I wanted to get into a proper football academy, not just those weekend things. I’m in NC, so I started looking around here. I did what everyone does – I started looking on the internet. The first thing that came up was some private school in Raleigh. Apparently, it’s the top one for athletes in North Carolina. Didn’t write down the name, it doesn’t matter anyway. I need an academy, not a school.
Then, I found a university – Wake Forest University. It’s supposedly the best for Men’s Football in NC. It’s in Winston-Salem. Cool, but I’m not looking for a university, either. Need that academy vibe, you know?
Next, I found some list about the top 25 high school football rankings in NC. Grimsley was at the top. Seemed like a big deal, but again, it’s a high school. I need an academy that focuses on football training, not regular school stuff.
Another website, another No. 1, this time in some statewide poll. Sponsored by The Charlotte Observer, it seemed legit. But still, it was about the best high school, not what I’m after.
Then I saw something about the best colleges for Division I Men’s Football. They looked at 7 colleges in NC. It’s closer to what I want, but still not quite there. I’m not ready for college football yet. I need that pure academy experience.
I kept digging. Found another ranking for D1 (FBS) Men’s Football. They checked out 6 schools. Still the same issue. It’s all about college teams, not academies.
More high school stuff popped up. Weddington and Grimsley were mentioned as top teams. Good for them, but not helpful for me. I need an academy, man!
Then there was a mention of JM Robinson in Concord. Ranked 24th. Still a school, though. Not an academy.
I found a list of college athletics programs in NC. Full NCAA Division I members. Some names like Campbell and Elon came up. But again, it’s all college-level. I need something different.
There was this interesting bit about NC State. They’ve won a lot in the last four seasons, but haven’t hit 10 wins or a conference title game. Not really relevant to my academy search, but it was an interesting read.
I learned that North Carolina is big in women’s college soccer. They’ve won tons of championships. That’s cool, but I’m focused on men’s football academies, not college soccer.
Found something about recreational soccer for kids aged 2 to 18. That’s way off. I’m looking for serious training, not a recreational program.
Finally, I stumbled upon North Carolina FC. They’re a pro soccer team in Cary, near Raleigh. They’re in the USL Championship. This is the closest thing I found to what I’m looking for. They were founded in 2006. Maybe they have an academy or know where to find one. I mean, they’re a professional team, they must have connections to youth development, right? I might need to do some more digging on them. Maybe drop them an email or something. It’s a start, at least.
Here’s what I found:
- Private School in Raleigh: Top for athletes, but it’s a school.
- Wake Forest University: Best for Men’s Football, but it’s a university.
- Grimsley: Top high school team, but not an academy.
- Unnamed School (Charlotte Observer Poll): Another top high school.
- Division I Colleges: Good for college football, but I need an academy.
- D1 (FBS) Schools: Same issue as above.
- Weddington: Another top high school team.
- JM Robinson: Ranked 24th, still a school.
- Campbell, Elon: Part of college athletics programs.
- NC State: Successful, but not relevant to my search.
- North Carolina Women’s Soccer: Very successful, but not what I’m looking for.
- Recreation Soccer: For kids, not serious training.
- North Carolina FC: Pro team in Cary, might have academy connections. I decided to find out more about them.
So, yeah, the search was a bit of a mess. Lots of schools and college teams, but not many football academies. North Carolina FC seems like the most promising lead so far. I’ll have to look into them more. Maybe they have what I’m looking for or can point me in the right direction. This whole academy search is turning out to be tougher than I thought.
