Atlanta United’s Academy teams will compete in three different competitions this year, highlighted by the newly-launched MLS NEXT program, the club announced today. The Academy U-13s through U-19s will compete in MLS NEXT, the new elite youth development platform created by Major League Soccer in collaboration with the top elite youth academies around the country, ushering in the future of soccer in North America.
Additionally, the U-14s, U-15s, U-16 and U-19s will also compete in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Boys program, while the U-12s will compete in Southeastern Clubs Champions League (SCCL) only.
“After careful consideration, we made the decision to play games across three platforms of competition so we can get the maximum exposure and development opportunities for our players,” Atlanta United Academy Director Tony Annan said.