Western New York FLASH ACADEMY
The WNY Flash Academy provides a professional, organized, and accomplished player development program for youth soccer players of all skill levels in Western New York and its surrounding areas. We strive to develop each and every player through multi-level platforms, based on their individual player development, up to and including the college level and beyond.
The WNY Flash Academy is a complete program that provides a home for all players, no matter what skill level. We take pride in each and every player’s development within our club, from our Junior Academy and local level competition, to guiding players into the highest levels of soccer in the United States.
It is important to us that each player is developed in line with our academy methodology, while using the U.S. Soccer Curriculum as a guiding document. Our goal is to make each player a student of the game, educating our players in various teaching moments such as classroom sessions, video, and on-field instruction.
The WNY Flash Academy provides players the opportunity to learn and grow in a highly focused and challenging, yet fun, environment. On and off the field, players learn life skills such as commitment, leadership, work ethic, adversity, teamwork, communication, and discipline. When you become part of the Flash Family, it is our goal to not only make you the best soccer player you can be, but the best human being you can be.
#ChangingTheLandscape
LEVELS OF PLAY
Elite Clubs National League (U13 – U18)
The WNY Flash is proud to be a member of the ECNL on both the girls and boys side. The ECNL is a prestigious, nationwide league that is the highest level of youth soccer in the nation. It provides unparalleled playing and competition, serving as a platform where players can showcase their talents and earn opportunities to compete at the next level.The ECNL was founded in 2009 by forward-thinking directors of coaching across the country who saw a need for change in and special commitment to improving the daily environment for American elite female youth soccer players. These directors came together and collaborated to build what would become the top female youth development platform in the world. The ECNL’s grassroots leadership and cooperation was unprecedented in American youth soccer, with the organization continuing to be the most progressive and innovative development platform in the country today. In 2017, the ECNL expanded its programming to include the boys side after experiencing tremendous success on the girls side.
Competitive (U8 – U18)
The WNY Flash Academy is also proud to be a member of several regional and local competitive leagues which provide excellent platforms of competition in the Northeast Region. Our club is a member of the Great Lakes Alliance (GLA), which is a U.S. Club Soccer sanctioned regional league providing competition in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and Western New York. Our competitive teams travel regionally to compete with teams, providing a great platform for players in a consistent league format schedule to complement their training schedule. Play is of an extremely high level and very competitive. Our competitive teams may also compete in the New York State West Thruway League, which provides local competition to players ages 11 and up, competing against other premier clubs that are members of New York State West from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Binghamton.
Junior Academy (U6 – U9)
Built for players ages six through nine, the WNY Flash Junior Academy remains at the core of what we do, developing the future of not only our club but soccer in Western New York as a whole. Over 60-percent of our current WNY Flash Academy players, ages 12 and up, started in our Junior Academy, with many more to follow.
SEASON LENGTH
Season length will vary depending on age and level of team.
U8 – U12: September – June/July
U13 – U18: August – June (modified schedule during high school season for high school age groups).
TRYOUTS
Tryouts for the WNY Flash Academy are held each summer in June and July. The most up-to-date tryout schedule and information can be found here.
If you are interested in joining the WNY Flash Academy immediately, we do evaluate and place players year-round if they are a good fit for our academy. Please contact the below directors if interested:
- Boys – Ages U13 – U18: Regan Steele, Boys Director of Coaching (rsteele@wnyflashsoccer.com)
- Girls – Ages U13 – U18: Rob Jackman, Girls Director of Coaching (rjackman@wnyflashsoccer.com)
JUNIOR ACADEMY
The WNY Flash Junior Academy is a soccer program for young players which offers the building blocks of technical proficiency and basic tactical understanding. The Junior Academy curriculum is designed to instill a love for the game and encourage positive training habits while working on teamwork and skills through training and games each week. More information on our Junior Academy can be found here.
There are no tryouts for the Junior Academy. Every interested player is welcome and encouraged to join the Junior Academy. Players will be initially be grouped by age and then the ability for training and games. To register for our Junior Academy, click here! If you would like to join the Junior Academy mid-season, please contact Executive Director of Coaching Eric Dade (edade@wnyflashsoccer.com) and he will be happy to add you to the program if numbers allow.
Ages: Boys and Girls, 5 – 10
Season Length: Our Junior Academy runs in six-week sessions at three locations – Sahlen Sports Park (Elma, NY, Epic Center (Williamsville, NY), and West Seneca Soccer Complex in West Seneca, NY. Please see the below grid for session dates and locations:
| Session | Dates | Location | Training Day | Game Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall SSP | September 11th - October 19th, 2024 | Sahlen's Sports Park | Wednesday | Saturday |
| Fall ECC North | September 12th - October 20th, 2024 | ECC North | Thursday | Sunday |
| Winter I SSP | November 6th - December 21st, 2024 | Sahlen's Sports Park | Wednesday | Saturday |
| Winter I Epic Center | November 7th - December 22nd, 2024 | Epic Center | Thursday | Sunday |
| Winter II SSP | January 8th - February 15th, 2025 | Sahlen's Sports Park | Wednesday | Saturday |
| Winter II Epic Center | January 9th - February 16th, 2025 | Epic Center | Thursday | Sunday |
| Winter III SSP | February 19th - March 29th, 2025 | Sahlen's Sports Park | Wednesday | Saturday |
| Winter III Epic Center | February 20th - March 30th, 2025 | Epic Center | Thursday | Sunday |
| Spring SSP | April 2nd - May 17th, 2025 | Sahlen's Sports Park | Wednesday | Saturday |
CAMPS & CLINICS
The WNY Flash Academy is excited to provide an excellent training environment through our various camps and clinics. Our professional coaching staff and carefully planned training sessions allow players to excel in a competitive and focused environment while also gaining exposure to the next level.
Camps and clinics are typically scheduled at various times throughout the year. We encourage you to learn more about our camp and clinics here.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
If you have additional questions on anything related to the WNY Flash Academy, please do not hesitate to contact us.