Academy Program
This program is designed for the more committed player. There are two training sessions per week plus a regular league game. Sessions are led by a professional coach with 1-2 assistant coaches depending upon the number of registrants. League games and possible tournaments will require some travel and occassionally an overnight stay. Players live along the Ohio River Valley west of downtown Pittsburgh.
Age Groupings
Groups will be formed by grade and by gender. Age groups include U09 and U10. This roughly translates to 3rd and 4th grade respectively. There will a separate boys and girls group for each age group. The target number of players for each group will be enough to fully roster two separate teams but could be only one team depending upon the number or participants.
League Games
The number of teams entered into a league schedule will be based upon the regisered numbers in the group and the objectives for that season. For example, if there are 20 players registered, we will enter (2) teams in a league schedule. The number of "league" games a player should expect each season is six. There could be more than that but it will be dependent on the objectives set by the professional coach at the start of the season.
Commitment Level & Tryouts
The expected commitment level for the Academy is high. Players are expected to attend all training sessions and assigned games. It is a season-long commitment only. There are (3) seasons each year (Fall, Winter, Spring) and a player can sign up for each season or skip a season to pursue other sports. Parents are also expected to attend (3) mandatory meetings each season. These meetings will review what the players are working on, how to evaluate progression, express concerns and discuss general Q&A about the program.
There are no "formal" tryouts. We feel it creates unnecessary pressure to subject players to tryouts at these young ages. However, we will hold pre-season pickup sessions at no cost where and interested player is encouraged to come, play and self-evaluate whether they can participate at the level of play demonstrated by the group. For training, each group will separated into sub-groups via a "dynamic grouping" strategy led by the professional coach. Players of similar ability levels will be grouped together for certain activities and then mixed back into the larger group for other activities. As players train and develop, they will be switched across groups as they develop. We believe that our academy is too young to permanently separate players by ability level but we will group by performance on the fly for training and games to help each player receive the necessary challenges to promote his/her development. There will be many opportunities for a parent to interact with the professional coach to discuss his/her child's progression.
Fee Cost & Uniforms
The cost per season per player is $285. Uniform (jersey, shorts, socks) costs will be covered by this fee. Additional apparel might be desired (warmups, backpacks, etc.) and would cost extra. The registration fee covers league registration, player insurance, coach fees, administrative, field and facility rental/maintenance fees.
Professional Coaching Staff & Curriculum
Professional coaches will be hired to lead the age groups. Coaches will be hired and assigned no later than 30 days prior to the start of the regular season. Coaches will present their curriculum at the first parent meeting before the start of the season.