Soccer Academy Director's Corner
By Chad Liddle - Faculty
We are nearing the mid way point of our NAL and MLS NEXT Seasons. Our U19s are doing very well with 18 seniors, so this season and year will be a very special journey!
Our U19s are ranked #1 in the Nation in the top youth league system of MLS NEXT AD. This #1 ranking is not a “this year achievement,” but one a team of people have been working on in our Soccer Academy office, Admission Office and all over campus over the past 4-5 years – so this accomplishment is not only for the talented players and coaches, but should be shared with our entire Darlington Community.
In its 24-year history, the Soccer Academy has built an expansive, worldwide “front porch” for Darlington with two National Final Four rankings in NPL (two-time NPL National Semifinalist), and last May 2026 we were National Final Four in MLS NEXT AD. These National rankings paired with our exposure from playing in elite showcases in California, Las Vegas, Colorado, Utah, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, and Illinois, to name a few, over the past 24 years have helped make Darlington School Soccer Academy – SSA Residential Academy – a nationally recognized and respected name.
In addition to those major tournaments and exposure events across America, we have had 10 international tours since the 2006 World Cup with our players and teams competing in England, Holland, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria, and France. All of these experiences have been impactful moments for players, coaches, and parents over the years, but they also have a cumulative branding and marketing impact for years to come. We have already started looking at our admissions for fall of 2027, and it is clear that the program’s successes are being seen and recognized both here in the USA and all over the world. We have more people than ever before looking at our special soccer home!
This past month, we have taken players on more than 20 college campuses for individual and small group recruiting visits. We set up five junior/senior players to train with NCAA Div. II teams on a trial, and all of them were loved and wanted by the hosting college coaches.
Two of our players, Lance Carroll and Hugo Enander, have committed to play at Akron University (ranked #2 in Nation at the time of committing). This is a special and unique college commitment because Lance and Hugo have been teammates since they were 7 years old in the Bahamas, here at Darlington for the past four years, and now they are continuing their teammate relationship through NCAA Div. I Soccer at Akron!
Finn Crocker, a senior from England, also committed this October to play at St. Leo University in Florida. We recently played Oglethorpe University and Finn was spectacular, playing with a freedom and free-flowing spirit like a man living his best life. We are all super excited for Finn and his family to join the St. Leo Soccer Family!
Alumni, we are hoping to get some reconnect events scheduled for spring 2027. I am hoping some of you can join us on campus here Oct. 24-25 for Alumni Weekend, but knowing we have a large number of alumni still playing in college and professional seasons, I’ll be proposing a few spring events shortly. We always welcome you to visit us back here at Darlington!
