TUCSON, Ariz. – For the second straight year, Justin Rennicks is spending his February school vacation not on a beach, but on a soccer field with the New England Revolution’s first team.
Rennicks, who was named the Revolution’s UnitedHealthcare Academy Player of the Year last season, arrived in Tucson earlier this week and jumped straight into training, and while he admits that the experience was a bit overwhelming last year, he’s been much more comfortable this time around.
“I definitely came in more understanding of what it’s going to be like and more ready,” said Rennicks, who won’t even turn 17 until next month. “I knew it was going to be faster and more physical, so I got myself mentally ready for that. I just had to get used to the speed, but it’s getting better.”
“Our guys know who he is and want to bring him along,” said head coach Jay Heaps. “They’re not too hard on him, but at the same time we want to make sure he’s getting up to speed. No one’s taking it easy on him. His speed of play gets there. After a couple days, you can really see it start to increase.”
This is the third straight year that the Revs have invited at least one Academy player to join them for a week of training in Tucson, including the opportunity to participate in high-level preseason matches against MLS opposition in the Desert Diamond Cup.
“We really want to have that relationship with our Academy,” said Heaps. “(Director of Youth Development) Bryan Scales and their staff do a great job in their environment, but it’s good to get them into a professional environment because it’s a little bit different.”
Rennicks was joined in camp last year by Zachary Herivaux, who trained as an Academy player on both the 2014 and 2015 preseason trips to Tucson. Now, of course, Herivaux is a full-fledged member of the first team, and Rennicks said the midfielder, more than three years his senior, has been a mentor of his since they were teammates in the Academy.
“I watched Zach come on these preseason trips with the first team and he got signed,” said Rennicks, a native of South Hamilton, Massachusetts. “It just motivates me to work harder.”
In many ways that work is already paying off for Rennicks, who has consistently been a part of U.S. National Team camps at both the Under-16 and Under-18 levels, even scoring a goal for the U16s against Romania last January.
But the work must continue, particularly at such a critical age in his development.
“Athletically and physically he’s still growing, and that’s normal,” said Heaps. “But it’s how quickly can we get his soccer there? That’s most important with an athletic kid like Justin is to make sure that the soccer doesn’t go second to the physical side.
“The best players are the ones that are both physical and technical, and we want to make sure he gets there. Every time he’s with us, you can see some of that progression.”
