The San Jose Earthquakes Academy is on the rise.
The team has long prided itself on their academy’s excellence, and the potential path it can create to Major League Soccer. Now, the investment is paying off on an international level as well.
Over the past couple of months, the Earthquakes have seen 11 players summoned to the United States youth national teams. Owen Anderson, Rohan Rajagopal, Cruz Medina and Fidel Barajas were among the recent call ups to the US Under 15 and Under 17 sides.
“It’s rewarding to see the individual players get recognized for their hard work and their commitment to how we do things,” San Jose Earthquakes general manager Chris Leitch told MLSsoccer.com.
Leitch first signed on as general manager of the Earthquakes in November 2021, after having several roles with the Western Conference side. He featured for the team as a player from 2009 to 2011, before serving as technical director, interim general manager and head coach in 2017.
He’s worked to strengthen every part of the San Jose Earthquakes. But as general manager, he has a bird’s eye view of what needs immediate attention, which he claims is “the small things.”
“I think it starts with small things like ensuring that you’re taking a holistic approach to youth development. Which means putting the player at the center of it, concentrating on as much off the field as you are on the field,” Leitch said.
“so that the culture is understood that we’re going to be united by things like hard work, accountability, that our young men are going to understand how to be good teammates, first and foremost, before they become good players, and then having a commitment to development and learning. Which means creating an environment that our players are free to take risks and collaborate, [and] that they must take an active role in their individual development.”
Leitch instilled a shift that kicked off the pathway to success.
“We were teaching these players how to win games, but I didn’t feel like we were developing the players for the long term,” Leitch said.
“And that was a key. That was a key time in the academy [as] I specifically tried to shift the focus away from winning – which is important, and it’s definitely part of development – but the development aspect needs to be prioritized a little bit more.”
Since his time with the club, the Earthquakes have seen a spike in homegrown signings. Cade Cowell, Casey Walls and Emi Ochoa have all signed Homegrown contract with the Major League Soccer side to reflect the progress cemented by Leitch.
