Overview

The Sparks Academy season begins in the Fall and ends in Spring. This program is ideal for players who are turning 7, 8, 9 or 10 by end of the season (July).
 
Our academy program focuses on player development, ball control (dribbling, passing), field perception (positions), basic drills (give and go, shooting), and much more. It's also perfect for any athlete looking for something that will keep them conditioned throughout the year. The focus of this program is to keep training and games fun while working on soccer fundamentals. Although players will participate in league games, score is not kept so that coaches can work with players on the rules of the game and sportsmanship. Players are given the opportunity to play every position to enhance development. 

Coaching Philosophy

At this age children do not have the same capacity as adults to analyze their environment. They explore and have an egocentric conception of the world. Children are still gathering the experiences necessary to interact with their surroundings and with others. Also, empathy and the capacity to consider the thoughts and feelings of others are typically minimal. In order to help build their own experience, many exercises will be individual (e.g. each player will have a ball). The tactical component of the game will be reduced to small-sided games with basic explanations about space distribution. Training sessions will be treated more as physical education than specifically as soccer training.
 
The technical topics:
  • Dribbling and Moves
  • Shooting and Running With the Ball
  • Ball Control and Turning
  • Passing and Attaching
  • 1v1 Attacking
  • 2v1 Attacking
Physical topics:
  • Coordination and Balance
  • Speed and Agility
  • Basic Motor Skills
  • Perceptions and Awareness

Season

  • Fall: August through October
    • Training - twice weekly (outdoor)
    • Games (outdoor) - Saturdays from Sep through Oct (approximately 5-8 games will be played)
  • Winter: February through March
    • Training - once weekly (indoor)
  • Spring: April through June
    • Training - twice weekly (outdoor)
    • Games (outdoor) - Saturdays from April through June (approximately 5-8 games will be played)

Training

Days Times
Sunday 5:00-6:15pm
Monday 5:30-7pm

East Central Games

Saturdays from May 4 to June 29, excluding Memorial Weekend, between 8am and Noon.