The Chicago Fire has hired U.S. Soccer Director of Youth Development Tim Carter to lead its new academy program. Carter served U.S. Soccer as a regional coaching coordinator before heading up its U-14 player development program. He was the men’s head coach at Illinois State University before the program was dropped. “Tim Carter is the ideal candidate for the Fire’s Director of Player Development,” Fire General Manager Peter Wilt. “We are grateful to U.S. Soccer for allowing Tim to leave the Federation to create what we hope will be the model for youth development throughout Major League Soccer.” The Fire Academy will provide professional coaching for the best young players in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. It will work in conjunction with the area’s top youth soccer clubs to supplement the high-level training that the area’s best players are currently getting. The Chicago Fire Academy will consist of boys and girls player pools at the U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-18 levels. Players selected from various developmental and identification camps will participate in weekly training sessions coached by the area’s top youth coaches from the area’s top youth clubs. Coaching directors from the Chicago Magic, Chicago Sockers, Chicago Wind, Trevians and other clubs have already shown their support for the concept and have assisted in the formative stages of the Fire Academy. “We are committed to developing a youth program that creates a better environment for the top players in the Chicago area,” said Fire head coach Bob Bradley. “I look forward to working with Tim to make this youth program successful.” Carter, Bradley and his assistant coaches, Denis Hamlett, Daryl Shore and Tom Soehn, along with Fire Camp Coordinator Frank Klopas will also regularly provide professional instruction at the Academy. Fire players, including team captain Peter Nowak and Hristo Stoitchkov, have also expressed a desire to become involved with the training. The Chicago Fire Academy complements the Chicago Fire Reserves, a U-23 team, which will kickoff its first season in the Premier Development League May 13 at home against the Thunder Bay Chill at St. Xavier University.