IDA holds a Football Stage at Soccer Inter-Action
The International Development Academy Football Academy travels to the Soccer Inter-Action High Performance Centre to compete in two matches and stay at the SIA facilities.
Football in the United States is booming. Competitions such as the MLS are increasingly followed by fans and players and this is reflected in the level of young footballers from this country, who are becoming more and more established in big European clubs. Christian Pulisic, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna are some of the players who are already playing for teams of the stature of Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.
For this reason, there is an increasing demand for American players looking for high-performance training in Europe. And Spain is one of the favourite places to do so thanks to its football culture.
The IDA Valencia Academy, based in the centre of Valencia, is an elite boys and girls football programme designed for international student-athletes aged 15-21 who are committed to developing themselves both on the pitch and in the classroom.
Football Academies in Spain for players from the USA
There is no doubt that Spain is the best country to train as a professional football player. Clubs such as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Valencia CF or Sevilla FC have become world football references thanks to their achievements. Grassroots football is key to this success and that is why all over Spain they are committed to high performance training in order to succeed and stay amongst the elite in the football world
In parallel to these historic football teams, the International Football Academies have carved out a niche for themselves among the traditional institutions dedicated to the training of young players. The success of these International Football Academies in Spain is undoubtedly their Annual Training Programme.
For this reason, there are already many players who decide to put themselves in the hands of the International Football Academies to accelerate their growth as a footballer. It is important to be prepared to give your all in the football trials of these elite clubs, and the Academies are the perfect tool to make the leap to the professional categories
In Spain, International Football Academies such as Soccer Inter-Action (SIA) or International Development Academy (IDA) are a clear example of the potential of Academies to develop the young player’s talent. IDA is characterised by having a large number of American players in its ranks, while SIA has a wider range of nationalities, including those from this North American country.
The International Development Academy has been the protagonist at the beginning of February at Soccer Inter-Action. SIA, in addition to the aforementioned International Football Academy, also has a High Performance Centre where, in addition to its Academy, it has multiple sports projects, all focused on high performance football. Football School, Soccer Congresses, Coaching Qualification Classes and, of course, Stages.
Stage de Fútbol en España
Soccer Inter-Action stands out for its numerous resources concentrated in a single sports facility. Its High Performance Centre provides accommodation for teams, who use its hours not only to rest, but also to carry out video analysis and training. Above all, to train.
Thanks to its facilities and its two football pitches, clubs such as FC Porto, FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid, as well as National Teams such as Bahrain’s, have played at the Soccer Inter-Action High Performance Centre
The latest entity to join the long list of those hosted at the Soccer Inter-Action High Performance Centre is the International Development Academy, which in addition to enjoying the services of SIA was also able to play two friendly matches.
Football matches in Spain
The two friendly matches between Soccer Inter-Action and IDA’s International Development Academies were played in accordance with health protocols. The SIA High Performance Centre – located in Enguera (Valencia, Spain) – complies with all COVID19 risk prevention measures.
With a safe and strict access protocol to the facilities, the two teams were able to concentrate on what they love most: playing football. Two exciting matches took place on the pitch, where goals were the main protagonists
The first match ended in victory for IDA while the second, played a few days later to give all the players a rest, was divided into three halves to give the young players more work to do. Two draws and a new victory for IDA, who had a higher average age in their squad, something that in the long run is decisive in teams like this one from International Football Academies
Competing under health protocol
National competitions continue to run their course in Spain. The Royal Spanish Football Federation has made a strong commitment to the health safety of its players and rapid tests are carried out on a weekly basis to ensure the safety of the players.
In fact, teams managed by Soccer Inter-Action such as UD SIA Benigànim or the Juvenil A of CF Dragon Force Valencia train daily at SIA’s sports facilities to compete every weekend in the Spanish Third Division and National Youth League
These important categories of Spanish football make it possible for the players of the Soccer Inter-Action International Football Academy to compete and train with teams of a very high level, thus favouring their development as footballers.
Beyond the pitch
It’s not all about training and matches on a football stage. Football teams take advantage of the Stages to concentrate all their players in the same space where they can do group dynamics and thus favour the chemistry between them.
Preparing in depth for important league matches is much easier with a Stage, as the control over the players is total and all their movements are monitored
Meals designed by nutritionists, video-analysis to identify their own and their opponents’ mistakes, leisure time, playing ping-pong, billiards or video games, psychology sessions to better manage pressure or time to be treated by physiotherapists with the mission of preventing or treating injuries.