Josmer Altidore has advanced through the soccer ranks at breakneck speed. Like former PARADE Player of the Year Freddy Adu, Altidore has the rare talent to go straight from high school to the pros. Born in Newark, N.J., to Haitian immigrants, Altidore moved to Florida at age 3 and joined the high school varsity team in seventh grade. At 15, he was selected for U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program for 16- and 17-year-olds. Altidore showcased his skills as the youngest member of the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team last year by scoring 19 goals in 26 appearances. He was the youngest player chosen in the Major League Soccer draft this year, and he plays for the New York Red Bulls when not in school.

“He’s a physically imposing figure and very dangerous around the goal,” National Team Coach John Hackworth says of the 5-foot-10, 175-pound forward. “Things 16-years-olds don’t even think about doing, Josmer can execute. His ability under pressure sets him apart.”

Altidore continues to train at U.S. Soccer’s Under-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., where he’ll graduate from high school in December.