January 2015 marks the third official season that Kia Training Grounds is home to the Toronto FC Academy, and although we are only one month into the season, it is already shaping up to be the most exciting year yet.
On Wednesday January 21 Toronto FC announced one of the biggest developments since the club’s inception. Toronto FC has partnered with the Ontario Soccer Association and the City of Vaughan to launch its own USL PRO Team – Toronto FC II. This new initiative means that there will now be a complete player pathway for all Toronto FC Academy Athletes, bridging the gap between the Academy and the First Team.
The USL PRO Team isn’t the only team that is being added to Toronto FC. This season will be the onset of two new full time academy teams (U10 and U11), bringing the total number of academy teams for the 2015 season to eight. All eight of our Academy teams are currently training as a group consisting of both trialists and 2014 Academy Athletes.
The Toronto FC Academy family got a little bigger this season while welcoming a few new staff members to the team. Toronto FC is proud to announce two additions to our coaching team: Luciano Lombardi is as now our full time goalkeeper coach for the U10 – U15 teams and Stuart Neely returns to Toronto FC Academy as the senior team head coach and the USL PRO Assistant Coach.
Stefan Zlatanov remains the head academy therapist, while Shawn Jeffers joins the team as strength and conditioning coach. Fabian Casal and Drew Eidt are now full time athletic therapists and strength and conditioning coaches. Lastly, we welcome Dan Di Benedictis, who has come on board as our academy equipment manager. We are close to securing a U14 Head Coach, along with an assistant coach and mentorship program.
As Toronto FC teams and staff continue to increase in numbers we all work towards the unified goal of becoming an internationally recognized club in player development, a leading edge organization on innovative practices, and a consistent contender for championships in North America (MLS, Canadian Cup, CCL). And as we work towards that goal we remind ourselves of the wise words once spoke by Benjamin Franklin; "Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning."
