Five area soccer players are among 15 new members of the elite U.S. soccer under-17 residency program at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Alonzo Carter (Fairfax/Fairfax High), Ryan Gracia (Rockville/Wootton High), Axel Levry (Fort Washington/Oxon Hill High), Israel Sesay (Gaithersburg/Quince Orchard High) and Howard Turk (Fairfax/Flint HillPrep) this week will join 35 other players at the same invitation-only program that has produced some of the biggest names in American soccer.
“It’s been the goal all along in his development as a player,” said Greg Turk, Howard Turk’s uncle and club soccer coach.
The residency program is a full-time soccer camp with players training at IMG Academy in the morning and attending classes at Edison Academy in the afternoon.
Current and former D.C. United players Freddy Adu, Santino Quaranta and Bobby Convey all used the program as a stepping stone to reach the professional and international soccer ranks.
Recent U.S. World Cup team members Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Olney native Oguchi Onyewu also are residency program alumni.
The members of the current class also are competing to make the U.S. roster for the 2007 FIFA under-17 World Cup in South Korea.
