Part 3: The Academy is larger than just the clubs

This is Part 3 of our interview with USSF Development Academy Director John Hackworth.

Part 1 can be read here

Part 2 can be read here

In our conversation, which will we share through the week, Hackworth discussed the methods by which Academy clubs are being evaluated, how the Federation arrived at standards of player development to be implemented, what the enforcement mechanism is for clubs and coaches who can't follow through, and what the future holds for the program.


Is the Academy developing players as intended? TopDrawerSoccer: So what is the hammer that the Federation has for those who won't go along with the plan?

John Hackworth: "The hammer is that you can be kicked out. Basically we can remove developmental academy status from a club. If you are found to be on probation for two consecutive cycles, you're automatically removed from the program. Now, you can be removed at any time and it's important for us to hold that card, because if we really want to hold people accountable there needs to be a means where, if you do things that are harmful, you can't have the privilege of being in it. It has to mean something to be in this in regard to the quality and standard of what's happening at the club."

Editor's Note: Hackworth declined to discuss the number of clubs who were placed on probation after the first year of the Academy program. A source close to the issue, who declined to be named, said the number was somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of the 64 clubs who participated in year one.


TopDrawerSoccer: Has everyone bought into the concept that there needs to be an upgrade in player development in this country?

John Hackworth: "This is by far the deepest and largest player development program that a governing body has ever undertaken, especially on the youth level. We need everybody at the clubs, especially coaches and administrators, to know this is much larger than just their club. This is a US Soccer Federation, a National Team player development program.  We're trying to raise the bar. We have to raise the level of awareness in terms of what level we're trying to get at. It needs to be different than it's ever been. That sometimes I think is the hardest thing. You can have a very successful youth coach who has put ‘X' amount of players in national pools and won state and regional championships, and you have to tell them it's not good enough in reality. If it was good enough, we wouldn't have invested this time and money to take on this undertaking. We're trying to utilize a ton of new technology and communication through our educational materials. The level we're trying to establish is higher than its ever been. We're trying to create a much larger pool of players at a much higher standard."


TopDrawerSoccer: In terms of setting a standard for American player development, how do you view the role of foreign input?

John Hackworth: "It's not like you have to have gone and studied things in other countries, but most American coaches that if they want to further their own personal level of knowledge of the game, there are a lot of resources out there. Our task force on player development, in setting up this program, went to various countries around the world and studied player development. When we looked at that data, which is very interesting, we tried to compile things we knew would work well in our country and our culture and try to utilize that. I think it's something we have done very well. It's not like there are super secrets out there in the world of soccer. When you're talking about being a good coach and a good professional, you're talking about experience and knowledge, and then application. It's impossible to get any of these three without actually investing time and energy into that whole thing. Sometimes it's not possible if we don't have experience at the level you so desire. Coaching education is fantastic in that regard because it enlightens you and gives you some methodology, but then there is the part of ‘What have you done? Where did you take your knocks? Where did you learn your best lessons? You have to spend time on soccer fields and around globe and get lessons on the sport."


Tomorrow: What is next for the Development Academy program?