This weekend, competitive play officially kicks off for the Inter Miami CF Academy presented by Baptist Health. With the season back underway, Academy coach Pedro Cavalcanti shared his excitement ahead of the new campaign.
“It feels good to be back. We’re lucky to do what we love and work with an extremely talented group of players,” coach Cavalcanti began. “This is what we look forward to all year. The break was well deserved, and we all took advantage of it. Now, we're ready to go.”
Cavalcanti is optimistic about the Club’s approach to youth development entering the new season.
“It adds to the really good work that Darren Powell did with us the first two years. Our new Academy Director, Craig Dalrymple, is bringing a lot of attention to detail and adding to our methodology of work,” the coach explained. “We've been working very closely with him to adapt to his standards and expectations. We've continued improving as staff and are progressively working with the kids to introduce our principles and how we want to play and compete.
Cavalcanti emphasized, “We feel ready for the first competitive week of the year.”
Afterward, coach Cavalcanti spoke about his motivation this season.
“The growth of the individual athlete. We work in developmental soccer, and our goal is for the players to become the best version of themselves on and off the field.”
Coach Cavalcanti also touched on what he believes could be the team’s biggest challenge this season.
“The challenge that we face is the same challenge that the rest of the world faces. We can't think that we're over a global pandemic, it's still very much a reality,” he added. “Knowing how to adapt to those problems and how to adapt to those logistical difficulties will be very important.”
To conclude, Cavalcanti shared what he expects from his players this season.
“I’ve been working out with them for more than five weeks. It’s a very, very talented group of players. I expect that when they look back in May, they don’t recognize the version of themselves from August, that they’ve grown so much as people and that they continue their growth within the game, and that they're proud of their growth.”
For additional coverage of this weekend’s matches, you can follow our academy’s journey online by following our Twitter account @InterMiamiAcad or via Instagram @InterMiamiCF_Academy.
Weekend Schedule:
• U-14: Inter Miami CF vs. IdeaSport Soccer Academy, Saturday, Sept. 18
• U-15: Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami CF, Saturday, Sept. 18
• U-17: Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami CF, Saturday, Sept. 18
