The Lexington Player Development Academy (LPDA) was established in the fall of 2008 to offer enthusiastic Lexington United Soccer players the opportunity to get top professional training and a high level of team play often associated with ‘club’ teams, but at a reduced cost and without the long commute to practice. The LPDA is available only to a limited number of the most committed and talented soccer players in Lexington. The LPDA is directed by LUSC Director of Coaching, Brendan Donahue.
In the fall and spring LPDA teams practice twice a week in Lexington and play matches on Sundays. All LPDA teams play in the NECSL (New England Club Soccer League). In the winter LPDA teams have 12 indoor training sessions with an optional season of futsal.
Tryout Schedule for the 2023-24 Season:
| Program | Birth Years | Tryout Date | Tryout Time | Field |
| LPDA Juniors | 2014 | Monday, June 5th | 5:30 – 7:00 | Girls: Lincoln 1 Boys: Lincoln 2 |
| Girls U11-U12(1) | 2012, 2013 | Tuesday, June 6th | 5:30 – 7:00 | Lincoln 2 |
| Boys U11-U12(1) | 2012, 2013 | Thursday, June 8th | 5:30 – 7:00 | Lincoln 2 |
| Girls U13-U14 (2) | 2010, 2011 | Tuesday, June 6th | 7:00 – 8:00 | Lincoln 2 |
| Boys U13-U14 (2) | 2010, 2011 | Thursday, June 8th | 7:00 – 8:00 | Lincoln 2 |
| Boys U16 (3) | 2008, 2009 | Wednesday, June 7th | 7:00 – 8:30 | Lincoln 2 |
(1) There will be two Boys and two Girls LPDA teams between the U11 and U12 age groups. They will be calendar year based (a 2012 team and a 2013 team).
(2) There will be two Boys and two Girls LPDA teams between the U13 and U14 age groups. They will be likely be tiered into a 1st and 2nd team approach versus strictly calendar year, but a final decision on that will be made based on our players pools.
Please do register and attend tryouts if you are interested in playing club soccer for the 2023-2024 season.
(3) The U16 LPDA primary seasons will be winter and spring with the vast majority of players participating in HS soccer. There is no formal Fall U16 LPDA program for that reason. For High School Aged players there is no longer the dual commitment of LPDA and LUSC Travel. For our 8th Grade LPDA U16 players, we still encourage remaining with our LUSC travel program and will find ways to supplement travel soccer in the fall with professional training from our LPDA staff.
All players must pre-register here.
What is the LPDA?
The LPDA is exactly as the title suggests: a player development academy. The entire focus of the coaching staff will be to train players to play the game of soccer at a high level while promoting development and enjoyment.
What is LPDA Juniors?
The LPDA Juniors is our youngest LPDA offering. The Juniors will compete in the NECSL 7v7 Jamboree league. This is a bi-weekly league where the teams play two games at a single location every other Sunday. The LPDA Juniors will train once a week under the supervision of their LPDA coach (girls Tuesday/boys Thursday) and will be required to play with their LUSC in-town or travel team throughout the year. The Juniors will have a full year program (Fall/Winter/Spring) and will receive individual feedback at the end of the fall and spring seasons.
LPDA Teams Formation
The LPDA is a select team. Players are chosen through a tryout session and through invitation. Player selection is based on a number of criteria: ability, potential, commitment level, and coachability.
The coach of each particular LPDA team has the final say on selecting the roster for the coming year. There is input from the DOC, ADOC and professional evaluators, but the final team is selected by the coach.
Why the LPDA?
- To provide elite training under professional supervision for the serious player
- Give players an alternative for continued development beyond travel soccer, while remaining true to the LUSC philosophy
- Provide Lexington families with a local alternative to Premier Soccer Clubs.
- Continue to develop Lexington players within our soccer community
The LPDA is intended for serious, committed soccer players, and it is expected that LPDA families and players will manage their schedules to ensure their commitment is fulfilled. A U14 and below LPDA players’ schedule will include 5 events per week during the fall and spring seasons (including LUSC events), and 1-2 events per week in the winter. It is expected that LPDA players will attend most, if not all, of those events. The LPDA invitation will provide specifics regarding minimum attendance.
Who is eligible for the LPDA?
For the U14 and below teams, all players registered with LUSC Travel Soccer are eligible. Note that the LPDA is a supplement to, and not a replacement for, LUSC Travel Soccer. Academy players are expected to play with their travel team on Saturdays and attend regular team practices. The Academy announces their training night at the time of the program’s launching so LUSC coaches with academy players can schedule their practices on a different night. For the high school aged LPDA teams, it is not expected that Academy players play with a travel team.
How do I get my child involved?
Tryouts are in early June. Dates and times are posted on the LUSC home page in May.
Does my child need to be a 1st team travel player to make the LPDA?
No. There have been many cases where players outside of the first team are selected into the LPDA program. There have also been several times a first team player has not received an offer to participate in the program.
Does the LPDA extend pre-offers? If so, why?
A limited number of players may receive an invitation to join the LPDA in advance of tryouts. These offers are only extended when a coach is 100% sure that the player would be offered a position at the tryout. A deadline to accept a pre-offer is given prior to the tryout date so the coach can focus on the remaining players attending the tryout to make final roster selections. This is a common practice in club soccer.
Does the LPDA have reserve players? If so, why?
Sometimes. In an effort to maintain a larger player pool without creating a game day roster that is too large it is typical for LPDA teams to carry 2 to 4 reserve players per team. Reserve players participate in all training sessions but do not play Sunday matches in the fall and spring. Practice players do play in winter futsal matches.
LPDA schedule
Fall:
- One weeknight practice (girls on Tuesday, boys on Thursday)
- Functional Technical Training Session (see below)
- Approximately 9 Sunday games.
Winter:
- 12 to 15 training sessions.
- One indoor season of futsal (non-boarded) soccer, approximately 7 games (optional, not included in cost)
Spring:
- 16-18 training sessions.
- Approximately 8 Sunday games.
- One tournament (Memorial Day weekend).
Other:
- Weekly Yoga/Core zoom sessions throughout November through March.
- An Ice Breaker Tournament (March)
Wednesday Afternoon Functional Technical Training
Each Wednesday afternoon during the fall and spring seasons (approximately 20 sessions b/n the fall & spring), Lexington United Director of Coaching, Brendan Donahue and LUSC Assistant Director of Coaching Tom Heimreid along with other LPDA Coaches will conduct a functional technical training/injury prevention training session for 90 minutes. The goal of these sessions will be to help our academy players “prepare for the demands of the game”. These sessions will be highly focused on improving the functional skill level of our academy players. The Wednesday afternoon pool training will be done in a quality-controlled environment since it is restricted to just LPDA players. These sessions are a required part of the LPDA commitment.
Additional single day tournament options (not included in the cost) may be added at the coaches’ discretion.
The Costs (subject to change)
The LPDA cost does not include registration for the LUSC travel program. The following costs were for the full 22-23 year for U14 and below:
- Regular players: $1,425
- Reserve players: $950
The 2023-2024 LPDA Coaches (Coaching Bios):
Girls Juniors: Victor Obetta
GU11: Miguel Chavez
GU12: Abigail DeAngelo
GU14 Blue: Miguel Chavez
GU14 Gold: Brendan Donahue
Boys Juniors: Hagop Kouchakdjian
BU11: Thomas Ballenthin
BU12: Tom Heimreid
BU13: Thomas Ballenthin
BU14: Tom Heimreid
