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U8 Academy

MSC
U8 Player Development Academy
2012 – 2013

Our U8 Player Development Academy is for boys and girls who love soccer and wish to learn more about the game and improve their ball skills in an environment that emphasizes beginning technical ball mastery while having fun.

Our U8 Academy will use the “player pool” training method which has been successful in developing creative, skillful players who have an enhanced love of the game and their club.

The U8 PDA will focus on the development of EVERY player, instead of teams at this young age as recommended by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in their ‘Player Development Guidelines’. This focus is also strongly recommended in the coaching license courses run by the USSF and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

The main reason behind the development of individual players is that in the past there has been so much focus on creating winning teams, that the players’ technical skills have never developed enough to be able to carry out the tactics needed to play at the next level. After all, there are NO tactics without technique. It is the individual ball skills, creativity and love of the game that will create exciting soccer players who can play on the Select teams within MSC.

All of our U8 players will play in the Recreation program. They will practice once with their recreation team and once in the Academy, where we encourage all our players to play without any fear of making mistakes and to express themselves positively on the soccer field.

Our licensed coaches will challenge all of the players to get better and improve and teach sportsmanship and good values to the players in the process. Our coaching philosophy is to guide the players to the answers of the many challenges that the sport provides so that they have a better understanding of soccer, instead of throwing all the answers at them and expecting them to remember them.

U8 Academy Guidelines
• Players must be born between August 1, 2004-July 31, 2005

• Sessions run approx. from August 1-November 30 and February 1-May 31.

• They will practice one day per week within the Academy.

• U8’s will be required to play in the MSC Recreational Program, this will give them one practice and one game per week, during the Recreational season.

• The Academy will be allowed to participate in the fall and the spring Kohl’s American Cup Recreational Tournament sponsored by USYS.

• The U8’s could also participate in a U8 Festival within MSC at the end of each recreational season.

• The U8 Academy will be all parity.

• There will be no academy training costs for parents.

Printable U8 Academy Documentation: Click Here