Talents across the pond

From North America to Berlin: For the third year, a group of talented young soccer players are given the opportunity to further develop their skills as part of the partnership between our capital city club and the International Soccer Academy. For the 22 boys from the USA and Canada it's all about developing their skills, playing, getting better for nine months and training six days a week! “We are very pleased to welcome these talented boys to Hertha BSC as part of our collaboration with the International Soccer Academy,” emphasizes our deputy academy director Sasan Gouhari and explains the benefit for both sides: “The boys can show themselves here. They also have the chance to learn a lot in terms of content and enjoy the same training philosophy that our academy teams enjoy!”

Competent coaching team and regular competition

The U18 team is trained by head coach Patrick Weiser, his assistant Jens Härtel, and Michael Scavuzzo, who acts as both assistant coach and team manager, and performance coach Francis Kioyo. “Last year, we had 15 youth soccer players who subsequently signed contracts in Europe. That’s a great success and a number that we want to maintain,” says Weiser. Assistant Coach Scavuzzo adds: “We focus on teaching leadership qualities, mental strength and athleticism — that's what makes these dedicated players stand out - on and off the pitch." A training camp, as well as regular weekly test matches, against teams from RB Leipzig, SV Babelsberg 03 or Halleschen FC help to further deepen the experience.

Learning by watching: Attending home games with the professionals

In addition to the football work, the boys also regularly learn German and attend the U19 and U23 games and of course, the home games of our Old Lady's professionals. “We have already seen great results from our program in previous seasons. We want these players to not only improve their skills on the field, but also return to North America with a deeper understanding of the world and be ready to take the next steps in their careers,” explains co-founder Diane Scavuzzo. “We are thrilled to be able to offer the boys even more opportunities this year.” “We spent months scouting MLS, MLS Next, ECNL and other soccer events, working to find the most talented players who dream of playing soccer in Europe,” explains co-founder Eddie Loewen.