Philly Union academy reaches community with panel, USMNT watch party

Have you ever wondered about the big-picture thinking behind your child’s youth club, or the vision and methodology that informs your local professional club’s player development system?

Transparency is elusive in sports, and answers can sometimes be difficult to find on these fronts. But the Philadelphia Union and their affiliated private school, YSC Academy, are giving their fans, families and other stakeholders a chance to learn more about their youth programs with a panel discussion and watch party for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup qualifier vs. Costa Rica on Tuesday night.

Dubbed “an exclusive panel discussion on YSC Academy’s unique role in the future of Philadelphia soccer,” the event features Union sporting director and USMNT great Earnie Stewart, Union head coach Jim Curtin, YSC Academy Head of School Dr. Nooha Ahmed-Lee, Union academy director Tommy Wilson and Richie Graham, YSC Academy’s founder and a part-owner of the Union.

The registration-only event at YSC Academy’s facility in Wayne, Pennsylvania is expected to draw around 150 attendees, who will be treated to free pizza and beer as the panelists lead a 45-minute discussion before the US-Costa Rica match kicks off at 9 p.m. ET.