Detroit City FC is excited to announce the launch of the 2026 Academy Program! This year’s program will include 6 teams including U14, U16, and U19 teams on the boys and girls side. Teams will be made up of top players from the Detroit City FC youth clubs and train and compete during the winter months.
TRAINING DETAILS:
Training sessions will take place weekly on Friday evenings at the Detroit City Fieldhouse (3401 E. Lafayette St. Detroit, MI 48207) beginning December 12th and ending February 6 (no training on Friday, December 26). U19 boys and girls will train from 4:30-6:00pm, U14 boys and girls from 6:00-7:30pm, and U16 boys and girls from 7:30-9:00pm. Boys teams and girls teams will train on separate fields at the facility.
COMPETITION DETAILS:
All teams will participate in at least one local friendly in preparation for the culminating competition event, which will be the Disney President’s Day (Showcase) Tournament in Orlando, Florida the weekend of February 14-16.
ELIGIBILITY:
Players who wish to participate must be a registered DCFC youth player (City, Downriver, Genesee, Huron Valley, North, South Oakland, or West)
U14 = 2012-13 birth year
U16 = 2010-11 birth year
U19 = 2007-09 birth year
ACADEMY TEAM SELECTIONS
The process of roster selections for each team will be conducted by Detroit City FC youth coaches and leaders in collaboration with academy coaches (all of whom coach for Detroit City FC youth clubs). After an initial player identification process that will be facilitated by each affiliate (details below), invitations will be sent to selected players for a tryout on Sunday, November 30, from 12-4 pm at University Liggett School (1045 Cook Road, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236)
PLAYER ID CENTER EVENT CALENDAR
South Oakland/Huron Valley: Saturday, November 9, 4pm-7 pm, 2SP Fieldhouse
Genesee/North: Saturday, November 15, 10am-12pm, SVSU Fieldhouse
City/Downriver: Sunday, November 16, 1pm-4pm, University Liggett School
ACADEMY PROGRAM REGISTRATION:
COST ESTIMATE: $650. Cost does NOT include travel arrangements. Questions/inquiries can be directed to academy@detcityfc.com
TRAVEL
All families will be responsible for their own travel and lodging, though Detroit City FC admin will work with competition directors on discounted rates for hotels and will be happy to help facilitate shared transportation options for those who may need assistance.
FINANCIAL AID
Need-based financial aid will be available on an application basis. Assistance provided will be based on a sliding scale of household income and number of claimed dependents.
CONTACT:
Feel free to reach out to academy@detcityfc.com with any questions or visit our 2026 Academy – FAQ page on the website.
