The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, despite its success, lacks depth within its player pool. Head Coach Emma Hayes thinks she has found the perfect solution. 

From Jan. 17-23, the youth national players will run a camp alongside the senior national team, coached by Hayes in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The camp was originally supposed to be held in California but was moved to Florida due to the Los Angeles wildfires. 

Hayes will be kept busy, as she will be coaching 50 players with the help of a few assistant coaches. She has said she is thrilled to have a camp without the pressure of an important game at the end of it. It will allow her to focus on the talent and learn more about the players without worrying about what will work best in an upcoming game.

Hayes wants to run this camp because she is desperate to deepen the national team’s player pool. The team has suffered from injuries and many recent retirements, including standout central midfield Julie Ertz. It lacks the depth needed to replace injured players and retirees, which will weaken it over time. 

Hayes wants to deepen the player pool for upcoming tournament rosters. The 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics are approaching faster than they seem, and Hayes is desperate to have experience and talent for these tournaments. 

The team lacks midfield players, and it shows. Hayes hopes to bring in more skilled midfield players who will provide goal-scoring opportunities for the offensive players.

Hayes is excited to bring in less-experienced players to provide them with the training they need to become more experienced players. This will also help them have more opportunities to play with the senior national team as time goes on. 

This camp will help Hayes create a roster for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup in February. This tournament will mark the team’s first games in 2025. Their group-stage opponents include Colombia, Australia, and Japan. 

With more experienced players, the team should have no problems beating tough international competitors in the future.