Brad Friedel’s Premier Soccer Academies has discontinued its residency program at the Cleveland-area facility.

The $11 million facility, which first began hosting players in fall of 2007, continues to be open for business, and PSA last week announced it will partner with Cleveland-area youth club CASA to participate in the USSF Development Academy, with players participating at no charge. Many PSA residents were previously competing with the Columbus Crew Academy teams.

“We need to get back to focusing on the talent within our community, Ohio and our region,” Friedel said in the PSA press release. “When we first put the building blocks together on our desire to improve the way players are developed in this country, my intent was, and still is, focusing on the players nearest to where I grew up in northeast Ohio.”

Residents at PSA’s Lorain, OH facility were gathered on Monday Dec. 15 and told that due to the loss of sponsorship in relation to tough economic times, they would not be returning after the Christmas break, according to family members of three players who had been living there. Some international residents of the facility may be relocated with area families and continue training with the program. Calls to coaching and administrative personnel at PSA were not immediately returned. TopDrawerSoccer.com understands this is a time of year when people are often traveling and so we will update the story if PSA employees are able to get in touch with us in the future.

The PSA release also announced plans for in-house training programs for area players ages 3 to 12, beginning in the new year. The organization also offers summer camps and in the past has conducted small-sided tournaments around the country. Plans for a similar facility to be built in the Huntsville, Alabama, area are uncertain. Some of the American-based players who were at the Ohio facility said they may be interested in relocating there.

Reviews of the European-style development program in place for the last year and a half at PSA continue to be good.

“Collin clearly has benefited from it,” said Gerard Martin, father of U15 Boys National Team player and former PSA resident Collin Martin of the greater Washington D.C. area. “We very much believe in what PSA was trying to do and is continuing to try to do. They were caught in an unfortunate situation with the economy getting weaker. As a result of that, because of losing sponsors, they had to scale back on their efforts.”

“We have nothing but great things to say about PSA,” said Gary Dunn, father of former PSA resident Matthew Dunn of the greater Dallas area. “You had a chance to play with really good soccer players from all over the world, from U13s up to U17s, and everybody was there to be the best they can.”

Dunn added that the news caught many residents and parents by surprise, a comment echoed by Collin Martin.

“I was really sad to leave all my friends and realize I have to move on,” Collin Martin said of the announcement. “I knew I would have to leave but I didn’t think it would come so soon. It will be going away from the training we were doing and all the coaching I was getting.”

Both Dunn and Martin said they would be looking for alternative opportunities for their sons to play and practice at a high level.