United Soccer Coaches Convention Recap | Philadelphia
At last week’s United Soccer Coaches (USC) Convention in Philadelphia, Red Bull New York staff delivered two impactful education sessions focused on developing individual players within elite, team-centered environments.
Duane Peña and Patrick Fuentes led a classroom presentation titled “Developing the Individual Player in an Elite Team Environment.” The session explored how high-performance teams successfully balance collective objectives with individual player growth. Key discussion points included designing individualized development plans within a team training structure, implementing coaching strategies that foster creativity, decision-making, and problem-solving while preserving tactical cohesion, and connecting daily training objectives to match-day performance so players clearly understand how personal development contributes to team success.
The session was designed for coaches and educators working in competitive settings and provided practical, actionable takeaways for nurturing individual talent within high-performance teams. Peña oversees the Regional Development School (RDS) at Red Bull New York, while Fuentes serves as Player Development Manager, leading the Academy Foundation Phase (U10–U12) and Select Pathway Teams. Since 2010, the RDS and the Red Bull Player Development Pathway have been instrumental in progressing 95% of Academy players at the U12 age group.
To conclude the convention, Artjon Dibra and Patrick Fuentes—assisted by Juan Figueira—led an on-field session that built directly on the classroom learning. Titled “Improving Individual Actions in the Red Zone,” the session featured Red Bull New York U12 Academy players and provided live training examples centered on developing individual actions tied to specific game moments, improving decision-making in tight and high-pressure areas, and creating high-percentage scoring opportunities.
Together, the classroom and on-field sessions reinforced Red Bull New York’s commitment to a player-centered development model that prioritizes individual growth while maintaining a strong team framework. Coaches and educators left with practical insights into how the Red Bull Player Development Pathway translates theory into effective, game-real development.
Learn more about the Red Bull Player Development Pathway and Regional Development School here:
https://www.newyorkredbulls.com/youth/rds/about-rds
Learn more about the Red Bull Club Development: https://www.newyorkredbulls.com/youth/club-development-programs
