Sarasota Paradise's Felipe Rojas kicks around a ball with a local youth player. Provided photo.

Major League Baseball has the minor leagues. The National Hockey League has the AHL. The National Basketball Association has the G-League. Professional soccer teams have…academies?

Developmental leagues are commonplace amidst the major five professional sports. In professional soccer, both in the United States and abroad, teams often have academies—programs and leagues that develop youth talent from an early age. For professional soccer teams, academies are more than just part of the culture of the sport, they are a responsibility the clubs have as pillars of the community. That responsibility extends to United Soccer League’s (USL) League One, in which the Sarasota Paradise will be a member in 2026.

For the Paradise, which will launch a youth academy in 2026 along with a U20 team that will play in the USL Academy League and the United Premiere Soccer League, that responsibility to the community starts with the hire of its new head coach and technical director Mika Elovaara. “The role of technical director is quite common in the world of soccer,” says Elovaara. “It means that I have the responsibility, along with our founder and CEO Marcus Walfridson, to oversee the development of everything related to the soccer side of the club. When we add a U20 team, for example, when do they train? How do they train? How do we integrate them into the first team environment and how do we ensure that we are able to provide the best possible experience for everyone associated with the club?”

The U20 team, which will primarily consist of high-level players aged 16 to 18, is designed to be a bridge between the amateur and professional ranks. For local players with professional aspirations, there is no better way to develop then under the guidance of Elovaara and the Paradise’s USL League One coaching staff. Doing so also grants U20 players the possibility of transferring to a different professional level either in the United States or internationally. “What’s different about soccer here, is that there are actually established ways to get to that top level,” says Walfridson. “You can be transferred to clubs in Europe, the MLS or other leagues and there is a fee that goes along with it. For us as a club, youth development is something we do mainly for the community, but there is the potential financial incentive in doing so as well.”

In addition to the U20 team, the Paradise will also have training programs throughout 2026 for youth players, starting as early as age six.

Sarasota Paradise's Felipe Rojas kicks around a ball with a local youth player. Provided photo.

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