Full-Time
Players
The U14/U16/U18 Full Rosters will
consist of players who can only participate on their designated Academy team
(or an older age group Academy team if needed), with only 1 exception: National Team duty. All
Academy team players must forego playing for their high school team as they
will participate in a 10 month Academy season.
Each player is assured a 25% minimum start requirement so long as they
maintain Internationals Academy standards for training and game availability.
Developmental
Players (DP)
U14/U16/U18 Developmental Players
will train with their respective Academy team on a full-time basis and may be
asked to participate in Academy games so long as those are limited to a maximum
of 7 appearances - there is no minimum. DPs may also participate on club-designated
teams in leagues, tournaments, and State Cup competitions (see below) and,
individually, in such organizations as ODP, ID2, and All Star events. They may also participate in the high school
soccer season and come back to Academy training in November. If DPs choose not to play high school they
will train with the Academy for the full 10 month time period.
NPL
Players
NPL players are Internationals
Soccer Club (ISC) players who are training at a high training and competition
level working toward future advancement to the Academy either through a Full or
Developmental status. They are able to
play with their high school teams and can also participate in individual activities
such as ODP, ID2 and All Star competitions.
The main thrust, however, will be development
and training within a team framework so as to better prepare them for the
Development Academy program.
For
Internationals, the main focus of teams U13 and above is the National Premier League, a unified,
league-based national developmental platform with the highest level of
competition in its geographic areas. Created
to elevate and change the competitive youth soccer landscape based upon US Club
Soccer’s fundamental principles, the NPL extends developmental principals
espoused by the U.S. Soccer Development Academy into younger age groups and
additional clubs, providing a platform for long-term player development. It has become the gateway for youth soccer
players into the Developmental Academy program.
Internationals is a member of the
Midwest Developmental League which includes all of the U.S. Soccer Development
Academy clubs and the top clubs outside the Academy in the Midwest. Competition includes fellow Mid-America
Division members Michigan Wolves, Vardar, St Louis Scott Gallagher(2),
Minnesota Thunder, FC Milwaukee, Chicago Fire, Magic, and Sockers along with
traditional club rivals Raptors, Madison 56ers, Fort Wayne Fever, and Ohio
Elite.
The culminating event each year is
the NPL Champions Cup, where national championships are awarded. The NPL Champions
Cup features qualifiers from every NPL across the country in a true “champions
league” competition. www.nationalpremierleagues.com
Locally, and through all age groups,
Internationals will play in the Alliance
Premier Soccer League which recently joined the US Club Soccer’s Premier
Leagues platform, a network of leagues in local, statewide and similar
geographic regions for competitive clubs and teams. Based in Northeast Ohio, teams compete in a
divisional format as well as in many tournament competitions.
The Premier Leagues platform builds
on the success of the National Premier Leagues (NPL) and the principle that
league-based competition is the primary means for long-term player development
and growth of the game. www.clevelandalliancesoccer.com
With the training and activities listed
above, the NPL player comes well-prepared for the next step in their
development - the Internationals Development Academy.