The first year of the boys academic and athletic performance program at DME Academy, Sarasota was exactly what high-performance development should look like – competitive, demanding, intense, and transformational.

From the youngest players born in 2016 all the way through upperclassmen preparing for college opportunities, the inaugural boys class helped establish a culture centered around daily growth, elite habits, and relentless competition.

Vinny, Will, Noble, Lucas, Banner, Ryder, Tucker, Nick, and Erick helped lead the charge throughout year one, while Tyler, Quinton, Minsu, Carter, and Dorian — missing from the team photo — all played critical roles in helping shape the environment and standard inside the program.

Powered by SAI and located at Global Sports Institute, the boys trained three hours per day, Monday through Friday, balancing elite soccer development, strength training, tactical film sessions, recovery education, and academics before returning to their club environments and evening training sessions.

And the results spoke loudly.

Several players earned major developmental opportunities throughout the year, including international trial experiences in Portugal as well as opportunities to train with the second team environment at Tampa Bay Rowdies.

But perhaps the most impressive part of the year was the daily internal competition.

Every training session carried intensity. Every drill demanded focus. With such a talented and driven group of boys, nothing was handed out easily. Players had to earn respect, earn minutes, and earn growth every single day.

“The boys group was unbelievably competitive from day one,” said Jared Antista. “There were a lot of personalities, a lot of talent, and a lot of ambition in one environment, and honestly, that made everyone better.”

“You could feel the intensity every day — in the gym, on the field, during film sessions, even in recovery. The standard naturally rose because the players pushed each other constantly. To see some of these guys go from talented athletes to more complete players with professional habits has been really rewarding.”

The growth extended far beyond technical ability.

The boys developed physically in the weight room, tactically through game analysis, and mentally through learning how to handle pressure, accountability, and consistency in a high-performance environment.

Coach JT believes the adversity and competition were some of the biggest catalysts for growth.

“This group challenged each other constantly,” said JT. “There were days where the level was extremely high because nobody wanted to lose anything, whether that was conditioning, small-sided games, lifting numbers, or competitive drills.”

“The biggest thing for me was seeing them mature throughout the year. They started understanding what it really means to prepare like serious athletes. Recovery, nutrition, film, communication, leadership — those things started becoming normal for them, and that’s when you really see the jump happen.”

Now, with the foundation officially built, the future looks even brighter.

Nearly all of the boys are expected to return next season across DME Academy Sarasota’s Venice and Lakewood Ranch locations as the program continues expanding its footprint and developmental opportunities.

Year two will also mark another major milestone for the academy, with the first graduating classes on both the boys and girls side expected next year as players begin pursuing collegiate pathways and higher-level playing opportunities.

The inaugural boys class didn’t simply join a new program.

They helped forge the identity of it.

They embraced the pressure.
They competed relentlessly.
And they helped create a culture built around development, discipline, and ambition.

The foundation is officially set.
And DME Academy Sarasota is only getting started.