Orlando City’s future looks bright.
The Club’s Pro Academy teams have had a dominant year, winning regional tournaments and national championships.
The Academy’s U9 and U10 teams, under head coaches Robbie Gobble and Craig Melton, respectively, won the inaugural “Battle of the Beach” Ponte Vedra tournament, qualifying them for the Premier Dallas Super Copa.
Melton also led the U12s to a Regions Cup championship and the Ponte Vedra division – playing a year ahead of their age group. The U13 squad, under head coach Sammy Castellanos, was State Cup runners-up despite losing three starters and went on to win a USL national championship over the summer.
Under coach Greg Brick, the U11 team finished their season with a top-10 national ranking after winning the Regions Cup and the Presidents Cup as the top U11 team in Florida and the region.
The U14, 16 and 18 Development Academy teams’ great year earned them top national rankings and qualified them for the National Showcase in Dallas later this month.
The littler Lions in the 2003 age group participated in the LaLiga Promises International Cup in Miami alongside the youth teams of Juventus (Italy), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Estudiantes (Argentina) and eventual champion FC Barcelona (Spain).
The 2004 age group defeated the long since established academy clubs of D.C. United and New York Red Bulls at the Generation Adidas Cup.
The Academy’s great success will only continue when it launches the U12 and U13 U.S. Development Academy.
