Exclusive Interview with FC Dallas Academy VP Chris Hayden

Breaking The Lines's Abhishek Mishra interviews Vice President of FC Dallas Youth Chris Hayden.

Q: How does FC Dallas create a culture to prioritize player development vs game results in the younger age groups?

A: We have more than 250 teams in Dallas (both boys and girls) beginning with players at 6 years old.  Our first task is to create an environment that kids want to be a part of. The program should create fun and learning environments so that kids want to stay involved in the sport.  We try to do that.

We often mix teams for portions of the training in order to have players experience a similar culture and multiple coaches. Our players will naturally gravitate towards the teams and groups that share a similar level and commitment.  We cannot separate fun from player development because the player will decide to continue, commit, excel, train, etc. based on enjoyment and interest.