Is this another reorganization to the club soccer scene for 2018/2019?

FC Cincinnati to Launch Youth Development & Academy Initiatives This Fall

I can't tell from the press release if this is only for boys soccer only but considering the constant restructuring of girls youth soccer you have to ask if anyone knows what (if any) effect the implementation of the FC Cincinnati club soccer "system" will have on the current girls soccer scene?

“The FC Cincinnati Academy will not be a new club in the area, but rather a next step for the very best players in our region who have the potential to play professionally for our first team,” Luke Sassano, FC Cincinnati Technical Director, said. “As we begin to identify elite youth players in the Greater Cincinnati area, we have such enormous respect for all of the current youth clubs and organizations for their long-time efforts to grow interest and ability in soccer at all levels over the last several decades.”

It is a very nice gig if you make the cut...

"As with almost every MLS Academy, all of the FC Cincinnati Academy players’ expenses related to soccer competition will be covered by the club, meaning players and their families will not be asked to pay any annual fees or be charged any money to play for FCC. All of the players’ needs – including equipment, uniforms, facilities and team travel to and from competitions – will be paid for by the club."

I wonder if these kids will be required to forfeit their high school soccer experience.

Academy FAQ

I guess if I would have kept reading I would have answered my questions. It's good to hear that FC Cincinnati sponsors the girls DA program by providing significant financial support.

9. How does the U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s 10-month season affect FCC youth team players?

U.S. Soccer requires all players who are members of the teams who play in U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy to play a 10-month seasons with their club team. In most cases this means players are not able to play high school soccer. There are exceptions for scholarship students at private schools, so if players are in that situation, they should seek advice from the FCC Academy staff.

14. Will FC Cincinnati field a Girls DA team?

We firmly believe FC Cincinnati has an obligation to raise the standard of all soccer in our region, regardless of gender.

FC Cincinnati currently provides significant financial support to Cincinnati DA, the local girls’ entry in U.S. Soccer’s Girls Development Academy. We sponsor the program as we currently do not have any girls’ teams or a women’s professional entry.

The all expenses paid part is nice. The girls’ DA is $2500.

As pro soccer continues to grow in popularity, this less expensive way of discovering and signing future talent is only going to become more common.

I expect Louisville City FC will have a similar academy by the time its stadium opens in 2020, as ownership has already said they're starting one and are angling to get a women's team going in either NWSL or WPSL if the former proves not to be an option.

It'll be interesting to see how this continues to develop.

The connection to the men's DA initiative is relatively straight forward. Build a pipeline for talent to their MLS team. Economic model is clear.

With no pro women's team in Cincy the connection isn't as clear. But there is some evidence of a connection ... they provide a sponsorship as stated above and also evidenced by FC Cincinnati being on the front of the Cincinnati DA jersey's. Berding was heavily involved in women's local club soccer when he was with Hammer and helped with the Kings - Hammer merger. The girl's DA wear the same colors ... doesn't seem like a coincidence.

With the new training facility maybe they'll be able to offer additional support via access to their facility. That's got to be a big expense for the DA club.

If the NWSL can grow/develop (or at least stabilize) it would be great to see a women's pro team in Cincy.