FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution Academy will field a roster of 85 players in the inaugural MLS NEXT season beginning this September. With players representing all six New England states, the Revolution will field four teams in the Under-14, Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 age groups.

The 2020-21 season will see the continuation of the Revolution Academy’s Residency Program now in its second year. The club will continue to house players at a full-time residence located near the Revolution Training Center in Foxborough, Mass. The players, who all continue their high school educations through online schooling, live under the supervision of Academy Director of Coaching and Under-17 Head Coach Patrick Ouckama and Academy Residency Coordinator Emily Hess. By eliminating key barriers such as transportation, the Residency Program allows players from throughout New England and beyond to benefit from the club’s fully-funded, elite development program.

“We’re eager to begin a new chapter and a new season for the Revolution Academy,” Revolution Director of Youth Development and Under-19 Head Coach Bryan Scales said. “We’re very excited to return to the field for the upcoming season in a new league with the addition of several new players to our roster, and we are happy to welcome Shalrie to our coaching staff.”

This season, the Academy will return 50 players, while welcoming in 35 newcomers across all four age groups. On the coaching staff, the club welcomes back MLS great and Revolution All-Time Team selection Shalrie Joseph. New England’s all-time leader in MLS appearances, starts, and minutes played, Joseph returns to the club as head coach of the Under-15 team following his stint at the helm of the Grenada National Team. As a player with New England, the four-time MLS Best XI selection totaled 37 goals in 261 appearances from 2003-12 and 2014.

The Revolution Academy is coming off a shortened 2019-20 season that saw two players receive international call ups to U.S. Soccer Youth National Team camps and squads, as well as multiple first-team training opportunities and professional debuts with Revolution II. In November 2019, Damian Rivera (Cranston, R.I.) became the seventh Revs Academy product to sign with the first team, while fellow graduates Meny Silva (Roxbury, Mass.) and Dennis Ramirez (Waltham, Mass.) signed USL contracts with Revolution II. Two other graduates, Trevor Burns (Southborough, Mass.) – who earned this year’s UnitedHealthcare Academy Player of the Year honors – and Kaoru Fujiwara (Lexington, Mass.) became the first two current Revolution Academy players to feature in a professional match for the club’s USL League One side, making their first appearances for Revolution II on July 25. Six other Academy players have made their professional debuts with Revolution II this year, including Colby Quinones (Bedford, N.H.), Morris Matthews (Westwood, Mass.), Hikaru Fujiwara (Lexington, Mass.), Michael Tsicoulias (Newton, Mass.), Nathan Metsack (Ashford, Conn.), and Diego Souza (Hyannis, Mass.).

Entering its 13th season, the Revolution Academy is the only fully-funded, professional youth development program in New England, and competes in the newly established MLS NEXT elite youth development platform as well as the MLS Generation Adidas Cup. Qualified and talented players are accepted into the program without regard to their financial situation. All players’ needs and expenses related to soccer activities – training, facilities, equipment, uniforms, travel associated with competitions – are provided by the Revolution at no cost to the players or their families.

The complete Revolution Academy roster, including coaching staffs for each age group, is below.