In Partnership with the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee and FIFA World Cup 2026™
📅 June 20–21, 2026
📍 University of Dallas, Irving, Texas
$50 through June 15, 2026
$75 beginning June 16, 2026
https://learning.ussoccer.com/coach/courses/available/10/details/20012419
Space is limited and registration will close once capacity is reached.
Register early to guarantee your place at one of the premier coaching education events associated with FIFA World Cup 2026™ in North Texas.
REGISTER TODAY
In 2026, North Texas will become the center of the soccer world as FIFA World Cup 2026™ arrives in Dallas.
For coaches, this is more than a tournament.
It is an opportunity to ask a critical question:
The North Texas Coaching Education Summit 2026 has been designed to help coaches answer that question.
Over two days, some of the most respected leaders in American soccer will share lessons learned from U.S. National Teams, FIFA World Cups, MLS academies, professional clubs, NCAA national championship programs, and elite youth development environments.
This event is focused on practical solutions coaches can immediately apply within their own teams and organizations while helping shape the future of American soccer.
As coaches, we often hear from international presenters about how the game is played elsewhere.
While those perspectives can be valuable, the reality is that American coaches face unique challenges and opportunities.
This summit focuses on developing players within the realities of the American soccer landscape.
Our presenters have spent decades working inside:
U.S. Soccer
MLS Academies
U.S. National Teams
NCAA Championship Programs
Professional Clubs
FIFA World Cups
Youth Development Pathways
They understand the environments in which our coaches work every day.
Most importantly, they have helped develop players who have gone on to represent their countries at the highest levels of the game.
Tom Durkin has spent more than four decades helping shape the American player development landscape through leadership roles with U.S. Soccer, IMG Academy, MLS academies, elite youth clubs, and professional organizations.
Durkin served within the U.S. Soccer U-17 National Team Residency Program in Bradenton, Florida, one of the most influential development environments in American soccer history.
During the Bradenton era, the program helped develop future U.S. Men's National Team stars and FIFA World Cup players including:
Landon Donovan
DaMarcus Beasley
Oguchi Onyewu
Bobby Convey
Michael Bradley
Jozy Altidore
Clint Dempsey
Tim Howard
His career has included leadership roles with IMG Academy, Tampa Bay Mutiny, and Real Salt Lake's MLS NEXT development system.
Today, Durkin continues to influence the future of American soccer through Real Salt Lake Arizona and remains one of the country's most respected voices in long-term player development and coaching education.
Long-term player development
Creating elite learning environments
Developing game intelligence
Building pathways to professional and national team soccer
Few individuals have had a greater impact on American player development than John Ellinger.
As head coach of the U.S. Soccer U-17 Men's National Team Residency Program in Bradenton, Ellinger helped establish the foundation for what became the primary pathway for many of America's future national team players.
Players developed through the residency program during his leadership included:
Landon Donovan
DaMarcus Beasley
Oguchi Onyewu
Bobby Convey
Kyle Beckerman
Many of these players would later represent the United States in FIFA World Cups, Olympic competitions, CONCACAF Championships, and professional leagues around the world.
Ellinger later became the first head coach in Real Salt Lake history and served in leadership positions with FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake's academy system.
His experience uniquely bridges youth development, national team identification, professional academies, and elite player performance.
Identifying elite talent
National team player characteristics
Academy development structures
Building environments that produce top-level players
Randy Waldrum is one of the most accomplished coaches in American soccer, bringing experience from the collegiate, professional, international, and FIFA World Cup levels.
Most recently, Waldrum served as head coach of the Nigerian Women's National Team during the FIFA Women's World Cup.
His Nigerian squad featured international stars including:
Asisat Oshoala
Chiamaka Nnadozie
Michelle Alozie
Toni Payne
Jennifer Echegini
Before his World Cup success, Waldrum built one of the premier programs in women's college soccer history at the University of Notre Dame.
During his tenure, he coached and developed numerous future national team and professional players, including:
Crystal Dunn
Kerri Hanks
Jen Buczkowski
Melissa Henderson
Waldrum's teams won two NCAA National Championships and consistently produced professional and international-level players.
Few coaches in American soccer can offer firsthand insight into the complete pathway from youth soccer to college soccer, professional soccer, national team competition, Olympic competition, and the FIFA World Cup.
Developing elite performers
Building championship cultures
Preparing players for the international game
Lessons learned from the FIFA Women's World Cup
What future national team players need from today's youth coaches
Additional nationally recognized leaders from youth development, coaching education, professional soccer, talent identification, sports science, and player performance environments will be announced in the coming weeks.
Our goal is to provide coaches with a diverse group of presenters who can connect theory, research, and practical application to the realities of coaching players in the United States.
Stay tuned for additional speaker announcements.
Technical development
Decision-making and scanning
Creativity and problem solving
Developing game intelligence
Player-centered coaching
Guided discovery
Designing effective training sessions
Maximizing player engagement
Current trends in global soccer
What elite academies are teaching
What national team players do differently
Characteristics of future professional players
Lessons from FIFA World Cup environments
Talent identification
Long-term athlete development
Preparing players for the next generation of the game
This event is designed for:
Recreational Coaches
Club Coaches
High School Coaches
College Coaches
Directors of Coaching
Technical Directors
Academy Staff
Goalkeeper Coaches
Player Development Leaders
Whether you coach 7-year-olds or future professionals, this summit will provide practical tools and ideas that can immediately impact your players.
By attending, you will learn from coaches who have collectively influenced:
✓ FIFA World Cup Players
✓ U.S. National Team Players
✓ Olympic Athletes
✓ MLS Professionals
✓ NWSL Professionals
✓ NCAA National Champions
✓ Youth National Team Players
✓ Professional Academy Systems
✓ Elite Development Environments Across America
Combined, our presenters bring more than 100 years of experience in coaching, player development, leadership, and education.
North Texas Coaching Education Summit 2026
June 20–21, 2026
University of Dallas
Irving, Texas
Early Registration: $50 through June 15
Standard Registration: $75 beginning June 16
Registration Capacity Limited
Registration Link:
https://learning.ussoccer.com/coach/courses/available/10/details/20012419
As North Texas welcomes FIFA World Cup 2026™, coaches have a unique opportunity to learn from individuals who have worked directly within the highest levels of American and international soccer.
Join us as we explore how today's coaching can influence tomorrow's World Cup players.