In 2001, three years before being the youngest ever player drafted in Major League Soccer, Freddy Adu was leading the Potomac Cougars to the U14 US Youth Soccer National Championship, the most prestigious National Championship in youth soccer.

Eighteen years later, Adu is looking to help his new club, Next Level Soccer (NLS), accomplish the same thing. NLS was started April 10th, 2014 by Club President Rafik Kechrid and Club Vice President Daniel Bulls, and in five short years the club has  started to make a name for itself on a national stage.

Adu is the striker & wingers coach for the club, and is a large part of the success of the NLS Ajax 06 Boys team. In the spring of 2019, the squad finished top of the table in the US Youth Soccer National League South Atlantic Conference, and secured a spot at the 2019 Eastern Regionals and the 2019-2020 National League. 

“Freddy adds a very special element to the overall learning environment. You can see how the players respond to him around the training pitch. This is someone who has learned from the best players and coaches in the world. There are very few American players that have the kind of experience that Freddy has in the sport. This type of knowledge and real experience is invaluable, Technical training is one thing. However, there is a mental piece to the game that often goes missing when we talk about developing young players in this country. Our players have embraced these values and it shows on the pitch.”
— Dan Bulls, NLS 

With the lessons the team’s front line learned from Adu, the team averaged 2.63 goals a game during conference league play, and then went on to score 10 goals during the group stage of regionals where the team won all 3 of their matches before falling short in the knockout stages.

The team's attacking ability was also on display again in the National League, as the boys scored 13 goals in 4 games, finishing as the second highest scoring team in the age group, and also finishing with 3 wins and one draw.

“It was an unbelievable experience for our boys. They were prepared to face new challenges  and knew that they would need to learn and improve each match. More important than the results of the matches, is what the players learn from the overall experience. They learn what it is like to travel as a team and staff, eating meals as a team, staying with teammates, following a team itinerary, taking care of your body, nutrition, team meetings and other exercises in between the match schedules. It is all these little things that are just as important in their development.”
— Rafik Kechrid 

The 06 Boys are paving the way for the club on the national stage, and the teams are quickly being recognized for their attacking prowess. “ The entire club  has done an incredible job so far, but we understand that this is only one part of the process.  This is just one step. We’ve come a long way in just 5 years, so we certainly look forward to seeing much more of NLS in National League competitions in the years to come. ”
—  Dan Bulls