The Orlando City SC Academy and B Teams win praise for player development. The Orlando Pride has entered that organization’s Development Circle of Excellence.
The end of 2025 marked the first year for the expanded Orlando Pride affiliates, now a league-leading development system. The squad’s 11 Pride Soccer School teams competed in the Purple Pathway Classic alongside the Orlando City SC developmental clubs.
The Pride’s Soccer Schools launched last August. Although a short time, organizational leadership has noted the valuable contribution the development arm is making.
A pathway of purpose 💜
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) December 18, 2025
Pride Soccer Schools wrap up their inaugural year grounded in development, belonging, and opportunity. Read more below ⤵️
The goal was to establish something meaningful and sustainable for girls in the community, said Julio Serrano, Soccer School Technical Lead for Orlando City and the Pride. During this year’s Purple Pathway Classic, he observed that the girls came exhibiting the same professional environment that the organization's first teams show daily.
The Purple Pathway Classic is an annual youth soccer tournament for U12/U11 boys and girls, celebrating the purple Orlando City and Pride brands. Players from the soccer schools and other youth clubs showcase their skills and build camaraderie while experiencing high-level competition.
With the Pride extending professional development opportunities to more than 4,000 female athletes and coaches – donning Orlando Pride branded uniforms – the organization has the largest youth affiliate program in the NWSL throughout its 11 soccer schools in the Orlando Youth Soccer Network.
The soccer schools in this network are elite affiliate members as official Orlando Pride embassies in their regions. Among many advantages for the players and coaches, they learn the club’s proven technical curriculum, youth development methodology, and coaching education practices.
They have access to first team players, coaches, training facilities, and matchday experiences.
The Orlando Pride organization knows what it takes to regain the momentum they displayed in 2024. That’s when they won the NWSL Championship and Shield.
The Orlando Pride squad that wins the next championship will require perfect communication with their scouts and unified focus among players and coaches. Now they have the long-term piece to their championship machine. That is their 11 soccer schools in the Orlando Youth Soccer Network – the largest youth affiliate program in the NWSL.