While taking in a game at TOYOTA PARK or watching the Chicago Fire play on television, look closely at the jerseys of Fire Young Guns Chad Barrett and Bakary Soumare and you will see a small difference on them. A black patch on the right sleeve of these two jerseys marks the players as members of the elite Generation adidas program.
Generation adidas, similar to the Project 40 program sponsored by Nike through 2004, is a program developed by the U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer to provide young talented soccer players with an opportunity to play professional soccer without sacrificing a college degree. These players play in as many professional games as possible while also attending college.
The program's sponsor, adidas, adds an incentive for the young players to pursue professional careers while furthering their education by allocating money for their college tuition. The program also adds a sense of security for young players whose presence doesn't count against the MLS mandated roster limit. Also, the salaries for these players are the responsibility of adidas and do not count against the League mandated salary cap either.
Since its inaugural year in 2005, the Generation adidas program has sponsored 31 young players, three of which have played for the Fire. Generation adidas players Chad Barrett from UCLA, Will John from St. Louis University and Bakary Soumare from the University of Virginia have all donned the Fire jersey within the last three years.
Now in his third season with the Fire, Barrett has proven to be one of the success stories of the Generation adidas program. Barrett has played a total 37 games for the Fire, starting 14 of them, while tallying six goals and five assists. Barrett plans to finish a degree in sports management, sociology, or marketing.
Chicago Fire rookie Bakary Soumare said that having been selected to the Generation adidas program was a major factor in his decision to give up his remaining NCAA eligibility and enter the 2007 MLS SuperDraft.
"I gave up a scholarship for school so it is nice to be assured that I can play professional soccer and still have the chance to finish college."
Soumare will use his tuition allotment towards classes at DePaul University to finish his foreign affairs degree.
Other up and coming Generation adidas players to watch around the league include: Josmer Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Sasha Kjestan (Chivas USA), and Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution).
