Who should tryout for the Academy level?
Any kid who is passionate about soccer and shows a lot of enthusiasm for training and playing on a regular basis. Passion, enthusiasm and a bit of athleticism are the key ingredients.
WHY PLAY WINTER SOCCER?
Winter soccer is becoming more critical for the development of soccer players in Canada. Missing 6 months of the year is like spending 6 months sitting down when a kid is learning how to walk.
Repetition at a young age is critical to developing skills. Whether kicking the ball at a gym wall, playing fun stimulating small-sided games, or playing league games, the indoor season is very important, and can be very enjoyable for the young soccer player.
WHAT CAN WE DO IN A GYM?
“We had to kick the ball against a wall for an hour. Bang, bang, bang. The coach would keep an eye on you the following day to see if you had improved” – Dutch World Cup star Wesley Sneijder on his formative years at the famous Ajax Amsterdam Academy.
Training in gyms can be very useful. Simply passing the ball to a wall develops a better touch. We will use the winter to develop basic skills and improve technique. Using walls and group technical exercises, as well as small-sided games and league games, we will work to improve first touch, ball control, passing and receiving, shooting, defending, 1 v 1 skills, and playing in combinations to keep possession and pass the ball around under pressure.
We will use Futsals (specialty balls that are heavier than a normal ball) for scrimmages, which will help improve ball control and individual skills.
WHAT IF WE PLAY OTHER SPORTS IN THE WINTER?
BSA recognizes that U8-U12 aged children have many interests and activities. We encourage young kids to play other sports and allowances are made regularly for hockey, basketball, etc.
It is expected that players selected to the Academy who participate in other competitive sports will work to communicate conflicts with the coaches of both activities. We are very flexible in accommodating players’ commitments to other winter sports.
For more information and to register, please follow this link: www.bedfordtitans.com.
Source: http://www.bedfordbeacon.com/u8-u12-soccer-academy-winter-20112012
