The Ocean City Nor’easters, one of the most successful pre-professional clubs in American soccer history, have announced the launch of their official youth soccer academy.

The Nor’easters Academy is a new program that caters to aspiring young players seeking high-level training and competition in a location close to home. 

The Nor’easters are renowned as one of the most distinguished lower-tier clubs in American soccer history. The club has produced more than 110 professional players including 35 Major League Soccere draft picks. Recent Philadelphia Union signing Nick Pariano starred for the Nor’easters in their 2022 and 2023 USL League Two seasons, and other pro alumni include MLS Cup Final MVP John McCarthy and striker Simon Becher who currently plays for Danish 1st Division side AC Horsens.

The Nor'easters Academy will field teams in the highly competitive USL Academy, providing players with a platform to showcase their talent on a national stage and pursue opportunities for advancement to the professional ranks. It will also compete locally in Elite Development Program (EDP) leagues. 

By entering USL Academy, players in the Nor’easters Academy will participate in the same ecosystem as the club’s first team which plays their matches in USL League Two. USL-2 is a pre-pro league designed to prepare college-aged players for professional contracts. The full USL system encompasses a single pipeline from the youth level up through semi-pro and all the way to the fully professional USL League One and USL Championship levels. The Storm are the reigning two-time Mid-Atlantic Division champions in USL-2.

To register for a tryout, head to www.noreastersacademy.com/tryouts

Academy leadership is comprised of current first-team Head Coach Matt Perrella, Nor’easters Sporting Director Kevin Nuss, and Nor’easters Director of Soccer Operations Alex Lewis.

“The academy is the logical progression of our player development pathway,” said Nuss. "We have helped promote the country's best college players to the professional ranks for the last 25-plus years but only a handful have come out of South Jersey. We know there are extremely talented young players in South Jersey and as a club, it is vital that we identify them and begin working with them as early as possible.”

The Academy also marks a geographical expansion for the Nor’easters that brings their trademark brand of technical soccer closer to the greater Philadelphia region. The club’s exclusive territory as assigned by USL covers all of Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, and Camden counties as well as parts of Burlington County.

Lewis described this move as deliberate and part of a larger player development strategy.

“When you think about South Jersey, you think about the entire region from the shore to the suburbs. Philly soccer culture is rich, but through the Academy, we’re providing a unique offering that can’t be found anywhere else in the area,” Lewis said.

“We want to add something new to the South Jersey picture and bring a wider group into this Nor’easters tradition.”

The Nor'easters Academy invites talented youth players to participate in open ID clinics to be held this Spring at Camden Catholic High School. 

For more information about the Nor'easters Academy or to register for a tryout, please visit www.noreastersacademy.com