West Side Soccer, in partnership with the New York Red Bulls, offers a competitive, merit-based Travel and Tournament Program for boys and girls from U8 through U19 (high school). Our mission is to develop technically strong, tactically intelligent, and confident players who compete with purpose, support one another, and grow within a positive, community-driven environment.
In light of the recent NYT article regarding the epidemic of ACL injuries, we have asked RedBulls Education Team what measures are in place to protect our players.
Date: Feb 26, 2026
Hi All,
ACL injuries in female players is an important topic, and researchers are still working to better understand all contributing factors and the most effective prevention strategies.
Although we don’t mandate that our coaches use the FIFA 11+ specifically before every training session, it is part of our methodology that coaches working with players in or beyond PHV (peak height velocity/puberty) begin sessions and pre-match with a structured dynamic warm-up that includes strength, balance, and change-of-direction (all key components of FIFA 11+).
Our partners at HSS, in conjunction with RBYP, have also filmed and built an asynchronous course on “How to lead an effective warm-up,” which includes FIFA 11+ and the evidence behind it. We’re in the process of launching an LMS platform this spring which we’ll use to supplement our coach education, and this course will be featured for coaches who train U12+ teams (generally the peak PHV years).
For our younger teams, we encourage coaches to get players on a soccer ball as quickly as possible to maximize touches and ball rolling time, and we embed basic motor skills within ball-based games rather than a separate structured dynamic warm-up.
Let me know if you have any questions or would like to chat further about this topic.
Thanks,
Max DuBane
Senior Manager, Coach Development
New York Red Bulls • 600 Cape May St., Harrison, NJ 07029
P: 201.679.0602
E: max.dubane@redbullnewyork.com
INSPIRE / UNITE / ENGAGE
Dear WSSL Board Members and Team Managers,
We are excited to kick off the new spring season on Monday, March 16th! As we move into this next phase, we are making several key changes designed to push the program forward, particularly with our training staff and team allocations.
First, we want to extend our gratitude to Tim, Donovan, Yusuf and Felipe, who will be moving on from the West Side Travel Program, and Arjun, who will be moving on from the West Side Tournament Teams program. Donovan will move to a different RBYP partner to better accommodate his commute at the end of the winter season. Felipe will be re-joining Tournament Teams due to a change in his availability. Yusuf will be taking on a reduced coach role in the organization due his required internship for his graduate program this Spring. Tim and Arjun will be departing Red Bull for pastures new, and we wish them both the best of luck with their future endeavors.
We sincerely thank them all for their dedication and commitment to player development and the WSSL program over the years.
Our commitment to WSSL remains centered on providing the best possible fit for our players. We are excited to have our new staff begin onboarding and shadowing the teams during winter training sessions. This deliberate integration period ensures a seamless transition, making the entire club game ready the moment the spring season kicks off. We will be sharing trainer profiles and scheduling an introductory meeting shortly so you can meet the team. We appreciate your continued support as we embark on another great season. We have several opportunities at the Red Print meetings to ask any questions in the coming weeks.
Looking forward to seeing everyone on the field soon!
Best regards,
Ethan
Ethan Blakely
Regional Coordinator
600 Cape May St - Harrison, NJ 07029
Sports Illustrated Stadium
M: +1 8624852998
Recap From Red Bulls Enzo Bertolotti
WSSL Travel Parents, Parent Coaches, and Managers,
I appreciate you all for taking the time to learn about our approach to development.
Below are resources for the items we spoke about yesterday.