HARRISON, NJ (April 9, 2025) – The New York Red Bulls announced the creation of a new “Academy Foundation Phase,” which connects the U-10 and U-12 age groups with the existing U- 13 through U-18 MLS NEXT teams.
“We are incredibly excited to add the U-10’s and U-11’s to our full Academy structure,” said Academy Director Sean McCafferty. “We have made great strides in developing players in these age groups over the last few years within our regionally based Pre-Academy program, including two of our most recent Homegrown signings Adri Mehmeti and Matthew Dos Santos, who both came through the ranks from our U-10’s, showing just how important the younger age groups are and we firmly believe that this significant evolution will only help us to accelerate that development even further."
“By bringing these age groups under the full Academy structure, we are able to provide the players with access to the best facilities in the country, create unique training environments that can propel the player’s development, and provide the very best support in terms of coaching, medical, and player care provision."
The New York Red Bulls First Team boasts 12 academy products with three starters from the 2024 MLS Cup appearance.
A number of open identification events will take place over the coming weeks, more information on which can be found here