MYSA’s Academy program is designed to provide an introduction to travel soccer and a more rigorous training environment for U7-U10 aged players who are looking to take the next step in soccer. The goals for Academy are to establish an environment where individual player development is emphasized with a focus on developing the technical skills needed to play at higher levels in the future. Academy soccer was established by NCYSA in 2010 and seeks to improve individual player development, satisfaction, and retention, and to build a less pressured youth soccer environment for coaches, adult spectators, and match officials. MYSA is joining over 50 other NCYSA associations who participate in Academy soccer. A few details about the Academy Program:

• Academy was instituted to shift the emphasis from a team-centric mentality to a player-centric mentality. Nationwide, Academy programs have emerged as a 21st century alternative to the frustrating shortfalls in soccer development displayed by most pre-teens. This void is heavily influenced by coaching quality and the pressures to win at critical periods in the development process. In Academy, player development is the number one priority.

• Players in the Academy take part in a structured training curriculum established by MYSA Staff Coaches that focus on the technical and physical skills that are important to develop at these ages.

• Players participating in the Academy are assigned to training groups which are based on age, gender, and ability for their two weekly training sessions. This allows the Academy Coaches to group and challenge the players at their own developmentally appropriate levels. It also gives the Coaches the freedom to structure teams for Academy game days and constantly re-evaluate players so that training sessions and games provide the most developmental benefit to the players.

• Like all travel soccer programs, there is travel away from home involved with the Academy program. Approximately half of the games over the course of the year will be held at home and half will be away, and the academy teams will participate in festivals during the year where larger groups of teams gather to play. Academy players will have opportunities to play more than one game on a game day, depending on how many players and player groupings the opposing club can field. No standings or scores are kept in Academy matches, to de-emphasize winning or losing and to help players focus on applying what they learn in training during match situations.

• The Academy structure allows the player to be challenged at an appropriate level in both training and games. If a player is dominating a game and is not challenged he/she can be moved to a game where they are with other players of the same ability/size/speed. If a player is not engaged or has difficulty playing at the level of a particular group, he/she can be moved to another game/Academy group with other players of the same ability/size/speed so as to maximize their development and confidence. The Academy Director and Coaches will continually evaluate players to ensure that they are in the group that will be best suited for their development and growth. Players train, socialize, and compete within the larger group, increasing the level of interaction between the players and helping to develop an awareness of the club culture they are part of.

• The Academy will also provide a coaching development platform for volunteer coaches. The intent is to help volunteer coaches who are interested in coaching at higher levels develop their skills over the course of the 2-3 year Academy program. A limited number of spaces for volunteer coaches are available based on the number of players in each age/gender group, interest level, and previous experience.

• Academy players will receive two written evaluations each year (one in the second half of the fall season and one in the second half of the spring season)

• The Academy staff coaches will consist of volunteer licensed coaches who will work with the Academy Director in training sessions and game day coaching.

• Each season will consist of roughly 8-10 games, and should not travel any farther than 45 minutes away (High Point, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Raleigh)