Coaches understand that not all players develop at the same rate. In youth soccer, it's common to have players at different skill levels—some ready for the next challenge and others who need a bit more refinement. Seeing a need for personalized soccer training, Tyler Fenstermacher, Director of PDP, took action and began designing structured training programs for players at all levels. This led to the development of the Philadelphia Union's Player Development Program (PDP).
Today, the program offers 1-on-1 Training, Small Group Training (6:1 player-to-coach ratio), and Team Training, all designed to enhance player skills and performance. Tyler's PDP training is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing parents to choose session packages that best fit their schedules. Training is available in blocks of 1, 5, or 10 sessions, making it easy to tailor the program to each player's needs. All sessions take place at the WSFS Bank SportsPlex, a high-quality training environment.
“Personalized training is a powerful tool for accelerating a young player’s development, and I’m thrilled that we can now offer focused coaching to soccer athletes across the region. As a coach, my goal is to enhance skills, deepen tactical understanding, and elevate overall performance. It’s always rewarding to see a player’s confidence grow—both in their technical abilities and strategic approach to the game,”
– Tyler Fenstermacher, Director of PDP
The PDP 1-on-1 Training program provides personalized coaching for players looking to enhance their technical and tactical skills. Sessions are tailored to the player’s individual needs focusing on areas such as passing, shooting, decision making, and ball mastery. This has become one of our most popular programs.
The PDP Small Group Training program provides focused training with a low player-to-coach ratio (6:1). It emphasizes ball mastery, passing, receiving, and technical skills in a game-like environment. Training includes competitive scenarios, peer learning, and social skill development. Sessions aim to provide more touches on the ball than typical team practices, fostering improvement in a group dynamic.
The PDP Team Training program enhances team dynamics by focusing on team cohesion, tactical development, and role-specific training. Sessions are tailored to real-game scenarios and emphasize communication, teamwork, and executing the coach's game plan. This type of training boosts overall team morale, accountability, and player skills, contributing to improved performance.
Tyler is proud to say –
“PDP has been getting high marks from parents too. I wanted to create an accessible program for everyone by lowering entry barriers. Using our scheduling system, parents can easily book training sessions at times that work best for their busy family schedules."
The Philadelphia Union is actively committed to developing young soccer athletes across the region. Learn more about the Player Development Program HERE.
