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By Luis Bueno / MLSnet.com Staff

CARSON, Calif. - The youngest professional athlete in more than a century in the United States recently became the youngest player to represent the U.S. national team.

While those accolades set Freddy Adu apart, the 16-year-old D.C. United attacker is really just another player trying to better himself.

"It's been a great experience," Adu said of his first full national team camp. "You come in here hoping to get better as time goes on and that's exactly what I'm doing. The better you get the more looks you're going to get from the coach."

Adu has apparently earned a look from U.S. coach Bruce Arena. The teenager played the final nine minutes in the USA's 0-0 draw with Canada on Sunday, stepping onto the field after forward Eddie Johnson was taken out with an injury.

Versatility is quickly becoming a part of Adu's arsenal.

"I'm just trying to do whatever is asked of me," Adu said. "I've been thrown into many different positions. Sometimes I'm on the left. Sometimes I'm in the middle. Sometimes I'm up top. So you always have to be prepared. I'm learning a lot so hopefully I can keep getting better and better."

Adu is one of nearly 30 players in the lengthy U.S. training camp. With the World Cup a scant few months away, Arena is likely looking to add depth to the squad while helping bring along standout Major League Soccer players. For his part, Adu - who played in 25 games for United last season - has the capacity for success but lacks the experience, U.S. coach Bruce Arena said.

"He's a talented kid who is very inexperienced and young so you can't expect too much at this point in time," Arena said. "He's 16 years old any way you look at it. You talk about patience, he clearly needs that. He needs to get a couple of good years under his belt with his club team where he fits in as a regular and sees a bunch of 90-minute games and plays well and deals with all of that. Right now, he has a long way to go."

It might be a while if and when Adu has an impact on the senior side but he's already a step ahead developmentally. Current national team standouts Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley each debuted with the senior team at the age of 18; each will be 24 when the World Cup starts in June. Adu will be just 21 when World Cup 2010 rolls around.

So even if Adu is not on the World Cup roster in 2006, being in national team camp now can only benefit him in the long run.

"If you don't make the World Cup team, tough luck," Adu said. "Yeah, you're going to be disappointed but at least you know you gave it 110 percent and tried to do whatever the coach asked of you.

"But it doesn't end there either. You've got to take a lot from it, you learn from it either way and hopefully it makes you a better player down the road because I know I've got a long road ahead of me and I'm trying to prepare for that."

Adu's initial camp experience has been "definitely the most grueling camp" he's ever been in, he said, but it's one that has helped his development even further.

"You've got to be mentally focused every day. You've got to bring it every day. That's the most challenging part I think," Adu said.

"It also challenges you to dig deep because some days you're really tired and sometimes you want to go through the motions but you can't do that here because everybody is trying to make the World Cup team."

Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.