DGN Boys Soccer: Sophomore Trains in Florida for Shot at U-17 World Cup

Imagine being one of 40 teenage soccer players in the country to be chosen for an elite program -- a program where you move away from your friends and family to train in Florida for six months.

That’s the reality for AJ Jeffries, a 15-year-old Downers Grove North sophomore. He was one of the 40 players selected for the U.S. Soccer under-17 residency program.

The program is an investment by U.S. Soccer to train its best young players and build a team for the U-17 World Cup. The young men train and practice together during the week and play against club, college and international teams on the weekends.

"The idea is for them to push each other to better levels," said his father, Mike Jeffries. "They have very good fields and amenities players wouldn't have access to. They're able to train every day ... There's a lot to be gained from the environment and being challenged every day."

At the end of the six-month program, half of the 40 are chosen to compete in the U-17 World Cup. The other half goes home.

Jeffries was selected for the residency program at an all-star game in Arizona a couple months ago.

“I was pretty shocked,” Jeffries said. “I did not think I was going to make it at all. When I did, I was really excited ... I immediately knew I wanted to do it."

Moving away from home was a big decision for his family, but one they made easily.

"The decision was no question," said Jeffries' mother, Terry Jeffries. "It's a great stepping stone for his ultimate goal. We know he would love to play professionally someday."

It may have helped that the Jeffries' family is no stranger to the professional soccer world -- Mike Jeffries, AJ Jeffries' father, is a former professional soccer player who currently works for the Chicago Fire.

The day-to-day life

Life in the residency program is pretty strict, Jeffries said. Of course, it revolves around soccer. 

He trains for a few hours a day, from lifting weights to soccer practice. On the weekends, he might play a scrimmage or play against MLS teams, academy teams and NLS teams.

He might also occasionally go abroad for a soccer tournament.

Jeffries goes to school for three hours and 20 minutes on a week day. Gym is counted as a credit because the students play soccer every day. After class they go to the dorms and do homework.

Reconciling some of the classes he would miss at North was the hardest part of the move, Terry Jeffries said. He's taking an online Spanish class to make up for the semester he's missing at North. 

“He’s doing great school-wise,” she said. “It’s one semester and it will put him up a notch as far as things soccer-wise.”

The guys also have organized social outings to the mall or to a movie.

AJ Jeffries said the move has definitely been a transition.

“It’s been a pretty weird experience,” he said. “I had to leave my whole family behind. It’s a completely different environment, living in the dorms with other guys.”

He said the teens get along well with one another, which has helped him feel more at home. His roommates come from all over the country.

"They're a great group of guys, so that's helped me get used to it," he said. "There's one from California, New York, Michigan and Vegas."

Terry Jeffries said the experiences of living away from home has already had an effect on her son.

“I felt like he had grown up a lot in just two months time,” Jeffries said. “While it’s a hard experience for kids that age to go away … I think he’s had the realization that he has a pretty good family. He definitely appreciates us more. He definitely appreciates the food at home more.”

Jeffries said the program has changed the way he looks at the training and practices back in Downers Grove.

"Before I didn't work out enough," he said. "I've gotten into the habit that when I have free time with daylight, I walk up to the (soccer) fields and knock a ball around. When I get back, I want to stay in the habit. When I have extra time, instead of wasting it, I'll work on my ball skills."

All in the family

AJ Jeffries' father, Mike Jeffries, played soccer at Duke University, where he was awarded the Hermann Trophy in 1983. The award is comparable to the Heisman Trophy in college football, Terry Jeffries said.

Jeffries then played professionally for the Minnesota Strikers and the Dallas Sidekicks. An injury in 1988 ended his career as a player. While in business school he started to coach youth teams. 

Since then, he's coached at the college level at Duke, the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio and Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

He has also coached professionally for the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers, the Fire and was the head coach for the Dallas Burn.

Jeffries currently works for the Fire as its director of player personnel.

AJ's career

While AJ Jeffries will be focused on soccer every day for the next few months, he said he’ll never get sick of it.

“Soccer has become a part of my life for so long,” he said. “It’s as natural to me as going to school.”

Jeffries started playing soccer when he was 18 months old. At that time, his father was coaching in New Orleans. Jeffries would go to his father's games, where he would sit in captive anticipation for the end of the game. That's when he could go down on the field and kick the ball around.

“He would literally dribble the ball, which came up to the top of his legs at that point, up and down the field,” his mother, Terry Jeffries, said.

He would also play games in the basement with his dad. "He loved playing, even then," Mike Jeffries said.

When AJ Jeffries started playing organized soccer, he was always above the pack, Terry Jeffries said.

“When younger kids play soccer, they tend to stay in a pack,” she said. “They all hover around the ball. He knew the ball would eventually come out and he could make his move.”

As AJ grew up, he played on park district teams, school teams and select teams (teams a level up from club teams). As a freshman, he went straight to North's varsity soccer team. He’s also currently part of the Chicago Fire Academy team.

Jeffries said he likes soccer because it’s different from other sports.

“It’s so much more free flowing than other sports,” he said. “In other sports you have set plays you have to run but in soccer it’s completely up to the players to know what to do. You have to know what’s going on. You can’t just be a good athlete.”

Mike Jeffries said soccer has given him and his son a common bond.

"Hopefully, my involvement for soccer has been good for him in terms of inspiration," he said. "He's gotten to hang around with me in locker room, meet the players and see what it's like to be a college player. As he's gotten older, it's been really neat to draw upon and talk about."

After the program

Jeffries hopes that when he returns to Downers Grove, he’ll soon receive a homegrown player contract from Fire, which will allow him to start training with the team and still pursue school.

Brian Gervase, the varsity soccer coach at North, wrote in an e-mail that as far as he had heard, it was the plan to have AJ Jeffries back in the fall.

"It is our understanding that AJ will be back in the fall at North High School where his team will welcome one of last season's captains back with open arms!" he wrote. "If AJ has great success where he is and decides to stay, we will be excited for him and wish him all the best."

His mom said he’s also talked about playing soccer in college, specifically at Wake Forest and UCLA.

“He much prefers the warm weather,” Jeffries said. “He also wants to go to a Division I school.”

But college decisions are still a little way off for the sophomore. AJ Jeffries said he didn't even know which college he wanted to go to.

Mike Jeffries said that he’ll be proud of his son no matter how far he goes with soccer.

“I hope he loves playing and continues to enjoy the game,” Jeffries said. “I hope he is able to be a kid that develops as much as he can and continues to push himself along in the game.”