NextGen Welcomes Austin Texans

United Soccer Leagues has announced the acceptance of Austin Texans Soccer Club into the Next Generation Series. NextGen is a new youth soccer initiative, established by USL and IMG Academy, to provide coaches, players, and clubs the opportunity to train in an elite league.

The 2013 NextGen structure will consist of U12 and U14 boys and girls teams playing eight months beginning in August and winding down in April. Highlights from the season will include evaluation/competition events at IMG Academy. Through the NextGen Player Tracking Program the top players will be invited to attend the ID Training camp at IMG.

Through the guidance of Director of Coaching Wes Schevers, Austin Texans SC is looking to craft a stronger team and compete in a national league.

“For some time now, the Austin Texans wanted to be involved in a regional/national league. We knew NextGen was the opportunity we were looking for as a club,” Schevers said. “Having access to this type of opportunity will definitely give our young players an edge over our competition on a local level.”

The Austin Texans Soccer Club was founded with a focus on more than just the game. The club seeks not only to produce the best players but to promote the talents and skills that being part of a team can develop. NextGen will aid the club in its efforts to develop the virtues of sportsmanship, physical fitness, and positive self-image.

“The NextGen experience will allow our players to develop the unique skill of being an elite student-athlete, managing time and studying while on the road preparing for meaningful matches,” Schevers said. “Such a skill set will shape our players for success at the youth, regional, national, and collegiate levels.”

More than just another youth soccer league, NextGen features a forward-looking, innovative, comprehensive, and unique development program designed to develop the complete elite youth soccer player through a defined regimen of training, competition, testing, and evaluation.

"Having a club like the Austin Texans on board is very exciting for us," NextGen Director Abe Thompson said. "It's a massive club with such a talented roster of coaches and we're thrilled to work with them to help develop their players for the next level."

The inspiration for the Next Generation Series was the repeated and consistent message received from top youth soccer clubs and coaches that they were seeking a fresh development initiative specifically geared toward younger teams and players. NextGen was launched to fill the void by providing a comprehensive platform for clubs to best prepare their young players for the challenges which await them at the next level.

“Our ultimate goal always comes back to providing the best opportunities for our players,” Schevers added. “The majority of our players want to play for the national team, college and/or become a professional. By the Austin Texans being accepted into the NextGen series, it will provide our players the opportunity to play at the highest levels of competition, have access to national, college, and professional scouts.”

The world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and education complex, IMG Academy hosted myriad soccer team training camps in 2012, including clubs such as the Seattle Sounders, D.C. United, Columbus Crew, Sweden’s Malmö FF, as well as the U.S. Women’s National Team preparing for the London Olympic Games and the Antigua & Barbuda Men’s National Team preparing for World Cup qualifying.

To learn more about the Next Generation Series please visit http://www.ngssoccer.com/

Next Generation Series: The NGS is an exciting, new youth soccer initiative undertaken by USL and IMG Academy, established to provide clubs the opportunity to take part in an elite-level league for U12 and U14 boys and girls. The NGS will take a developmental approach, which engages the player, coach, and parent, while facilitating player growth across 10 important disciplines. These disciplines will be conducted by world-renowned experts in their respective areas of performance, and will include Ignite360 athletic assessment, physical and mental conditioning, technical skill development, tactical development, and vision development; as well as instruction about nutrition, leadership, on-field communication, and injury prevention. Teams will participate in an eight-month season featuring two evaluation/competition events at IMG, and top players will be identified through the NGS Player Tracking Program and invited to attend the NGS ID Training Camp at IMG.