Jozy Altidore opening unique soccer training facility near Atlanta

Former U.S. striker Jozy Altidore is co-owner of a business that will open a unique soccer training facility for players across ages and skill levels in Fayetteville on Saturday.

The center, Sogility, is the sixth by the company of the same name, with locations from Ohio to Florida.

It attempts to differentiate itself from other soccer training companies by incorporating specific light technology with rebound boards, which are devices that players kick a ball against, packaged as Sogility Go. The technology measures speed, agility and ball speed and is processed through a mobile app. Altidore said the information provided makes it like the “Peloton of soccer.”

“It’s been a long time coming, and just really excited to get to this part of the country where soccer is rabid,” Altidore said.

The center is opening in Fayetteville partially because of proximity to the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, which is scheduled to be completed in the next few months.

In addition to the light technology, rebound boards and apps, the center will offer hands-on training from coaches through a membership plan composed of four levels. The basic level includes four sessions per month. The highest tier, Ultimate, has 16 sessions per month.

There are six training facets focused on: a technical zone, touches, vision, on the ball, athletic development and circuit training.

“I wanted to make sure I was a part of something that was more of a Switzerland than it was a club,” Altidore said. “With the competitiveness and all that, I wanted to be a place where everybody can come. You better your skills, you better your athletic development and then you go back to your respective clubs where you play. So that was kind of the really important thing for me in the grand scheme of (it) all.”

Altidore said many of the trainers are former professional players. Some were strikers. Some were goalkeepers. There are male and female trainers. There will be at least 10 coaches in Fayetteville. Former Canadian player Lauren Sesselmann is scheduled to be at Saturday’s opening.

The light and rebound board technology can be purchased. There are training videos, some of which include Altidore and others include former U.S. men’s player Bobby Wood.

“It’s like a full virtual coach,” Altidore said. “That’s our differentiator. Kids that can’t come to us for agility will be able to access the kind of virtual coach, and as long as they have a board and the light.”

Altidore said the best-case scenario is to run between 20-30 facilities across the United States.