The D.C. United Academy is the youth and development program for the

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...

club

D.C. United D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Su ...

. The program consists of teams at four age levels: the under-23 and under-20 teams, as well as the Academy (U-17, U-16, and U-15). The D.C. United Academy has been one of the most successful MLS academies. Many players have been signed directly from the Academy to the professional team, or have later played professionally. Notable players to have graduated from the D.C United Academy include

Bill Hamid Abdul Bilal "Bill" Hamid ( ; born November 25, 1990) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. Born in Annandale, Virginia, Hamid was the first D.C. United Academy player to sig ...

, who has been called up by the U.S. national team and who was the MLS 2014 Goalkeeper of the Year, and

Andy Najar Andy Ariel Najar Rodríguez ( ; ; born 16 March 1993) is a Honduran professional footballer who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club D.C. United and the Honduras national team. Early life Najar moved with his family from Hondu ...

, who has been capped for Honduras and who was the MLS 2010 Rookie of the Year."D.C. United’s Homegrown talent leads the way in MLS awards"
SoccerWire.com, Chris Teale, December 9, 2014.

History

The D.C. United Academy was created in 2005 in an effort to provide local talent an opportunity to have professional training. D.C. United was one of the first MLS clubs to develop its own academy. The D.C. United Academy gained some press in 2013 when D.C. United Academy graduate

Michael Seaton Michael John Seaton (16 January 1923 – 29 May 2007) was an influential British mathematician, atomic physicist, and astronomer. He was born in Bristol, and educated at Wallington County Grammar School (WCGS), a grammar school in Surrey ...

made his league debut with D.C. United; Seaton was the first player to play an MLS game who was born after MLS began play in 1996. D.C. United decided in 2015, however, to reduce its outlays on its academy in part to help defray the expenses associated with the team's new soccer-specific stadium.

Structure

Like most

teams, United's academy features youth pre-academy teams that ascend to the ranks of the senior team on the professional level. Starting in 2016, United will field their reserve team in the second-division

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...

. Beneath their reserve and senior squads is the under-23 side, whom play exhibition matches. DCU Academy v Triangle FC 2006

The teenage brackets represent the main academy as well as the pre-academy structure. Players from the under-15 to the under-18 age level play in

MLS Next MLS Next (stylized as MLS NEXT) is a youth soccer league in the United States and Canada, that is managed, organized and controlled by Major League Soccer. It was introduced by the league in 2020. It is a successor to the U.S. Soccer Developme ...

, playing against other academy teams around the nation. Formerly, the academy played in the USSDA. Consisting of players aged from under-12 to under-14, the Pre-Academy is a stepping stone for younger players to adapt to an academy setting. This age group of players participates in Northeast Pre-Academy League. For players at the U-10 level and below, United offers specialty training camps. D.C. United Academy is fully funded and does not charge any fees for its players.

Notable alumni

Andy Najar, who transferred from D.C. United to Belgium's Anderlecht for a reported $2 million, was the first player from the D.C. United Academy — and first from any MLS academy — to move to Europe on a permanent contract. The youngest D.C. United Academy signing is Chris Durkin, who signed for D.C. United in 2016 at 16 years old. Furthermore, several D.C. United Academy players have played with U.S. national youth teams."D.C. United to play in U-13 Concacaf Champions League Tournament"
Soccer America, Mike Woitalla, August 3, 2015.

MLS players

The following list includes players who, after leaving the D.C. United Academy, have played at least one match in

. Notes: * D.C. United appearances updated as of November 29, 2020. * Where a player has played with multiple levels of a national team (e.g., men's team, under-20 team, under-18 team), only the highest level is listed. Source
D.C. United

The Academy

U16/U17 Team

U15 Team

U14 Team

Coaching staff

Reserves

From 2005 until 2012, D.C. United fielded a reserve team that played in the MLS Reserve Division. The reserve team disbanded when Major League Soccer and USL Pro announced a player development partnership, and United announced

Richmond Kickers Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL-1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...

as their USL Pro affiliate.

Honors

* MLS Reserve Division: 1 **

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...

Seasons

References

;General *''Academy alumni sourced to:'' *''Academy rosters sourced to:'' ;Footnotes