East Hudson Academy Developing a New Generation of Soccer Players
New York Soccer News: The program now consists of nearly 40 training sessions annually
The East Hudson Academy is a developmental and supplemental program for the players of the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL). It’s developmental as its purpose is to further develop every player so they can return to their club team with enhanced skills, hopefully then raising the level of play of their teammates.
It’s supplemental as it adds to the youth soccer experience without players needing to leave their club team.
All the Academy coaches are very experienced and hold a National Coaching License, whether through US Soccer or United Soccer Coaches.
The players are trained so that they can potentially compete at the state, regional and national level. The Academy is one level below the Olympic Development Program (ODP) of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).
“Yet we attract similar caliber players as OPD,” states East Hudson Academy Director Jeff Wexler.
In fact, ODP North teams have played friendlies against the East Hudson Academy in the past.
In 2006, three EHYSL Board members––Jim Purdy, David McCollum and Keith Stetler––looked to expand what had been the East Hudson Select Program. They decided that the dozen or so training sessions every spring and a couple of summer tournaments left room for improvement.
The renamed East Hudson Academy program runs from October through July and now includes a total of nearly 40 training sessions. No person could coach in any age group where he/she coaches a club team or has a child in the age group, eliminating all conflicts of interest.
The Academy season starts with October tryouts indoors at The Net in LaGrange.
The players selected train all winter there on Friday and Saturday nights, although the Academy is taking a break right now because of the coronavirus.
The teams from Under-10 to Under-18, both boys and girls squads, train outdoors in the spring at Beekman Town Center Park, Doherty Park in Beekman and Tymor Park in LaGrange.
Every Academy squad plays in several summer tournaments, including in the Hudson Invitational (playing up a year against EHYSL club competition), the Guilford Soccer Fest in Connecticut, the Lititz Summer Showcase in Pennsylvania, the Seaside Classic in Rhode Island and the Mad Dog Mania Showcase in Saratoga, New York.
Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association: With 100,000 youth soccer players–both boys and girls–and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) reaches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with nine leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees, and administrators.
