About The Academy

U19 GirlsU19 Boys-Spring 2023

The Sudbury Youth Soccer Association (SYSA) Academy is an advanced travel soccer program that is based in Sudbury, MA for Sudbury players.* Teams are coached by professional coaches from the New England Revolution Academy. The program is roughly half the cost of other professionally coached programs. The program is available by tryout and placement for teams comprised of 5th & 6th Graders (two teams per gender), 7th & 8th graders (two teams per gender) and 9th-12th graders combined by ages U15, U17, U19, etc). *High School Squads are also open to players from Lincoln, MA.

SYSA founded the Sudbury Academy Program in the Fall of 2010 on one principle: to develop committed players with the skills necessary to prosper at each level.

The Academy provides each squad with dedicated professional New England Revolution Academy staff that teach a cutting edge, continuous, progressive, professional curriculum designed to develop the individual player at each age level in a positive and creative environment.

Academy Squad Training:
Academy training follows a comprehensive age-specific curriculum, designed by our USSF A and Scottish FA licensed Technical Director, Ross Duncan. The curriculum uses best practices and innovative teaching structures and techniques from around the world to develop technically autonomous players that can perform under pressure.

Practices are held two days a week with an additional optional practice in our Development Centers. Players compete as a team one day a week in the BAYS travel league (Grades 5-8) and the New England Club Soccer League (NECSL) for High School team. All teams participate in regional tournaments and college showcases.

Academy Squad Focus:
Unlike other programs that play only the best players, are focused solely on winning games, the team’s record and the club’s reputation, the Academy is a player-centric program that is focused on developing young players to reach the next level.

We do this by providing a “toolkit” – consisting of skills, tactical awareness and mental focus – the necessary components for success at the highest level each player can achieve. We are committed to our players. Once a player is on an Academy team, they stay on one of the Academy teams (Gunners or United) through 8th grade. We believe this “no cut” policy enables our players to take the necessary steps to focus on their growth as a part of the whole within the program.

Academy Squad Benefits:

  • A dedicated professional New England Revolution Academy coach.
  • A comprehensive and fully developed curriculum of age appropriate training, designed with best practices derived from multiple professional youth development programs and deep experience of the NE Revolution Academy.
  • An advanced program that’s based in Sudbury where players can play with their classmates with similar abilities.
  • A cost effective, professionally run program that’s roughly half the cost of other professionally run programs.
  • A commitment to every Academy Squad player. Once a player is on the Academy Squad, they will be guaranteed a spot on a squad through 8th grade. High School players will be evaluated annually.
  • Access to team game video and editing capabilites through our VEO camera system.
  • Opportunities to participate in additional programs with the New England Revolution such as overnight and day training programs, training opportunities with the Revs at Gillette stadium, and an invitation only Regional Development Program and more.
  • The ability to play more than one sport with a 75% game and practice attendance policy.
  • A 10-day summer trip to the UK, offered every other year to those on the 7th and 8th grade squads, that includes attending professional soccer games, training with premier league programs, games against local British teams, coupled with classic sight-seeing.
  • Cooperation with the Curtis Middle School Soccer team and Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School Spring sports teams.
  • An individual analysis report for each player.
  • Stated secondary goals for the team and individual players designed to encourage positive play in addition to scoring. Examples include number of passes, amount of possession, and number of penetrating runs.
  • Team meetings and optional feedback sessions at the beginning and end of the season to review goals and development progress.