Grande Sports Academy is one of the finest soccer training facilities in the country and allows athletes to “maximize their potential and achieve their individual goals.”

 

Located in Casa Grande, Arizona, this relatively new program focuses on training student-athletes by combining college-preparatory academics and rigorous soccer athletic training.

 

It’s a live-in facility that provides housing, food, and training over the course of the academic school year, during which students attend one of two off-site high schools. The academy itself is part of the recently completed Grande Sports World, a $20 million multi-sport training facility, and sets itself apart from other academies by being the “only full-time residential academy affiliated with a Major League team - Real Salt Lake.” 

 

Even though Grande Sports Academy is only in its second year, it has much to offer prospective athletes in terms of training facilities and beneficial opportunities for athletes. Grande Sports Academy provides an elite coaching staff, customized meal plans, and structured training programs for athletes in order to help them reach their optimal performance level. The academy boasts a 58,000 square foot training center with brand new equipment as well as nine professional grade soccer fields. All resident athletes have complete access to these facilities while living in the dormitories. Attending Grande Sports Academy also offers other unique benefits to players, such as being able train in the same soccer facility as 15 Major League Soccer teams that include the Seattle Sounders, Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Chivas USA, Vancouver Whitecaps, Colorado Rapids, Portland Timbers and Montreal Impact and NASL’s FC Edmonton, the Canadian U23 National Olympic team and U17 World Cup teams for Rwanda and New Zealand, Players have the opportunity to showcase their abilities to the Real Salt Lake coaching staff and gain exposure from the staff of the entire organization. Last year, six academy players played in the MLS Reserve League for Real Salt Lake.

 

This top notch institution has proven itself with a number of successes. Last season, the academy’s U16 team finished third in the National Finals tournament and is ranked as one of the top teams in the country again this year. 

 

The U18 team also did well, finishing in the top 16 among 78 Development Academy squads. In addition, all 2010-2011 seniors graduated with a college scholarship while two seniors signed First Division professional contracts with Real Salt Lake. Only in its second year, Grande Sports Academy has already established itself as one of the premier athletic training academies around in the world.

Grande Sports Academy is conducting two separate tryout sessions for the academy’s soccer team. Tryouts will offer a chance to be evaluated by Martin Vasquez, US Men’s National Team Assistant Coach and nationally recognized coaching staff – they all played and coached at the highest levels – international, national teams, MLS and collegiate. The tryout also allows the student athlete to experience the Grande Sports Academy life and facilities. Each session will extend over a two-day period. The tryouts are scheduled for the following dates:

 

Friday, March 9th to Saturday, March 10th

 

Friday, May 4th to Saturday, May 5th

 

To participate in tryouts, fill out the form on the Grande Sports Academy web page at http://www.grandesportsacademy.com/academy/tryouts/. This page can also link you to the Grande Sports Academy homepage in order to provide more information about the academy and all the amazing opportunities made available.