Competitive Player Development
We do not believe that players should be placed on a 'static' team for one year at a time, as is the case with many other clubs. We feel that players develop at varying rates, sometimes unevenly, and often unpredictably.
We believe that competitive players deserve to have an independent and professional coaching staff that is responsible for evaluating them at all times, in order to preserve the integrity of the environment in which we place them. We believe that competitive challenges are healthy for players and enable them to grow. We can and will challenge our players by allowing them the opportunity to move from group to group, and between different age groups, when warranted by their play.
Our goal is to create an environment that will stimulate the continued growth of all players by allowing every player in the program the chance to get to the next level of play within the Academy. All such movement of players will be done at the sole discretion of the Director of Coaching and the professional coaching staff. We will focus our training and evaluation of our players on the four major components that make up a complete footballer. These components are:
Technique - A player's individual technique and comfort level on the ball under conditions of limited time, space, and increased pressure.
Tactical Awareness - A player's ability to make proper decisions with and without the ball, based on an understanding of basic attacking and defensive principles, as well as the player's ability to "read" the game properly and make decisions that coordinate with that decision.
Physical Attributes - A player's coordination, mobility, balance, speed, endurance, and strength.
Mentality - A player's mindset and motivation; how a player faces problems/pressures encountered both on and off the field of play and how the player chooses to deal with those problems/pressures.