LATDP Elite (Louisiana Total Development Program) is a program for players from U13 to U19 age groups to compete at the highest level of play in the country

LATDP was created to assemble elite players within and out of the state of Louisiana to provide players with greater exposure to higher-level training and playing opportunities, and an increased prospect of identification. Players from any Club in or out of state are welcome to attend tryouts. We will also be developing the Catalyst ages U10-U12 in preparation for the NEXT level. We have Girls Academy (GA) under the LATDP Elite banner for the girls and MLS NEXT for the boys.

MLS NEXT was launched in 2020 with the goal of transforming youth soccer in North America. MLS NEXT players have access to the highest level of competition, training, and personal development opportunities that will prepare them for their futures. Current membership includes 113 clubs, 489 teams, and 9,000+ players across the U.S. and Canada, and features over 90% of the current youth national team player pools. MLS NEXT is the highest level of youth programming and the replacement for the U.S. Development Academy.

The LATDP Elite program will include boys and girls teams across six age groups: U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-19.

In order to better prepare the next generation of players, LATDP Elite will look to offer Pre-MLS NEXT and Pre-Girls Academy programming that will allow players to experience the coaching and competition that they can expect in the MLS NEXT and Girls Academy Programs.

The LATDP Elite boys teams (U13 - U19) will compete in an MLS NEXT National League unlike any Louisiana has ever experienced. This league will allow the elite players in the state to compete against the top players and teams in the region and country. It will also afford players a greater prospect for identification among coaches and scouts at some of the highest levels of play.

Tryouts for LATDP Elite are open to all U-13 to U-19 boys in and around the Louisiana and Gulf-South region. Open tryouts will be held to provide greater access to this program for all elite players.

Registration for tryouts will typically begin near the start of the calendar year. Links to tryouts can be found on the home page of LATDPElite.com.

Players playing up will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Coaches from each affiliated club along with staff coaches from Houston Dynamo will evaluate and identify possible players to join LATDP Elite. Only the top-level players within each organization will be invited to participate in LATDP Elite tryouts.

The process is a two-step process with the first date being an identification stage. Players identified from the first tryout will be notified and invited to attend MLS NEXT Training for further evaluation from which selection occurs.

We attempt to have a roster of 16-18 players who are committed full-time. Players selected but not full-time will be reserve players. Reserve players can participate in training based on their club schedule and potentially receive a selection for MLS NEXT Games.

LATDP Elite boys will be rostered full-time on their team and not participate on their home club team. Reserve players will play on their Club team when they are not on the LATDP Elite roster.

The full-Time player club fee is $2,600.00. Reserve Player fee is $1,400.00 Each team will be responsible for fundraising monies for their team.

The team expenses will be based on each team’s travel schedule. Players will be responsible for the team expenses only when they travel to play. Reserve players will pay their portion of the team expenses when they travel with the MLS NEXT team or their hub club team.

Yes, a six-month payment plan will be available through League Apps for the registration portion. All payments will be due from each MLS NEXT or reserve player 6 months from the registration date.

Team expenses will be handled through the teams.

Financial aid is available to those who qualify at a maximum of 50% of registration fees and is subject to availability. Payment plans are also available and must be completed by December 1st. Applications for financial aid must be submitted to Hannah Gill at hgill@brsoccer.org. The financial assistance form can be found here.

The boy's teams will participate in the MLS NEXT Frontier Conference. It is one of 13 Conferences under MLS NEXT. The Frontier Conference consists of teams primarily from Oklahoma, North Texas, and South Texas. The top teams in the Conference will earn advancement to the National Event. Frontier Conference teams also have a pathway to participate in the new National League Showcase Series. Certain age groups will also compete in MLS NEXT-approved tournaments/ events in Dec, Jan, March, and June. Dates TBD.

Each team will have a licensed professional head coach and assistant coach. The current staff list for both the boys is as follows:

• Joan Oliva
• Keir Hannity
• Patrick Bueno
• Alfi Conti

MLS NEXT clubs will participate in a year-round competitive schedule (10 months), including league matches, events, and playoffs.

Teams will practice Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Baton Rouge. On Mondays, players will have individual sports performance sessions using the Valhalla Performance Training app.

Added sessions will occur based on scheduling and programming needs.

Home games will take place at various facilities including Burbank Soccer Park in Baton Rouge, Lafreniere Park in Metairie, and St. Julien Park in Broussard. Occasionally, home matches will take place in Houston for some of our furthest league opponents. Locations are subject to change.