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Our Mission

Develop, Engage, and Inspire the youth soccer community

Overview

The New York Red Bulls Player Development System is a multi-layered approach that provides an unparalleled professional training environment for youth players. The Red Bulls draw on extensive support and expertise from a global soccer brand to offer the highest level of youth soccer programs in the Tri-State area as part of the Red Bulls homegrown approach to player development. Our coaches receive extensive training that continues throughout their tenure with the Red Bulls, all supporting the coaches' ultimate goal: help players develop and reach their highest potential.

There are six levels that make up Red Bulls' development pyramid. At the base is our Development Programs which serves players, clubs, and coaches at the grassroots level. The next level, our Regional Development School, is a training program for talented players that are recruited through a tryout and scouting process. RDS also acts as an identification platform for our boys and girls Pre-Academy teams, the first level of the pyramid where players join a Red Bulls team full time. At Level 3 of the pyramid, the most talented players have the opportunity to represent Red Bulls Academy teams. The goal of the Academy teams is to develop future professional soccer players for Red Bulls II and the First Team, who play in MLS Next Pro and MLS respectively.

Continue reading below for more information on each level of the New York Red Bulls player development pyramid, from grassroots soccer to the professional team.

Level 6 - Development Programs

Level 6 is the foundation of the Player Development System. It offers a variety of training programs for players, coaches, and organizations at all levels of the game. LEARN MORE

Club Development

  • Youth soccer clubs can partner with the Red Bulls and benefit from a fully-integrated club development program.
  • Partners receive access to Red Bulls’ professional youth coaches, curriculum, programming, camps, clinics, coach education, consulting, and branding.
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Camps

  • Offered throughout the year during school breaks.
  • Camp types: Skills, Team, RDS, and Residential.
  • Available for boys and girls ages 5 to 16 years.
  • 125+ locations throughout the Tri-State area.
  • LEARN MORE

Clinics

  • Offered on a seasonal basis during the spring, fall, and winter.
  • Focused on individual technical development.
  • Available for boys and girls ages 3 to 14 years.
  • 30+ locations, including indoor facilities.
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Select

  • Regional Select and Young Olympian Programs operated in partnerships with local leagues and state associations.
  • Weekly training and team play opportunities.

Outreach

  • Our Urban Soccer Program provides underserved areas with programs that help engage children in physical activity, using soccer as a vehicle to teach life skills, encourage the values of teamwork, and promote discipline, confidence, and self-esteem.
  • Our Believe Program is an outreach initiative for young athletes with special needs. The program is specially designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to children of all ages and abilities.

Level 5 - Regional Development Schools

Level 5 of the Player Development System focuses on advanced training for ages 7 to 14 years, offered through our Regional Development Schools (RDS). Through high-level year-round supplementary training, these programs offer a direct player development pathway to Pre-Academy teams. Acceptance to these programs is by assessment only. LEARN MORE

RDS Camps

  • Day and Residential Opportunities
  • Day Camps offer open registration programs for travel-level players and the only opportunity to participate in RDS without a tryout.
  • Residential Camps are subject to try out for new applicants.
  • Day Camps: LEARN MORE
  • Residential Camps: LEARN MORE

RDS Clinics

  • Offered on a seasonal basis during the spring, fall, and winter seasons.
  • Available at a range of indoor and outdoor facilities.
  • Each location is accessible only by tryout.
  • LEARN MORE

Talent Development Centers

  • A cost-free training and identification program offered in underserved communities.
  • Focuses on scouting and developing future talent.
  • LEARN MORE

Showcase Teams

  • Supplementary teams that train and participate in winter and summer tournaments.
  • Participation is available by invitation only, with players identified via RDS camps and clinics.
  • Ages 7 to 14 years.
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Level 4 – Pre-Academy

Level 4 of the Player System consists of boys and girls Pre-Academy teams. Players commit to the teams full-time and represent the Red Bulls in elite-level leagues and tournaments throughout the year. LEARN MORE

  • Regional boys teams are offered at the U10 and U11 age groups.
  • Regional girls teams are offered at the U12 and U13 age groups, with plans to extend into additional age groups.

Level 3 – Academy

Red Bulls Academy teams participate in MLS NEXT and other elite regional, national, and international competitions. This nationally recognized program features:

  • Fully funded, year-round training for the area’s top male soccer players, supporting teams U12 to U19.
  • Professional training environment staffed by elite-level coaches.
  • Program based at the Red Bulls state-of-the-art Training Facility, the same facility that houses the MLS NEXT Pro and MLS teams.
  • A proven pedigree of homegrown player success with a significant number of Academy graduates representing RBNY and NYRB II, along with other MLS and international club teams and the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Level 2 - NYRB II

NYRB II is a professional team that provides a bridge between the Academy and First Team. Playing in the MLS NEXT Pro, the team is a vital component of the Red Bulls homegrown player strategy. The team plays its home matches at MSU Soccer Park on the campus of Montclair State University. LEARN MORE

Level 1 - First Team

The Red Bulls First Team is the pinnacle of the Player Development System. Making the First Team is the ultimate achievement for any aspiring young soccer player and the club’s philosophy places a heavy emphasis on giving opportunities to homegrown talent. Through this system, the dream of becoming a professional New York Red Bulls player can become a reality. The New York Red Bulls play in Major League Soccer, the nation’s top-flight professional soccer league, and play home games at Red Bull Arena, a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. LEARN MORE