San Diego, CA – San Diego MLS is proud to announce that it will become the first professional sports organization to establish a dedicated professional training facility on a tribal reservation. The cutting edge facility includes a Right To Dream residential youth development academy, the first of its kind in the United States. Located in El Cajon on Sycuan tribal land, this visionary project will span a 28-acre site that currently encompasses a portion of the Pine Glen Golf Course and the Singing Hills Hotel, providing an ideal setting for the evolution of soccer in San Diego.
A key component of this historic endeavor is the establishment of a Right to Dream Academy, a residential youth academy that will accommodate students between the ages of 11- 18, spanning grades 6 through 12. The existing Singing Hills Hotel will be thoughtfully repurposed and accommodate youth academy dormitories and classroom facilities that will provide education for students living on campus. Facilities will be made available to students, professional players, and staff working on campus, fostering an environment of unity, growth, and unparalleled opportunity.
“We couldn’t ask for a more perfect location for our training facility and Right to Dream Academy,” said Tom Penn, CEO, San Diego MLS. “This land is absolutely beautiful – rich with tradition and heritage – which will give us the foundation to achieve our vision to become the epicenter of football excellence and innovation in North America. We are grateful for the unwavering support of our Club ownership Mr. Mohamed Mansour and Sycuan.”
The project’s core features include:
- 125,000 Square-Foot Campus: The project includes construction of a new 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art sports performance facility for the first team and academy teams, equipped with cutting-edge technology and amenities. The project also includes the renovation of ten existing hotel buildings that will be repurposed for student housing, the Right To Dream school, employee housing/offices, and guest accommodations.
- Five Soccer Fields: The facility will boast five full-sized soccer fields, including three natural turf fields and two synthetic turf fields. These fields will serve as the canvas where dreams are nurtured and skills are honed.
- Infrastructure Improvements: The project will also include open-air training areas surrounded by the natural beauty of the Sycuan tribal land and infrastructure improvements to ensure seamless access and operations.
Added Cody Martinez, Sycuan Tribal Chairman, “The establishment of the San Diego MLS training facility and youth academy right here on our reservation represents a powerful convergence of our shared passions and our commitment to the San Diego region. We are immensely proud of what this moment represents. It signifies a new chapter in the story of the Sycuan Tribe and San Diego—a chapter where we come together through our shared love for soccer to build a brighter future for our youth, our city, and our tribe. For the Sycuan Tribe, this venture underscores our deep roots in the San Diego community. We have been a part of this community for generations, and today, we take another significant step in further solidifying our presence and contribution to the growth and prosperity of this region. Our commitment to soccer extends beyond the game itself; it’s about fostering inclusivity, promoting youth development, and creating a positive impact on our community.
“From the moment we first became involved in the San Diego MLS project, we have made a commitment to the people of San Diego: that we would bring the world-leading Right to Dream academy model to this great city and county. Today we make good on that commitment,” said Mohamed Mansour, Owner and Chairman, San Diego MLS. “This model has already transformed lives and yielded great results in Africa and Europe, and for San Diego, with such a deep pool of soccer talent, we are excited to see the impact it will bring..”
Tom Vernon, Founder/CEO of Right to Dream, and a member of the San Diego MLS ownership group, said ‘This is a great opportunity to extend the Right to Dream ecosystem to San Diego with our partners. As we have, at the highest level, elsewhere we will continue to redefine what excellence means in football by bringing our unique offering of football, education and life skills development to maximize opportunities for young talent’
The groundbreaking ceremony for this momentous project is scheduled later this year, in November, when renderings of the facilities will be unveiled and details of the Right To Dream model will be further explained.