South Park Soccer Association

1

Sep, 2020

U5 & U6 Academy Overview and Procedures

Hi parents,

Welcome to the Fall 2020 South Park Soccer Association (SPSA) season. You are receiving this email because you signed your child up for our U5 or U6 soccer program. In continuing with our mission to provide the highest quality training and experience to our members, the South Park Soccer Association will transition to an academy program for our U5 & U6 age groups this Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 season.

The academy program is being implemented to provide consistent, quality training for our youngest age-groups. It is critical to provide the right foundation for player growth and development at this age and the academy will ensure that the training provided is standard and all players have the same opportunity to learn. A great deal of the focus will be on individual technical training to establish players with good ball control, vision and passing abilities that will enable them to move into the older age groups more successfully.

The academy is also intended to be extremely helpful in educating future SPSA coaches. The academy will be led by seasoned coaches from the SPSA as well as South Park High School and other area coaches when possible. These coaches will provide the lesson plans and structure for all the training sessions and parent volunteers will be there to assist, observe and learn. The intention is that we will provide a great experience with far less pressure to newer coaches, who can then use what they have learned to become coaches at the U8 age group and beyond.

The academy program will take place on Saturday mornings for about an hour and 15 minutes per age group. All U5 players will train together and all U6 players will be training together. Each group will be broken into smaller groups for the training sessions and will rotate through various stations that will focus on a variety of technical skills. At the end of each training session, the players will be divided into small teams for free play scrimmages which will allow them to practice and use the new skills have learned

Below you will find the answers to common questions you may have about our new Academy:

 When will my child train and play?
- All children will train and play over a one hour and 15 minutes session on Saturday mornings. There is no individual team or team practice night during the week for these age groups.
 What time will my child train?
- All U6 (2015 birth year) children will start training at 8:00 AM on Saturday mornings. The training will conclude around 9:15 AM.
- All U5 (2016 birth year) children will start training at 9:30 AM on Saturday mornings. The training will conclude around 10:45 AM.
 When will the Academy start and conclude it season?
- The Academy’s first day is Saturday, September 12, 2020. The last scheduled day is Saturday, October 31, 2020. The academy will run for 8 consecutive weeks.
 What do I do if the weather is bad?
- If the weather does not permit us to train or play on a Saturday morning, the SPSA will make an official announcement to you via email as well as post it on the SPSA Facebook page. However, there may be some instances where we will play and train if there is light rain or cooler weather.
 Can I bring our dog to Evans Field during my child’s training session?
 No! Sorry. This a rule of the SPSA. This is done out of safety for all of our participants.
 What does my child need to bring to his session on Saturday mornings?
- Your child should bring their own soccer ball and we ask that you please have their name written on it. They should also bring a water bottle. Parents will be asked to hold the water bottle while the kids train and play.
 What other equipment does my child need?
- Your child will need to have shin guards and they should also wear soccer cleats. Please make sure they are soccer cleats and not baseball/softball or football cleats. The sole plate used for some other sports and the arrangement of studs differ and could be dangerous to other soccer players or they may just be illegal to use in the sport of soccer. Actually, when it comes time to play small sided games during the session our SPSA youth referees will be looking for cleats that could be considered dangerous or illegal per the laws of soccer.
 Is my child allowed to wear jewelry?
- Unfortunately, No. This a rule of the SPSA and is a general safety rule in most sports leagues. Simply, it’s a safety hazard to the child and the other children they are playing with.
 What if I just tape over my child’s earrings?
- This is not an acceptable solution. This is still considered a safety hazard. When it comes time to play small sided games during the session our SPSA youth referees will be looking for earrings and will ask the child to return to their parent before playing if they see a child with earrings. Please don’t argue with the youth referee over this. The refs in this age group will likely only be in 5th or 6th grade and are learning as well.
 Will my child get a training uniform?
- Yes! All children should receive a SPSA Academy training kit the first or second week of the season. This training kit will include a jersey, a pair of shorts and socks. Until you receive your SPSA Academy training kit any pair of shorts and a t-shirt with socks big enough to cover their shin guards will do.
 This Health Assessment Form – Do I really bring it every week?
- The answer is YES! At every academy session every player must turn in a completed Health Assessment Form to the designated SPSA Academy support personnel for that day.
 How many people can come watch my child play soccer?
- The SPSA will permit a total of two attendees (parents/guardians/relatives/guests) per player to attend an academy training session with their child. However, we strongly encourage only one parent/guardian/relative/guest. This is being done to ensure that we meet social distancing guidelines.
 What do I do when I arrive at the field?
- Your child should wait with you as you socially distant yourselves from other attendees, PLEASE! A coach will call all of the children to the field at once.
 Do I have to wear a mask when at the field?
 Yes! If you or another attendee with you does not have a mask on, we will ask you to put one on. If you do not have one, you will need to wait in the car until the session is over. Players do not have to wear a mask.
 What do I do at the end of the training session?
- Unfortunately at this time we are asking all children and family members to head directly to their care and leave immediately. Please don’t pass out orange slices or cans of Pepsi or any kind of snack. As a soccer organization it is important for us to follow this rule.

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South Park Soccer Association

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Sep, 2020

U5 & U6 Academy Overview and Procedures

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