Academy
San Diego FC Performance Center & Right to Dream Academy
The San Diego FC Performance Center and Right to Dream Academy will be an integral part of the Club’s 125,000 square-foot campus that will feature a 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art sports performance center shared by the first team and academy teams, and five full-sized soccer fields, including three natural turf fields and two synthetic turf fields.
“The San Diego FC Performance Center and Right to Dream Academy will enable us to develop future generations of world-class players across greater San Diego,” said Tom Penn, CEO, San Diego FC. “This facility reaffirms our commitment to create opportunities for young talent to flourish and our vision to become the epicenter of football excellence and innovation in North America.”
“San Diego FC is the first major sports organization in America to be jointly owned by a Native American tribe and now we are the first major club to build a training facility and Right to Dream academy on Native American land,” said Mr. Mansour. “Singing Hills is hallowed ground, and we hope that what we build here will do it justice and create a lasting legacy.”
Continued Chairman Cody Martinez, “This is a proud moment for the Sycuan Tribe and a giant step in serving the next generation of young athletes and future leaders throughout the San Diego community. The construction of San Diego FC’s state-of-the-art performance center lays the foundation to nurture the dreams of young talent, fostering a stronger community, and creating a legacy of soccer excellence.”
“A cultural focal point of the facility is the second floor dining room and communal hub, overlooking the training fields, which fosters engagement between the academy players, coaches, teachers and professional players,” says Jonathan Emmett, Principal and Global Sports Practice Area Leader, Gensler. The residential academy will accommodate male students between the ages of 12-18, spanning grades six through 12. The first group of residential athletes will be enrolled in Fall 2025. Additionally, San Diego FC will create a non-residential girls pathway at the academy, making San Diego FC the first MLS club to develop emerging female talent.
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.
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.
