International Soccer Academy celebrates third anniversary

MISHAWAKA, Ind. (WNDU) - What’s good in Michiana?

The International Soccer Academy of America (ISAA), located on Edison Road in Mishawaka, is about to kick off its third school year.

It is the country’s first in-person, accredited high school for soccer players.

“Really exciting to see how far that we have come, and we are really excited to see how far we can continue to go, but also how many more students we can continue to serve,” said ISAA Founder Ethan Hunt.

The academy offers a rigorous curriculum with roughly 10 students per class.

“We get one-on-one interactions with the teachers. Everyone is really close here since there’s not many students, so we all have a really close bond,” said Student at ISAA Gaby Esparza.

This year they are adding more staff.

Hunt said this would make classes even stronger.

“When there are more adults in the building, and there’s more staff, and more experience, I think that the kids will gain different knowledge that maybe they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise,” said Hunt.

Hunt said many students go on to play college soccer.

“So, last year was our first senior graduating class as an accredited school and over half of our seniors graduated and are playing collegiate soccer on a scholarship,” said Hunt.

He said it is all about shaping the next generation of students.

“I have always said that in this community we have a lot of opportunities for kids, and we just want to be one of those options to help students achieve their dreams,” said Hunt.

Speaking of shaping the next generation, Hunt said late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski helped shape his dream of opening this academy. Walorski considered the academy a special place.

“What I do take now moving forward is the impact that she had on me. I try and cast that impact onto other people, especially these kids,” said Hunt.

The academy is hosting a parent night on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., which happens to be the one-year anniversary of Walorski’s death.

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