Reign Academy Continues to Forge New Pathways for Youth Soccer Players

Seattle Reign Academy stands out from the crowd. The year-round competitive soccer club has a unique structure to its core and has developed a genuine connection with the Reign first team – two key elements that set it apart from most youth soccer clubs.

Female-centered in every element of operation, the environment of Seattle Reign Academy brings inspiration and empowerment to the forefront of youth soccer. Instead of aiming to just develop extraordinary soccer players, the club is focused on developing extraordinary people first.

“Our environment is hands down for people that want to be challenged, learn and grow in a healthy environment” said Reign Academy Executive Director Amy Griffin.

“The things that we prioritize are qualified staff who enjoy coaching young players and enjoy the process of development. Our staff is attracted to working here for a lot of the same reasons the kids are – they don’t want to be afraid to make a mistake and they don’t want to have to force the idea of winning when no one really has control over the wins and losses.”

This healthy, albeit challenging environment begins from day one with Reign Academy. Rather than a traditional tryout, the journey to joining Reign Academy begins with an ID Session.

“We do our due diligence to steer clear from the one-off tryout where you get 200 kids and it’s super stressful,” explained Reign Academy Executive Director Amy Griffin.

“New families and kids get to check out the club a little bit, and we see if it’s kind of a win-win, where it’s a good fit for us and a good fit for them. They just get to dip their toes in the water and make some connections and ask questions.”

The focus on the environment at Reign Academy is the key to driving great outcomes for the players. The program is curated to be competitive and demanding, but also motivational and inspirational. More than anything, the goal is to shape the next generations of female leaders on and off the pitch.

Taking the development of Reign Academy’s players one step further, the club is attached to the Seattle Reign first team – and not just in name. The club represents the future of the first team in several ways. Young players have the opportunity to learn directly from professional players and coaches, getting a taste of the NWSL environment that demands excellence and tenacity.

“The touchpoints that our Academy has with the pros, our staff has with the pro staff and the players have with the pro players... we’re kind of one team, right? There are certain things that are just layered in and us having the ability to prepare for the next step and having that be professional is awesome.”

“We have coaching staff at Reign FC that are super open to our players being able to pop in and watch a training. The fact that our players do get those opportunities, I mean it’s a cliche when I say that I couldn’t have dreamed that.”

A prime example of this connection is former Reign Academy goalkeeper Neeku Purcell. A mainstay in the United States Youth National Team pool and former UCLA powerhouse, Purcell signed a contract with Reign FC’s first team in June.

Griffin will never forget when the young player made the choice to stay with the Reign Academy, even through a period of uncertainty.

“I’ll never forget when she said ‘I know that I can’t be the best player I want to be until I can be the best person I can be, and this is the place I can be the best person.’ So, it means a lot.”

Even after racking up 27 appearances at UCLA, 17 appearances for Brooklyn FC of USL Super League and a Reign FC contract, the connection between Purcell and Reign Academy is strong as ever.

From interacting with Neeku at trainings to watching her warmup at Lumen Field, the bond between players is strong.

"It’s not only the young players running over to say hi to Neeku, but it’s also the other way around – Neeku runs over to see them. For them to feel like they are teammates, because they really are – I can’t imagine what that feels like.

“Being in the same organization is the only way you’re doing to get that feeling of if she can do it and she’s following that path, then I can do it too.”

Take the first step in joining Seattle Reign Academy by signing up for their upcoming ID Session on Sunday, November 16th from 5:30–7:00 p.m. at Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse. This session is open to players born in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, & 2018 who are interested in joining/exploring our club.