OUR STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH MEDESPORTS GIVES US A PERMANENT ESTABLISHMENT IN SPAIN
The President of the Academy with Fran Escuin, a UEFA Pro-licensed coach and co-owner of MedEsports and Ciutat de Mislata F.C.:
The O.R.T.A. Professional Soccer Academy ("Academy") has entered into a strategic alliance/joint venture (acuerdo de colaboración) with @medesports and @cffciutatdemislata, with the aspirational purpose of "Creating a Pathway to Play Professional Soccer in Europe” for those elite, young, female-soccer-players (ages 17 years old to 22 years old) of the Academy who wish to turn professional rather than going to college to play NCAA College Soccer, or for those who wish to leave college early to become a professional soccer player.
This partnership is the culmination of several years of hard work, and it gives the Academy a permanent establishment in Valencia, Spain, with access to fields, soccer-specific (technical, tactical, and fitness) training, and residence options. It will allow our Academy players to train in Spain (as part of our Academy program(s)) for the purpose of acclimating to the Spanish style of play and learning Spanish prior to being placed in top-level Spanish clubs after completion of one of our programs.
The Academy will send its players to #MedEsports' facilities in Valencia for training as early as August of 2025. (More information is set out in the timeline below.)
OUR ACADEMY PROGRAMS FOR ASPIRING PROFESSIONAL (WOMEN) SOCCER PLAYERS:
3-Month Program. This three-(3)-month program is usually a good fit for aspiring professionals that are leaving NCAA College Soccer (or some other university/college league) prior to graduating because (i) they have made a decision to play professional soccer, as their trade or profession, and (ii) think that they are ready to play professional soccer in Europe. We will train and prepare such player - technically, tactically, and fitness-wise - for professional soccer in Europe. About a month and a half of training will take place in Springfield (Fairfax), VA, and about one month and a half of training will take place in Valencia, Spain. The fixed-fee cost of this program includes (i) residence and miscellaneous training expenses in Springfield, VA, and (ii) residence and meals and miscellaneous training expenses in Valencia, Spain. (We are working on getting sponsorships and scholarships from corporate sponsors and foundations to defray these costs.) The timeline below sets out an example of the next 3-month program, which begins on May 12, 2025.
6-Month Program. This six-(6)-month program is usually a good fit for young, elite-level, aspiring (female) professionals (ages 17 years old and/or 18 years old) that agree with the well-reasoned premise of our controversial blog article (Why Should Elite Youth Soccer Players Forego Playing NCAA Division I Soccer And Play Soccer Abroad?), which, in 2018, predicted the in-vogue college-defection-trend. These players intend to skip NCAA College Soccer to become professionals because (i) they have made a decision to play professional soccer as their trade or career and (ii) think that they have the technical skills and the elite-level, tactical acumen to play professional soccer in Europe. We will mentor, train, and prepare such player - technically, tactically, and fitness-wise - for professional soccer in Europe. About four months of training will take place in Springfield, Virginia, and about two months of training will take place in Valencia, Spain. The fixed-fee cost of this program includes (i) residence and miscellaneous training expenses in Springfield, VA, and (ii) residence and meals and miscellaneous training expenses in Valencia, Spain. (We are working on getting sponsorships and scholarships from corporate sponsors and foundations to defray these costs.)
Oiur first Academy trainee, Sophie Castro, who just turned 20 years' old (2004 age-group), is playing professional soccer in Spain for Deportivo Alaves. (She is the first asset of the Academy to play professional soccer in Europe.)
Our first youth-trainee, SOPHIE CASTRO, who finished high school early - completing 11th Grade and 12th Grade simultaneously - in order to play professional soccer in Europe upon turning 18 years of age.
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Phase I. This phase consists of about forty-five (45) days of soccer-specific (aerobic and anaerobic) "endurance training," which all players must do in order to be fit for the team-training phase (Phase II) in Virginia. These fitness exercises will be posted daily on a Group Chat, and the Academy's players will do such exercises remotely from their own states. The next fitness-training phase (Phase I) will take place remotely from May 12, 2025 to June 20, 2025.)
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Phase II. After Phase I is completed, the Academy's players will come to Springfield, Virginia, for about thirty (30) to sixty (60) days of training, as a team, focusing on technical and tactical drills and more intense (anaerobic) fitness-training. This team-training phase (Phase II) will take place in Springfield, VA, from about June 23, 2025 until July 25, 2025. In conjunction with the Academy's technical director, Phase II will be led by a professional coach from Spain - most likely, Alberto Pascual, the current General Manager of C.D. Getafe (Primera RFEF (Division II in Spain)) and Tito Irribaren, the current national scout for Athletic Club Bilbao, which is arguably the best development academy in Spain. (Alberto is a UEFA Pro-licensed coach and a Spanish Soccer Federation coaching education director. Tito was a former professional soccer player for C.A. OSASUNA (men's team) and was the former general manager of C.A. OSASUNA FEMENINO (women's team), one of the top-teams in Division II in Spain. Tito is also a UEFA A-licensed coach.) All Phase II training sessions will be filmed and (if not live streamed) will be sent to European clubs to give Academy players the most exposure possible.
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Travel to Spain August 01, 2024 or thereabouts for most Academy players - i.e., the ones whom will be placed after Phase I on professional soccer clubs in Europe.
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Phase III. After Phase II is completed, the majority of the Academy's players will be placed in professional soccer teams in Europe - most likely in Spain. The remaining Academy players, who need more training and development, will fly to Valencia, Spain, to continue training, as a team, and to play friendly scrimmages against the top teams in Spain and Portugal (and, possibly, other top-teams in Europe). The Academy's team will play, at least, five (5) but possibly ten (10) friendly scrimmages against top-level teams in Division I and Division II in Spain and Portugal. This European training-phase (Phase III) will take place from approximately October 20, 2025 until December 19, 2024. (In conjunction with the Academy's technical director, Phase III will be led in Valencia, Spain, by either Fran Escuin or Alberto Pascual.) All Phase III training sessions will be filmed and (if not live streamed) will be sent to European clubs to give Academy players the most exposure possible. General managers and coaches of European clubs, as well as scouts, will be invited periodically to watch training sessions while the Academy team is practicing in situ in Valencia, Spain.
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Travel to Spain The precise date for travel to Spain for the remaining Academy players who need more training and, hence, development, will be determined in the second week of September of 2025).
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Contact Us for More Information About How to Obtain a Roster Spot in the Academy: The Academy will only accept ffiteen (15) players for the initial 3-month Academy program and twenty-five (25) players for the 6-month Academy program. (As a prerequisite to joining the Academy, there will be an open (pro-soccer combine) tryout from June 16-20, 2025 for players not selected to join the Academy as a result of our scouting process. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.) If you know that you are a top-level (female) soccer player and wish to obtain a roster spot in the Academy, kindly e-mail us at ortaprosocceracademy@gmail.com for more information.
TIMELINE FOR OUR NEXT 3-MONTH PROGRAM:
How to Obtain a Roster Spot in the Next O.R.T.A. Professional Soccer Academy Cycle?
QUALIFICATION
The Academy is a meritocracy and is available to any elite-level, youth (girl) soccer player, or any professional (woman) soccer player, who tries out and proves her mettle. One way to do so is to stand out in an open tryout, like the Pro-Soccer Combine or a Private (Small Group) Training Camp hosted by the Academy or by its affiliated company, RAC Elite Soccer Services, Inc.
SELECTION
The principal way to obtain a roster spot in the Academy is by selection. Our scouting staff constantly observes (i) high-level youth games (such as ECNL and Girls Academy games, ODP tryouts and friendlies, etc.) and (ii) Division I NCAA games at the college level, and invites elite-level players for participation in the Academy in light of such player's accolades and past performances.
PERFORMANCE ABROAD
The Academy is also available at a discount to any represented player of RAC Elite Soccer Services, Inc., who is invited by our scouting staff to participate in any open tryout based on such player's accolades and outstanding performance playing abroad in any top-level European soccer league.