How SUSA Academy Is Providing The Optimal Soccer Environment

SUSA Academy is Long Island’s largest youth soccer club, offering year-round soccer training programs from Happy Feet, which trains children as young as two years old, to Academy, which accepts players up to 18 years old. Based in Suffolk County, SUSA strives to create the optimal soccer training environment and the best competition based on players' skill levels.

SUSA Academy's co-owner and president Moussa Sy has turned his lifelong passion for the sport into a career that's made quite the impact on the soccer community. Patch caught up with Sy to learn more about his "player first" philosophy as well as SUSA's new soccer complex in Central Islip.

Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?

Sy: SUSA has been in the community since 2001 as a soccer training organization with a sole purpose to provide quality training to its affiliate clubs, helping them to promote their top players and teams to the next level. SUSA’s transformation to a super club on Long Island has come in the last four years due to the change in the soccer landscape and a need for a more consolidated and better platform for youth development in our sport.

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?

Sy: What attracted me to this line of work was simply the love of the game. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and I am able to provide an environment where players and families feel a huge part of something, a special community. It's a process that can last anywhere from one to 15 years and beyond, which is something we pride ourselves in.

I was always intrigued by the fact that youth soccer teams 10 to 15 years ago were all coached by volunteer dads and most of them had no knowledge of the sport, but did it to support their children. As a soccer guy and having been around the sport my whole life, I really felt like this would be a place where I could make a big difference and impact people’s lives positively. I also have helped add something to the communities I was involved in through the sport I know and love. And that's how SUSA was created back in 2001.

Patch: If you had to sum up your business mission to a stranger in five words, what would those words be?

Sy: Identification, development, competition, perseverance, excellence.

Patch: What’s the biggest challenge or most difficult moment you’ve faced in your job?

Sy: With the constant change to the national landscape in soccer, the biggest challenge for an innovative and progressive club like SUSA FC has been the process of helping local clubs and town clubs to adapt to culture change. Culture change is for the best interest of the player. In doing so, SUSA as a super club is working tirelessly to provide a platform for like minded clubs and growth minded leaders to create an environment for elite players and recreational players alike.

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

Sy: The most satisfying part of my job is actually doing the job and being involved with soccer, the sport I love. To be able to provide a year-round soccer training program that will develop players to their greatest potential and create an environment for all levels of play for boys and girls is unparalleled. Our elite teams compete in some of the top leagues in the region and country. Our teams also participate in highly competitive tournaments nationwide. The national recognition we get from the different exposures to high level of play and competition has helped SUSA FC players place in some of the top collegiate programs in the country. That is very satisfying to us, and something that I am very proud of.

Patch: How would you say your business or organization distinguishes itself from the others?

Sy: The difference between SUSA FC and other organizations on Long Island and the State of New York in general is that we focus our energy and resources in working with people who believe in why we are doing this. Our model is based on community relations and affiliates who buy in to a “player first” philosophy.

• We offer optimal opportunities for our players to achieve success on and off the field, athletically and academically.
• We provide a professional coaching staff with high human values focused on the development of the individual player first.
• We provide our teams opportunities to compete at all levels of play within their age groups.
• We provide state of the art facilities to facilitate sound development and growth of our players.
• We encourage high level of cooperation with our local affiliate clubs to promote progression and create a better environment for each player based on ability.

Patch: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given when it comes to success?

Sy: Effort+ Difficulty= Success. To experience success, one has to have grit. One can only excel with perseverance. Having an end game in mind will determine the degree of success.

Patch: Are there any new projects or endeavors you’re working on that you’re extra excited about?

Sy: The most exciting project we are all waiting for is the completion of our new soccer complex in Central Islip. This will be something huge on Long Island and the first of its kind by any organization. Long Island needs a place where soccer people can identify with each other, and this will make SUSA FC the home of soccer on Long Island. Our vision is right. We have the right people working with us, and the communities buy into why we are doing this. The product on the field is a testament to our working model in this new landscape.

Patch: Do you have any events coming up in your community?

Sy: We have open houses for our programs in the third week of April. For more info visit our website.

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your work and business?

Sy: To learn more about SUSA FC and what we do, please visit our website.

This Patch article is sponsored by SUSA Academy

Photo Credit: SUSA Academy