Sports Academy’s newly appointed Technical Director, Sean McCafferty, will oversee the technical side of the academy program including planning, curriculum development, player development, structure and day-to-day operations. McCafferty joined Grande Sports Academy after a long successful stint with Continental FC DELCO (merged entity of Spirit United & FC DELCO) in PA where he was the Director of Coaching/Technical Director for over 12 years.
During this time, McCafferty coached talented players that earned scholarships to attend some of the top collegiate programs in the country (Notre Dame, UVA, Georgetown, etc.) and also developed professional players. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union, MLS All-star in his rookie season, called into US MNT Camp in Jan 2017) is the most notable player having played for McCafferty from age 12 to 18 years-old.
An important initiative of McCafferty’s plan as the new Technical Director will be fostering close relationships with local and regional youth soccer clubs as Grande Sports Academy builds and expands the academy structure, with an objective to contribute to the advancement of youth soccer not only in Arizona but regionally and nationally.
Grande Sports Academy has been awarded the Best Training Facility and Best Match Facility by US Soccer. Grande Sports Academy will be conducting talent ID camps beginning this February and space is limited. For more information on dates and online registration visit our talent ID camp page.