Data-Driven: How IFA & MAP Work to Enhance Player Development
September 26th, 2025; The preseason saw IFA New England MLS U15 to U19 teams undergo performance testing with Mass Athlete Performance (MAP), as part of the club's continued commitment to provide the most advanced player development environment featuring the highest quality coaching and development techniques available.
Founded in 2017, MAP is a club agnostic organization that assists student athletes through strength and conditioning, injury prevention, team performance and a host of other services designed to assist players to make the next steps in their athletic careers.
Based at the Longfellow Healthclub in Wellesley, our players underwent a series of physical tests to determine early season benchmarks, with testing models created with IFA technical department staff to identify key performance markers. These included a 10-yard spring, broad jump and vertical jump.
Players aerobic capacity was also measured via the Beep test.In future this will be replaced by a 300-yard shuttle which provides a measure of an athletes ability to sustain repeated bouts of effort in the glycolytic system by performing multiple rounds of shuttle run.
“IFA’s player first philosophy was a driving force between this partnership,” said MAP owner Lee Popper. “The players are excited to be there and see this as an opportunity to get to that next level and improve and help your team. We try to use a lot of measurables, and they can push themselves, and see how they’ve progressed over time,” said Popper.
Moving forward MLS Homegrown players will attend MAP sessions as they recover from the weekend’s matches. These sessions will last for 75 minutes and involve a mixture of SAQ work on the turf and weight training. The focus is specific to soccer with sessions designed to support explosivity and recovery.
MAP staff will also educate the players in the science behind the work they are doing e.g. why certain muscles need to be activated in certain ways to help long term health and striking power. Re-evaluation testing will take place in November to see the performance and improvement areas.
MLS NEXT is the premier boys’ youth development league in North America, created by Major League Soccer. It features top-level competition for players aged U13 to U19, bringing together elite talent from across the country. As a member of MLS NEXT, our players compete at the highest national standard, with direct exposure to college, professional, and U.S. national team pathways. IFA New England competes in both tiers of MLS NEXT.