The Union are setting the bar when it comes to developing youth.
One of the youngest teams in the MLS with an average age of nearly 24 got even younger Monday with the addition of 18-year-old midfielder and homegrown talent Jimmy McLaughlin out of Colgate University and Great Valley High School.
Having one spot open on our homegrown player roster, we decided it was time for him to join us, said Union coach Peter Nowak. It was a great understanding from his parents and family that this is the way Jimmy wanted to proceed with his career and we could like to help him with that.
Making appearances in a handful of Union Reserve Team games and midseason friendlies, McLaughlin impressed with the maturity of his game.
We are excited about the games we saw him play, Nowak said. He brings a good understanding playing both ways, not only offensively. Hes a good dribbler and isnt afraid to take players on. His crossing, he still needs to work on a little bit, but from the tactical part, hes way ahead of everyone in his group. Hes not afraid to play against the big boys, it shows his capability.
The second homegrown addition after Zach Pfeffer joined the Union as a 16 year old last season, McLaughlin, in similar fashion, impressed his way to the top, graduating from the Unions Academy Program or what they call A Path to PPL Park.
Its great to have him, said Nowak of McLaughlin. Hes another example of how guys make the team based on practice, the reserve games. These guys graduate pretty fast because its our philosophy and its what is good for our future.
The Unions Academy Program is a supplemental training league that dresses an under-18 team made up of hand-picked players from local affiliate and participating soccer programs. With professional coaches and specific attention, its a direct connection between local youth and the Union.
And for the Union, Pfeffer and McLaughlin are proof that its working.
The credit goes to the whole crew at Youth Soccer Center and the youth development technical staff with Youth Technical Directory Alecko Eskandarian, Youth Coach Jim Curtin and YSC Academy Directory Iain Munro, Nowak said. We want to be in the position to graduate one player every year but with limited resources and space, but were going to make the best effort possible to accommodate that plan.
Nowak says the system that has now armed them with two young players, is the envy of the MLS.
Its a very unique system that weve created here, he said. Other MLS teams are looking in our direction to copy or get the blueprint to how were doing this. Were looking to develop players, were not looking to win the trophies, like other clubs. That will come later.
I think we are going in the right direction right now.
E-mail Ryan Bright at ryanbright13@gmail.com