Things are moving quickly for CT United FC, the new MLS Next team coming to Bridgeport in 2025.
"When we first started this, we genuinely wanted to have a positive impact on the community," said André Swanston, founding partner of Connecticut Sports Group. "Bridgeport and the greater area, people are genuinely excited about this."
The site of the team's brand-new stadium in Bridgeport is coming along and now the club is looking for the best young players in our state.
CT United FC launched a free youth academy with inaugural cohorts for boys under 14 (U14) and under 16 (U16).
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
"It's not just the fans excited about the pro team coming, you're seeing parents bringing their kids that have dreams and aspirations in the sport themselves," Swanston said.
CT United Academy will play in MLS Next, the most elite platform for youth player development in North America and whose players make up most of the United States and Canadian youth national teams, according to the club.
Swanston also brought on former MLS All-star Robin Fraser as the club's chief sporting advisor.
Sports
"When I first met with Andre, [it was] his passion about wanting to do something for Connecticut, wanting to do something special for the fans of Connecticut, soccer fans in Connecticut and for the kids," Fraser said. "We don't really get many chances to start on the ground floor. Having the experience that I have, having been a player, an assistant coach, a head coach, a youth coach, this is a really fun opportunity to put all of that experience to good use."
CT United Academy will offer young athletes aspiring to play professional soccer a premier development program, fostering their skills, passion and love for the game. It is also the only free soccer academy in Connecticut operated by a professional soccer team, according to the club.
"These opportunities didn't exist when I was a 14-year-old," Fraser said. "They just didn't."
"There's 14–15-year-olds now that may not have had the opportunity to play on one of the youth teams in the state, the elite teams and they're going to make our team and maybe three to four years from now, they're playing professional soccer in their home state," Swanston said. "I'm pumped just even talking about it."
"When it's a new team, a new academy in your own state, you can see kids are really excited because you really are that close to being a pro," Fraser said.
CT United Academy is another step towards Swanston's main goal of bringing the MLS to Bridgeport.
"We're in the same boat, I'm trying to prove myself too," Swanston said. "So just like those kids are trying to show 'hey we can make it to the Academy and we can be pros,' our ownership group and everybody involved is trying to say 'hey we can build the infrastructure here in Connecticut,' from the Academy to the Next Pro team, to the facilities and stuff like that, to lead to the MLS. So that's also exciting that everybody kind of has these bigger dreams and aspirations."
