CHAPTER TWENTY:

PDA and The Evolution of Youth Soccer

The popularity of youth soccer in America has unquestionably contributed to it’s rise on popularity over the years. However, in the late 90s and early 2000s, the continued evolution took on a new form. Clubs like Players Development Academy (PDA), founded in 1998, represented a new approach to organizing youth soccer in a way that broke from the state and regional alignment of USYS, and built resources within one club for better and broader player development. US Club Soccer emerged as a new governing body to reinforce these ideas, and leagues like the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) formed to give the top teams in the nation a new level of competitive format.

Glenn Crooks is a well-known soccer broadcaster, hosting The Coaching Academy on SiriusXM FC and also as the national radio voice of New York City FC. But, he also had a long and accomplished coaching career. Crooks was the head coach of the women’s soccer team at Rutgers University and also a long-time coach at PDA. He joined Founding Futbol to talk about the evolution of youth soccer.