Boys Academy Program

LAGSD U.S. Development Academy

Why City SC Boys Academy?

City SC has a long established tradition of developing elite level players and preparing them to compete at the highest levels in college and beyond. As a founding member of the MLS NEXT Boys Academy League, we offer players access to the best coaching, resources and competition in the US.

What you can expect as a player in our Boys Academy program:

  • Train on the best turf floodlit fields in North San Diego County
  • Work with professionally licensed and experienced coaches
  • Home games played at the state of the art Army and Navy Academy stadium in Carlsbad, CA
  • Games recorded using Veo technology and analyzed via the Hudl Assist program
  • Participate in game video analysis sessions at our City SC Headquarters
  • Financial aid/assistance available to help with program fees (for qualifying players)
  • Complete player pathway to college and professional level
  • Access to college recruitment services and two full time college liaisons

TRYOUT for CITY SC BOYS MLS NEXT PROGRAM

Players will be evaluated for our Boys MLS NEXT program during tryouts, however, the recruitment process is ongoing. Typically players will be invited for a trial period of training with the current Academy team before being offered a spot with that team. Even though our MLS NEXT tryouts have now completed, we encourage any players who wish to come out and practice with these teams to please fill out this form or contact: boys@cityscacademy.com

2024/25 TEAM INFORMATION
U13 Boys | 2012 | Head Coach: Paul Ritchie
U14 Boys | 2011 | Head Coach: TBA
U15 Boys | 2010 | Head Coach: TBA
U16 Boys | 2009 | Head Coach: Miroslav Pejkic
U17 Boys | 2008 | Head Coach: Sean Gurley
U18/19 Boys | 2007/06 | Head Coach: Sean Gurley
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN OUR ACADEMY PROGRAM

Player Development

City SC offers a seamless player pathway. Our unique structure allows a player to progress from their first U6 recreational experience, through our Academy in Carlsbad and on to the professional pathway via the blended learning and soccer environment at the Real Salt Lake Academy (RSL) in Phoenix, Arizona.

Our academy partnership with the Real Salt Lake means that our coaches use the same training methods and development model that is used to develop players for Real Salt Lake. This concept allows for players to develop playing the “City Way” at the younger ages and allows players to more comfortably integrate into the RSL academy when they are ready.

City SC Academy players at U13-U15 are monitored by the RSL staff, and are afforded selection opportunities to train and play with the RSL Academy. The partnership allows for potential RSL players to play and train close to home in Carlsbad, before moving to Phoenix, Arizona, when they become High School age, if they are ready.

Player Development Pathway


EAL

City SC is a proud member of the Elite Academy Leagues (EAL) and will be competing in the EAL Southwest.

The EAL is designed to mirror the full Boys Academy league to help prepare aspiring players for the transition to Academy. This is a three-day per week training program that also allows players the flexibility to play high school soccer.

The Elite Academy League has been born out of the West playing inside USYS and Cal South, starting with the Southwest Division forming the “MLS Elite” extended player pool/reserve league. The league will continue to build off the standards of the former DA and now the “MLS Elite”. This league will keep the standards, the prestige, and maintain each club’s high level program. This program being launched will build off of every valued principle, tested and proven within the DA; and is committed to being the top player development league in the United States. This program will replicate the DA program in all the best aspects of the former program, but with the added benefit of new improvements and innovations as determined by the collective experience and knowledge of the elite club members.

League Purpose
The Elite Academy League is composed of member clubs primarily from the new “MLS NEXT” Academy as well as other top competitive clubs, recommended by the conferences, and admitted by the Elite Academy League Technical Group.

The Elite Academy League is an Elite platform developed to address the needs of its membership primarily assisting with developing top players inside the elite club’s player pool. It allows the member clubs of the “MLS NEXT,” to work together to promote the highest standards in competitive soccer, and integrate both leagues with this common goal and direction.

By unifying clubs from within the conferences, we have found a way to maintain the defining standards of the former DA, with the new enhanced standards of “MLS NEXT.” This integration further presents long needed flexibility in two key areas; (1) permission for all players to participate in High School Soccer and, (2) revising the substitution rules to encourage clubs to better utilize their player pools, especially when showcasing their players to college coaches.

Competition

The Boys Academy promotes less games, but MORE MEANINGFUL games each season. With less games on the schedule and more riding on each game, players develop better game preparation skills to allow them to compete at their best in each game.
U13 Competition

  • Our Boys U13 team will compete in the Boys U-13 South West conference

U14 Competition

  • Our Boys U14 team will compete in the Boys U-14 South West conference

U15 Competition

  • Our Boys U15 team will compete in the Boys U-15 South West conference

U16 Competition

  • Our Boys U16 team will compete in the Boys U-16 South West conference

U17 Competition

  • Our Boys U17 team will compete in the Boys U-17 South West conference

U18/19 Competition

  • Our Boys U18/19 team will compete in the Boys U-18/19 South West conference

Staff

Better coaches develop better players

City SC takes coaching education a step further. Through our partnership with Real Salt Lake (RSL), our coaches gain unprecedented access to periodic coaching clinics hosted by RSL technical directors and coaching staff. We also host our own, ongoing monthly coach education program to ensure that all coaches stay on the cusp of best coaching practices.

Paul Ritchie Boys Academy Director
Paul Ritchie
Email: paul@ourcitysc.com
Cell: (760) 505-3008
CLICK HERE for BIO
Steve Cowell Technical Director
Steve Cowell
Email: steve@ourcitysc.com
Cell: (760) 822-5994
CLICK HERE for BIO
Glenn Malone Director of Boys Program
Glenn Malone
Email: glenn@ourcitysc.com
Cell: (760) 672-8260
CLICK HERE for BIO
Sean Gurley Boys College Liaison
Sean Gurley
Email: sean@ourcitysc.com
Cell: (760) 473-3265
CLICK HERE for BIO
Mickey Pejkic Head Coach
Miroslav ‘Mickey’ Pejkic
Email: mickey@ourcitysc.com
Cell: (858) 717-1776
CLICK HERE for BIO
Guillermo Rodriguez Goalkeeper Coach
Guillermo Rodriguez
Email: guillermo@ourcitysc.com
Cell: (760) 224-7048
CLICK HERE for BIO

 

2024/25 TEAM INFORMATION
U13 Boys | 2012 | Head Coach: Paul Ritchie
U14 Boys | 2011 | Head Coach: TBA
U15 Boys | 2010 | Head Coach: TBA
U16 Boys | 2009 | Head Coach: Miroslav Pejkic
U17 Boys | 2008 | Head Coach: Sean Gurley
U18/19 Boys | 2007/06 | Head Coach: Sean Gurley

Resources

One of the things that differentiates our Boys Academy program are the additional resources and opportunities available to players. We partner with some of the biggest names in the local sports industry to provide players with unprecedented access to a team of coaches, mentors, trainers, and specialists.

Facilities
One of the major factors that sets City SC apart are our facilities. With access to five multi field, lit, turf facilities, our teams are able to maximize field time, rain or shine. Facilities utilized for Boys Academy home games and training include:

  • Army & Navy Academy – 2605 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad, CA 92008 – click here to map
  • Aviara Community Park – 6435 Ambrosia Lane Carlsbad, CA 92009 – click here to map
  • Pine Park – 3333 Harding Street Carlsbad, CA 92008 – click here to map
  • Poinsettia Community Park – 6600 Hidden Valley Road Carlsbad, CA 92009 – click here to map