The Long Island Regional Development School (RDS) hosted and sponsored by Long Island Junior Soccer League, has provided fully funded, high-end training to Long Island’s most talented soccer players for the past four years. Established in the fall of 2010, the Long Island RDS has attracted LIJSL’s elite, and provided a unique environment that allows the top players from around the area to receive additional technical instruction, thus supplementing their existing team training without conflicting with their regular team commitments.
Open to boys and girls aged 7 to 12, the program embraces a large spectrum of children, catering for players at a crucial time of their technical, tactical, and physical development. Over 400 players have benefitted from this cost free training, by partaking in three full seasons of cost-free training each year, throughout the fall, winter, and spring.
The primary objective of the RDS is to develop those already at an advanced level of soccer, and provide an environment where each player can fulfill their natural potential, and maximize their progression within the game. However, an additional goal of the RDS is to provide a platform for the truly gifted players to progress to Red Bulls Academy, the nation’s number 1 Academy system, and the region’s only Academy with links to a professional Major League Soccer team.
Since it’s inception, progress towards this goal has been exponential. Indeed, in the first year of operations, only one player from the Long Island RDS made the step to Red Bulls Academy. The class of 2011 took a stride further, graduating two players to the Academy team, and the trend continued in 2012, with a further three players being successful. The graduating class of 2013 however, experienced unparalleled success, with a formidable ELEVEN players making the transition to the Academy teams.
This landmark achievement was partially made possible by Red Bull New York making the decision to add two teams this year, at both the 2001 and 2002 age groups. Nonetheless, with four players being selected to the 2001 team, and a remarkable seven players selected to the 2002 team (making up one third of the entire roster) each Red Bull team is now proudly represented by Long Island Junior Soccer League like never before.
Now entering its fifth year, try-outs for the Long Island Regional Development School are just around the corner.
On-line registration opens to the public at 9:00am on Friday, August 29th, and is open to the first 500 applicants. Subject to acceptance, the RDS features 18 weeks of cost-free supplementary training, all on Tuesday evenings, at a range of central Long Island locations. Historically, the try-outs have reached capacity within the first 48 hours of registration being opened to the public. Click here for further details on this year’s program, and information on how to register on-line.
