Aaron Burgess, a Bermuda Under-17 player, has helped the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, reach this month’s United States Soccer Development Academy play-offs.

Burgess, who is a speedy winger, played a key role in the team’s success this season, scoring five goals and having 16 assists as IMG Academy’s Under-16 team won six of their final seven regular-season games to reach the play-offs.

During the team’s late run, IMG defeated Concorde Fire 4-1 and then lost 2-0 to Georgia United. From that point they needed to win their final five games to qualify for the play-offs and won all five, beating Orlando City 3-2, Capital Area Railhawks 3-1 and Carolina Fusion 2-0. IMG then sealed back-to-back wins against Kendall SC, 1-0 and 2-0 to finish sixth in the league.

Burgess, 16, is the son of former Hamilton Parish player Phillip Burgess and a cousin to local players Nigel and Tyrell Burgess, as well as Shakeem Albuoy. He will join his team in the group play-offs in Indianapolis on June 22 against Portland Timbers Under-16s, New York Red Bulls Under-16s and Solar Chelsea SC Under-16s.

“If they win their group they go on to the next qualifier at the end of July,” Philip Burgess said.

“The coaches are now trying to recruit some of our top players and that’s how Aaron got scouted, through a training session when coaches came down and liked him and took him to a trial and he got a scholarship.”

The IMG Academy play in the Southern Conference Division of the American Soccer Academy League. IMG is a prep school, from where most of the players go on to Division 1 and Division 2 schools.

Burgess played with the Bermuda Under-18s when they faced the US Under-17s at the IMG complex in February, Bermuda going up 2-0 before losing 5-2.

“There are players from Mexico, South America, Middle East, one kid from Africa and Americans as well that make up the Academy’s Under-16 team,” Burgess said.

“Aaron’s coach is from Argentina and he likes the speed that Aaron has. Aaron was very receptive [about IMG] from the outset, we took him out there and he was very impressed with the environment and the professionalism.”