Seniors Saul Greenwood and Neikos Whitney and Freshman Tyler Lowden currently train and play for the Indy Eleven Academy in the MLS Next program. This is one the highest soccer programs in the country for young athletes since they are directly related to the professional level teams. MLS Next consists of a youth soccer league for boys that is providing the three with structured training, high-level coaching, and exposure to college and professional scouts.
Greenwood and Whitney, both former players of last season’s Trojan varsity team, joined MLS Next to enhance their personal development and gain recognition from college scouts.
“High school [soccer] was a lot of fun being able to play with friends,” Greenwood said. “MLS Next is a lot less sociable, but the competition level is a lot better.”
Though the close knit community may not be as strong, Greenwood and Whitney believe all the program offers is worth the change.
“MLS Next offers more scouting opportunities than [high school] does,” Greenwood said. “Overall it’s not the same camaraderie as high school. If you want a good chance at getting recruited for Division 1, you should play MLS Next because that’s where a lot of the scouts look.”
Along with the benefits of skill-building and contact with scouts, MLS Next also requires its participants to make some sacrifices. A major one is the significant amount of traveling.
“It’s a lot more traveling than high school,” Greenwood said. ”I have to travel every day to Grand Park for practice and much further for games,” Lowden said.
Greenwood, Whitney and Lowden also sometimes have to leave for multiple states all in the same week. They admit that it can be tough, but that they are learning and growing day by day. As the three boys have gained more experience in the program at every practice and game, they have begun to understand what it takes to keep up at this level.
“You can’t take a single play off,” Whitney said. “Everyone’s talented, fast and technical. High school was a lot of fun but MLS Next really pushes you to grow as a player and person.”
Soccer at the advanced level not only encourages Greenwood, Whitney and Lowden to improve as athletes, but it also teaches them how to balance their academics as they develop lifelong skills.
“It’s really tough trying to balance schoolwork with traveling and training, but it’s worth it when you’re playing against the best teams in the country,” Whitney said.
Lowden, unlike Greenwood and Whitney, has never participated in high school soccer. He has been playing for Indy Eleven for several years and plans to throughout high school. Lowden said he has grown to understand the daily commitments it takes to be a part of MLS Next and the competition within the team.
“There are about 30-35 players rostered for every team so it’s a lot of competition at practice for playing time in the next game,” Lowden said. “It’s very fun and competitive. MLS Next is a lot less physical than high school but it requires more skill, which is why it helps players grow more because of less injuries and more time on the ball.”
For Greenwood, Whitney and Lowden, MLS Next is an opportunity to develop their skills and reach the top level while also getting college recognition. The experience provides them with top-level matches and advanced resources to improve their game.
