MLS Next | LSA Sharks

MLS Elite Youth Development:
Unlock Your Path to Professional Soccer

Major League Soccer and 65 elite youth soccer clubs are partnering to transform youth development in the U.S. and Canada, impacting over 8,000 players. This collaboration connects top academies with MLS’s resources, creating a unique opportunity to develop world-class talent, enhance global competitiveness, and grow soccer's popularity in the region.

“Daily conversations with top youth academies nationwide are driving the creation of this new development platform,” said Fred Lipka, Vice President and Technical Director of MLS Player Development. “There’s strong momentum and excitement among MLS and elite academies to co-create a competition that will deliver the best development environment for the nation’s top players and clubs.”

The goals of MLS and non-MLS academies are deeply aligned – to improve the game in our country and provide

our players with a year-round, high-level competition, and ultimately develop professional players.

What is
MLS Elite Youth Development?

Learn more

Our MLS program is...

designed for players who are looking to elevate their game to the next level. With access to professional-level coaching, national-level competition, and exposure to MLS scouts, this program prepares young athletes for success in competitive soccer.

Why Choose MLS Elite Youth Development?

MLS Scouting & Exposure
- Get seen by top MLS scouts during high-profile showcases.
Professional-Level Coaching
- Train with certified coaches who have experience at the highest levels.
Competitive Pathway
- Compete in year-round tournaments, leagues, and college showcases.

MLS NEXT Age Brackets:

LSA offers MLS Next on the following brackets:

⚽ U13 Boys

⚽ U14 Boys

⚽ U15 Boys

⚽ U16 Boys

⚽ U17 Boys

⚽ U18 / U19 Boys

MLS NEXT TEAM

HENRY RHODES

MLS NEXT DIRECTOR

He has experience coaching several age groups from the girls' and boys' academy levels. He has served as head coach for DA teams and is now with MLS next. He has helped to build our MLS next program and has worked in LSA for over 10 years, and developed many players now in Atlanta United. He holds a USSF “B” license as well as a US youth soccer license. He received his B.A in Business Administration and Spanish from the University of North Georgia. He is a teacher of the game and he wants to help our young kids to further develop their skills and passion for the game.

Contact Info:

(706) 525-5229

hrohde@laniersoccer.org

JONATHAN CUEVA

LSA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

"I am very excited to be part of this new league and new efforts to develop players across the nation. MLS is a young league that has taken giant steps to become a top league around the world. I am looking forward to helping develop the next top talent"

Jonathan Cueva

LSA Executive Director –

Practice

Practices happen 3 to 4 times a week.

Most practices are held at our LSA home venue (Allen Creek Soccer Complex), unless instructed otherwise from assigned head coach.

COLLEGE SHOWCASES

We participate in top college showcases across the nation and locally.

MLS Fest (Arizona)

IMG Showcase (Florida)

ATL United Showcase (Georgia)

PRO-SCOUTING OPPORTUNITIES

We compete against MLS Proffesional Academies

We are set to face off against 6 MLS Georgia Clubs, a noteworthy oppenent in Atlanta United, a formidable team from Nashville, and 6 competitive Carolina Clubs, with Charlotte FC among them.

10 MONTHS SEASON

We play intentional and meaningful games for 10 months.

Players are anticipated to meet travel requirements. At least half of games will be hosted at our LSA home venue (Allen Creek Soccer Complex).

FAQ

How does this new competition format differ from the previous DA structure?
- This platform will take on an innovative governance structure which will include collaboration from leaders of Founding Member clubs.
- Collaboration from a wide swath of soccer leaders across North America will offer a unique approach with consideration to soccer communities with differing needs respective to their regions.
- This collaboration will establish a better working relationship for all key constituencies dedicated to furthering domestic player development.

Will clubs that previously did not participate in the DA be allowed to join and operate under this new structure?
- An application process will be set up for clubs that wish to participate in the future.
- All applying clubs will be subject to meeting requirements for admission to participate in the platform.

Will girls clubs that were previously included in the former USSDA competition be included in this new platform?
- The Founding Member Clubs value opportunity for all youth players and will provide additional opportunities for elite girls players to showcase their skills for pro and college scouts.
- The exact details surrounding these opportunities will be announced at a later date.

Will elite academy clubs still participate in a pay-to-play structure under this new competition format?
- MLS collaboration on this platform with elite academies will not impact their business model.
- In fact, MLS is committing additional resources to helping long-term financial sustainability of elite academy clubs in order to increase access and remove barriers for elite players.

How is this technical leadership group determined and who is leading the charge here?
- MLS will be working with our Founding Members in the coming weeks to determine the working group areas for the platform.
- Additionally, MLS, the elite youth academies and a youth development advisory committee will provide input into those working areas.

What is the financial motivation for MLS to take over in the youth development space?
- MLS has a stated goal of being one of the top leagues in the world. To do that, we need to improve the quality of the domestic player pool.
- Our platform will ensure that everyone who is committed to elevating the quality of the player pool and the game as a whole in this country will be able to contribute to that effort.