Welcome to ESS Academy, a soccer development academy dedicated to guiding athletes from grassroots to the professional game. The academy cultivates a culture that marries technical mastery with mental resilience, ensuring players not only survive but excel under elite‑level stress. ESS Academy brings Barça‑inspired methodology and MLS Next‑proven results to athletes committed to a genuine, lasting transformation.
At ESS Academy, intelligent repetition fuels mastery. The academy empowers players with a toolbox of ball control, decisive 1v1 dominance, and tactical IQ—sharpened in sessions that fuse relentless practice with reflective learning. Players are coached to be brave, creative, original and unshakable when the stakes are highest.
This cornerstone program forges complete control via creative skill combinations, tight‑area patterns, and advanced receiving & striking practices. Dominating the game requires strong technical foundations. At ESS Academy, the focus on dynamic ball mastery equips players with an explosive, refined, and versatile toolbox.
Players gain applied understanding of when and where to deploy their toolbox to outsmart and outlast opponents and maintain unpredictability during a duel. As players develop they are welcomed to challenge Zachary to a duel to test their ability against a seasoned champion with national experience.
Synergizing individual brilliance with collective transitions, these drills sharpen reading of game cues under real pressure. This is where individual brilliance meets collective purpose. Through possession drills, tactical scenarios, and dynamic transition play, players gain a sharper understanding of the game’s subtleties. The academy's game-related training equips students to think ahead, adapt quickly, and perform with precision under pressure.
Fast‑paced SSGs accelerate decision‑making speed while fine‑tuning endurance and competitive edge. With fewer players in a tighter space, each individual gets more touches on the ball and more chances to make decisions. The fast-paced, end-to-end flow of SSGs reflects the game's transitional nature—challenging attackers to create scoring opportunities and defenders to win duels and recover possession.
Coach Zachary is the Founder and Director of ESS Academy, licensed through FC Barcelona & U.S. Soccer. He is currently completing an intensive professional diploma program with F.C. Barcelona in Soccer Coaching and Game Tactics. He specializes in fusing technical detail and physcal prowess with mental mastery to create complete athletes.