Academy Vision
The Crew Academy is a fully funded professional academy, overseen by Crew General Manager, Issa Tall, Technical Director, Marc Nicholls, and led by Academy Director, Dan Lock.
The purpose of our Academy is to develop professional players equipped for Major League Soccer, that contribute to the success of the Columbus Crew. We aim to develop players with outstanding character, that represent the values of the club and to provide a holistic development environment that develops the human as well as the soccer player.
Academy Objectives
- Provide 2 players per year to the 1st team squad
- Develop the Individual within the collective
- Instill a lifelong love of the game
- Help all players to reach their potential, both on and off the field
Club Methodology & Style of Play
Columbus Crew has a “club wide” style of play and coaching methodology that connects and aligns from the First Team through to the Academy. The objective is for all teams within the club to use the same principles, concepts and language in order to develop players in a consistent way throughout the player development pathway.
Academy Culture
Our culture is focused on the long-term holistic development of each individual player. We believe in developing people with outstanding character who will be stewards in our community.
Our staff will work to instill the following characteristics in each player throughout our developmental process:
- Passion and intrinsic motivation for the game
- Accountability for their personal development
- Growth mindset to overcome moments of adversity
- High work ethic and a willingness to compete
By using the game of soccer as the teacher, we aim to maximize each person’s potential and create a pathway for them to be successful in all facets of life.
Individual Player Development
Our primary objective of the Crew Academy is to develop professional players. We aim to develop the individual within the collective.
We focus on specific areas pertaining to each player’s age, skill level, role and/or position within their respective team, while providing them a detailed Individual Development Plan. Through this process, we have six (6) IDP meetings with each player per year, with parents included in two (2), to ensure there is a clarity on how that player can improve his strengths and opportunities of growth.
Every player within our Academy will receive the following:
- Individual Development Plan
- Goal setting plan
- Individualized, position specific and unit training (x2 per week)
- Weekly individual video and game feedback
- Physical performance plan
- Mental Performance Seminars
- Nutritional well-being
Player Development Pathway
