Kaelen Fabry and Delaney Farinha have already made verbal commitments to play college soccer as high school juniors.

Fabry, a goaltender from Lisbon, is headed to Division I Quinnipiac. Preston’s Farinha, a forward, will play at Franklin Pierce, a Division II school in New Hampshire.

Neither player knows where they will play as seniors, however.

Fabry and Farinha opted to play for the Oakwood Soccer Club in Glastonbury rather than their high school, Norwich Free Academy, because Oakwood was a part of U.S. Soccer's Developmental Academy. The program ran for 10 months a year for players 13-19 years old.

But U.S. Soccer announced on April 15 that it was terminating its Developmental Academy program, citing financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason.

"There was no phasing out of the program or a heads-up," said Ryan Fabry, the boys' soccer coach at Lyman Memorial and Kaelen's father. "They were just so sudden in that regard. I knew they were having some difficulties financially, but I didn't think it would end the way it did."

Antonio Farinha, Delaney's father, said, "We weren't really thinking about it (the academy shutting down). Obviously, the virus came, and (Oakwood) came up with a workout plan for the kids to do on their own. They could monitor them weekly because (players) had the fitness belt at their homes. The kids knew they were being monitored so it could help them."

U.S. Soccer began its boys’ Development Academy program in 2007 and added a girls' program in 2017. Oakwood was the only club in the state with a Development Academy for both genders. Beachside of Norwalk had programs for boys.

"(Delaney) put her faith into (Oakwood) and the DA program and it ended up being a great program for her playing against the best," Antonio Farinha said. "That's why she chose that route."

U.S. Soccer promoted the DA program on its website as “providing elite, driven youth talents with development environments, which meet the highest standards, that empower them to reach their full potential.” It also barred participants from playing for their high school in 2012.

"If we want our players to someday compete against the best in the world,” former U.S. men’s national coach Jurgen Klinsmann said at the time, “it is critical for their development that they train and play as much as possible and in the right environment."

There were high school coaches across the country who weren't pleased to lose players to DA. Ryan Fabry has a unique perspective on the situation. He is father of daughters who both played in DA programs (Jordan, his youngest daughter, is an eighth grader), but he coaches at Lyman, a Class S school that can always use as many players as it can get.

“It was great,” Fabry said of the DA. “The level of soccer, nothing can compare to it in my opinion. For 10 months, they practiced three-to-four times a week with games on the weekends. And games were all over New England, north New Jersey, north Pennsylvania. We were all over the place. They would have showcases two-to-three times a year in (places like) Florida. We flew up to San Diego twice to play these teams.”

The DA certainly helped Delaney Farinha and Kaelen Fabry reach their potential and get recruited by colleges. Woodstock Academy senior Jess Kasacek, who also played for Oakwood, signed a national letter of intent last Wednesday with Division I West Virginia.

“The colleges were heavily recruiting out of the DA,” Ryan Fabry said, “but bottom line, my experience is that college coaches care about one thing, and that’s ability. You could be a superstar high school player who never even played premiere soccer and still play if you’re that good.

"Case in point is Alfonso Vazquez at Windham, who just signed with Hartford Athletic (of the United Soccer League).”

Vazquez scored a state-record 149 career goals for the Whippets, then opted to sign a professional contract instead of attending college.

Major League Soccer announced it would start a new elite youth program the same day that U.S. Soccer shut down its DA program. There’s no such thing for girls right now.

“We’re just hoping that (Oakwood) comes up with something quick,” Farinha said. “The uncertainty is tough. Granted, if it were a six-month program, then the next option is do you want to play in high school?”

Kaelen Fabry and Delaney Farinha could finish out their high school careers at NFA, where both are high honor students. Ryan Fabry said that former DA players could also opt for the Elite Club National League.

The closest clubs for those in southeastern Connecticut are Farmington and Bethany. The ECNL isn’t a 10-month program. It plays indoor in the winter and outdoor in the spring, and does it prevent players from competing for their high school team.

“Everything is up in the air in terms of where (Kaelen) is going to play (her senior) year,” Fabry said. “Will she go back and play a year in high school? Will she try out for CSC across the state in Bethany? Or will a new league rise out of the ashes?”

Fabry is optimistic that clubs such as Oakwood can create a program that fills the DA void. Farinha said there have been weekly calls with Oakwood.

“As much as (DA players) do long for a break once in a while,” Farinha said, “now they’re like, ‘oh, my God — when do we get back?’ They have Zoom calls where all the kids get on it and talk. They’re keeping in touch. That’s what great. One thing I can say is it’s not the best news positive (the DA program closing), but the club is keeping in touch with us. ‘Keep your faith in us.’”

n.griffen@theday.com