In 1999 the Federation's commitment reached a new level by creating the Bradenton program, where players train year-round at the IMG Academy, attend a local high school, and work with sports psychologists. Besides preparing players for the U-17 World Cup and higher-level national team duty, Bradenton also feeds players into Project-40, the joint venture by U.S. Soccer and MLS to provide players an alternative to college soccer.

Fizzling out?

Coach John Ellinger headed the program from its inception until 2004, and his first class remains the most successful based on U-17 World Cup results (fourth place in 1999) and the number of players, like DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Bobby Convey and Oguchi Onyewu, who moved up the ladder to play in the senior World Cup and become  national team regulars.

About 200 players have taken part in the residency program. The Federation says more than 70 have moved on to MLS or European pro clubs.  Fourteen players have made at least one appearance for the full national team, including Eddie Johnson and Freddy Adu. Johnson, from the Bradenton class of 2001, is the fifth Bradenton alum to appear in the senior World Cup.

Before the launch of Bradenton, five players from a U-17 World Cup squad made a senior World Cup squad: Tim Howard, John O'Brien, Claudio Reyna, Chad Deering and Mike Burns.

The Bradenton Program expanded in 2003 from 20 to 40 players, and the current class has 48. About half of each class is comprised of a younger age group for whom making a U-17 World Cup is less likely. Jozy Altidore is an example of a player from the younger group who made the U-17 World Cup squad in 2005, while Michael Bradley is a "tweener" who didn't go to a U-17 World Cup but later played in the U-20 World Cup and for the U.S. national team.