ATL Standard

Atlanta United's Academy is set to commence its 2024-25 season on Saturday, marking the ninth season for the academy. This year, five teams will participate in MLS NEXT. The academy, under the leadership of Director of Methodology Javier Pérez, who joined the club in April, will feature squads in the U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, and U-18 categories.

The season kicks off on September 7 with home openers scheduled at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta on September 14. Select matches from these home openers will be streamed live on ATLUTD.com/live.

To mark the beginning of the new season, Atlanta United held its annual Academy dinner at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Key speakers included President and CEO Garth Lagerwey and Interim Head Coach Rob Valentino. The preseason concluded with a notable achievement by the U-14 team, which won the 2024 Greenport International Tournament in the Netherlands by defeating Belgian club K.R.C. Genk in a penalty shootout.

“We are thrilled to kick off the 2024-25 Atlanta United Academy season and are looking forward to an exciting campaign from each of our teams,” Pérez stated. “With each squad now competing in MLS NEXT, we believe each team will compete at a high level to allow our players to maximize their potential. We also have an incredible group of coaches that bring a wealth of knowledge and strong work ethic to the table that will help successfully guide our players through the club’s development pathway.”

MLS NEXT has introduced several changes this year as part of its fifth season aimed at evolving the Pro Player Pathway. Age group designations have shifted from U-15 and U-17 to U-16 and U-18 respectively. Additionally, all MLS academies will now compete in a newly established U-19 age group featuring rosters comprised mainly of U-18 players along with some overage players.

Furthermore, 19 players from Atlanta United’s Regional Development School (RDS), which serves as a pre-academy feeder system for ages seven through fourteen, will join various academy teams this year.

The staff for Atlanta United's Academy for this season includes:

Javier Pérez – Director of Methodology

Dean Atkins – Director of Operations

Kenley Nobles – Academy Administrator

Stewart Lathan – Academy Player Care & Liaison Coordinator

Henry Benavides – Academy Operations Coordinator

Aaron Adams – Learning Specialist

Will Clayton – Academy Scout

Michael Lynch – Academy Scout

Anthony Polite – Kit and Equipment Manager

Colby Childress – U-13 Academy Head Coach

Bruno Ramos – U-14 Academy Head Coach

Steve Covino – U-15 Academy Head Coach

Will Bates – U-16 Academy Head Coach

Steven Turek – U-18 Academy Head Coach

Andrea Bustamante – U-13 Academy Assistant Coach

Casey Osborne – Individual Development Coach

Zach Schultze – Academy Goalkeeper Coach

Jonathan Frances -–Academy Goalkeeper Coach

Karlie Paschall -–Head of Development Performance

Pete Luther -–Academy Fitness Coach

Hallam Kimpton -–Academy Fitness Coach

Richard Wolff -–Academy Video Analyst

Brianna Karweick -–Academy Athletic Trainer

Brian Roberts -–Academy Athletic Trainer

Zach Rodriguez -–Academy Athletic Trainer

Aren Ulmer -–Mental Skills Coach

For more information about MLS NEXT’s evolution and its 2024-25 schedule or details about Atlanta United's academy teams' rosters can be found online.