Have you ever dreamed of playing on the perfectly manicured fields that you see during professional matches? No potholes. No slanted fields. No chasing balls that roll well out of bounds. With 13 full-size soccer fields, you and your team can play and train on fields worthy of the world’s top pros at the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, FL. No training facility in the country offers a better mix of world-class facilities, pristine weather and convenience for your team to focus solely on skill development and building team camaraderie. 
Jared Vock is an IMG Soccer Academy Alumni having attended the Academy as a full-time student from 1999-2001, coming from Plymouth, MI. Jared graduated from the Academy in 2001 and received a full-scholarship to the University of South Florida and went on to finish his college eligibility at LeMoyne College. Since arriving at the IMG Soccer Academy as a full-time coach, Jared has worked with players of all ages and abilities; the players he has coach range in age from 12 all the way to the 18 year-old USDA players. Jared started his full-time coaching career at the age of 22 under the tutelage of previous IMG Soccer Director, Tom Durkin. 
By any measure of success – from players produced to team success to number of college scholarships earned – the IMG Soccer Academy has proven itself as the nation’s best. Since its inception in 1994, the Academy has continually developed some of the country’s best players while also putting the caliber of teams on the field that can successfully compete in any tournament against any team at any time.
US U17 National Team
Started in 1999, the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program has become a symbol of U.S. Soccer’s dedication to increasing the development opportunities for players and the success of the Youth National Teams.
With the recent successes of the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team, the full-time Residency Program has doubled in the number of players from 20 to 40, adding 10 additional players in both the fall semester of 2002 and 2003. U.S. Soccer has been able to increase the number of players enrolled in the program to provide greater opportunities for young players and increase its investment in player development.
With 40 players in Residency, the U.S. now has two teams competing under the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team moniker: the U-17 ’96s and the U-17 ’97s, representing the birth year of a majority of the players from the senior and junior class in the residency program. With 40 players in Residency, the program is able to field two full teams that train together during the week, and get the chance to compete against club, college and international teams on the weekends. There will, obviously, be times in which players cross over from the two sides, but the teams will be designated as one or the other in most competitions.
Richie Williams was appointed as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team on Jan. 24, 2012, joining the team from the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team. He also served as the Mid-Atlantic Region technical advisor for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The former MLS player and coach has been charged with preparing his players for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The U.S. players live on campus at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., and train in the morning under the guidance of Williams and assistant coaches Jim Rooney, Paul Grafer and Eric Imler. In the afternoon, the players attend classes at St. Stephens Episcopal School. While in the full-time residency program, the U.S. not only trains daily under Williams, but also has access to the IMG Academy’s spacious facilities. The team regularly uses IMG’s state-of-the-art strength-training facilities, as well as some of the nation’s best sports psychologists that work at the Academy. The IMG Academy includes top-of-the-line soccer equipment, three Bermuda grass fields, two swimming pools, newly renovated student housing and dining facilities.
IMG's programs have produced some of the world's top athletes, and they can help you reach your goals–whether you're a beginner, top recruit, collegiate athlete or elite pro.
