Academy
-- Girls Academy Program --
Ages: U13-U19
Season: June – July
Training: 4 sessions, 1.5 hours each
Games: Girls Academy League, GA Champions League Events
Lamorinda Girls Academy Program is designed for elite level players who are seeking to play at the highest level in youth soccer and beyond (College, Professional, National team, etc). The Girls Academy (GA) is the leading youth development platform for the best female soccer players in the United States. The GA is the only national youth soccer platform that represents the collective vision of member clubs and actively engages the voice of the players to take real ownership in the GA. This collaborative philosophy creates a culture guided by a shared set of core values, which produces an unparalleled experience uniquely designed in the best interest of the players.
Girls Academy: (U13-U14)
Objectives
Players should be learning to solve soccer problems, with the emphasis on how to choose the correct option in respect to the player’s position of the team or in a particular unit of the team i.g. the defensive line, etc. In this phase the player must be able to combine with her/his teammates in order to get past an opponent (the most important thing is the result of what the player does). Emphasis is on learning with more attention given to performance in games as the determining factor in playing time. The time played in more competitive games is up to the discretion of the coach.
Technical Development
- Controlling and continuation with the ball by all allowed body parts with speed and resistance
- Passing the ball with inside foot , both right and left foot over distances ( on the ground)
- Passing with the laces and instep passing, both right and left over longer distance in the ground and in the air
- Working on being more creative by using fakes and feints
- Learning how to properly shield the ball with and without resistance
- Shielding the ball with and without resistance
- Learning how to play one/two touch passing
Tactical Development
The basics of individual tactics
- 1 v 1 activities
- Getting open
- Marking and opponent
- Simple dribbling and faking
- Correct form and timing for tackling
Improving and expanding basics of individual tactics
- Assertive 1 V 1 play
- Combination play
- Choosing the right right technique for the situation
- Improving faking for ball control, dribbling, and shooting
- Positional covering of the field in length and width ( Spatial Awareness)
- Being Available for the ball ( develop an understanding of triangle on the field)
- Adapting to opponents system of play:
- Defending against one striker
- Defending against two strikers
- Defending against three strikers
Physical Development
- Continue developing a good running technique and Coordination
- Explosive first step
- Maintaining and improving flexibility
- Continue Developing proper coordination and balance
- Emphasis on explosive actions
- Starts
- Sprints
- Jumps
Personality Development
- Fair play , sportsmanship and respect
- Learning to have fun and to develop passion for the sport
- Learning communication:
- Player-Player and Player- Coach
- Being coachable
- Accept and take advantage of leadership moments
- Accept Decision
- Learn to Analyze own performance
- Listen to your own body and be able to report injuries
- Game mentality
- Ability to handle pressure
- Self-confidence
Content Development
- Learn soccer rules
- Maintenance of materials, Gear and shoes
- Learn general rules of social behavior
- Have proper clothing suited to circumstances
- Take care of the body: Hygiene, Nutrition, and Rest.
- Learn to read the game / opponent / Systems
- Learn to think about and analyze the game
What they Need
- Need technical repetitions (Too much technical repetitions can be boring, need decision making activities, technique is incidental to tactical focus)
- Require much individual tactics learned in 1 v 1, 2v 2,3 v 3,3 v 2 …etc
- Do not need fitness training without the ball, basic endurance is developed almost exclusively via ball games built a round the technical-tactical concepts
- Need interval training, may need fitness training without the ball if they cheat in workouts
- Need small sided games
- Need many developmental-diagnostic activities
- Need more passing-receiving and team tactics
- Need functional training basically positional play
- Need team tactics and game plan
Girls Academy: (U15-U19)
Objectives
In this phase learning to win, and use of all available sources to achieve a good result players should be thinking about and consciously working on the planned and systematic improvement of performance. The organization and intensity of training sessions becomes important. Coaches should use scrimmages to have the players learn to face the systems, and opponents who they will play against in competitive games.
- Learning correct and physically assertive 1 v 1 play
- Developing position- specific tactics
- Learning more complex group and team tactics
- The concept of Possession -Build up and space through positional play
- Counter attack
- Frontal attack, game on the wings, switching the area of play
- Playing zone (ball oriented) defense as a team, pressing and depressing
- Variations on set plays
Technical Development
- Controlling and continuation with the ball by all allowed body parts with speed and resistance
- Passing the ball with inside foot , both right and left foot over distances ( on the ground)
- Passing with the laces and instep passing, both right and left over longer distance in the ground and in the air
- Working on being more creative by using fakes and feints
- Learning how to properly shield the ball with and without resistance
- Shielding the ball with and without resistance
- Learning how to play one/two touch passing
Tactical Development
The basics of individual tactics
- 1 v 1 activities
- Getting open
- Marking and opponent
- Simple dribbling and faking
- Correct form and timing for tackling
Improving and expanding basics of individual tactics
- Assertive 1 V 1 play
- Combination play
- Choosing the right right technique for the situation
- Improving faking for ball control, dribbling, and shooting
- Positional covering of the field in length and width ( Spatial Awareness)
- Being Available for the ball ( develop an understanding of triangle on the field)
Physical Development
- Continue developing a good running technique and Coordination
- Explosive first step
- Maintaining and improving flexibility
- Continue Developing proper coordination and balance
- Emphasis on explosive actions
- Starts
- Sprints
- Jumps
Personality Development
- Ability to handle pressure
- Self-confidence
- Concentration
- Mentality/ work rate
- Motivation
- Attitude
- Self – Discipline
- Courage and determination
- Have study discipline (school)
Content Development
- Learn soccer rules
- Maintenance of materials, Gear and shoes
- Learn general rules of social behavior
- Have proper clothing suited to circumstances
- Take care of the body: Hygiene, Nutrition, and Rest.
- Learn to read the game / opponent / Systems
- Learn to think about and analyze the game
- Learn to be able to have a fundamental discussion about the 1-4-3-3 system and how it works
- Learn to deal with the pressure of training amount, school work and living an active lifestyle
- Learn to deal with the pressure of playing on a more competitive level ( accept results)
What they Need
- Too much technical repetitions can be boring, need decision making activities, technique is incidental to tactical focus
- Need more passing-receiving and team tactics
- Need functional training basically positional play
- Need team tactics and game plan
- Need interval training, need fitness training without the ball
- Need some 11 a side, but 8 v8 and 6 v 4 will often suffice
- Need full field
- Need diagnostic-prescriptive activities
Enjoyment at this age is vital for players to learn and develop
-- MLS Next Academy Program --
Ages: U13-U19
Season: June – July
Training: 4 sessions, 1.5 hours each
Games: MLS Next League, MLS Next Events
Lamorinda MLS Next Academy Program is designed for elite level players who are seeking to play at the highest level in youth soccer and beyond (College, Professional, National team, etc). MLS NEXT’s mission is to provide the best player development experience in North America. MLS NEXT provides an environment where players receive the highest level of competition while acquiring the training and personal development that will prepare them for their future, both in soccer and in life. The competition platform incorporates more than 9,000 players, in six age groups, across 113 clubs, including 30 MLS professional academies, five USL academies and 78 additional elite academies. MLS NEXT’s approach to player development will address all key areas of development. In addition to top level competition, MLS NEXT is focused on coaching education, personal development, and player identification. MLS NEXT will also feature regional and national competitions that engage the global soccer community to accelerate the growth of each MLS NEXT player. For more information about MLS NEXT, please visit MLSNEXT.
MLS Next Academy: (U13-U14)
Objectives
Players should be learning to solve soccer problems, with the emphasis on how to choose the correct option in respect to the player’s position of the team or in a particular unit of the team i.g. the defensive line, etc. In this phase the player must be able to combine with her/his teammates in order to get past an opponent (the most important thing is the result of what the player does). Emphasis is on learning with more attention given to performance in games as the determining factor in playing time. The time played in more competitive games is up to the discretion of the coach.
Technical Development
- Controlling and continuation with the ball by all allowed body parts with speed and resistance
- Passing the ball with inside foot, both right and left foot over distances ( on the ground)
- Passing with the laces and instep passing, both right and left over longer distance in the ground and in the air
- Working on being more creative by using fakes and feints
- Learning how to properly shield the ball with and without resistance
- Shielding the ball with and without resistance
- Learning how to play one/two touch passing
Tactical Development
The basics of individual tactics
- 1 v 1 activities
- Getting open
- Marking and opponent
- Simple dribbling and faking
- Correct form and timing for tackling
Improving and expanding basics of individual tactics
- Assertive 1 V 1 play
- Combination play
- Choosing the right right technique for the situation
- Improving faking for ball control, dribbling, and shooting
- Positional covering of the field in length and width ( Spatial Awareness)
- Being Available for the ball ( develop an understanding of triangle on the field)
- Adapting to opponents system of play:
- Defending against one striker
- Defending against two strikers
- Defending against three strikers
Physical Development
- Continue developing a good running technique and Coordination
- Explosive first step
- Maintaining and improving flexibility
- Continue Developing proper coordination and balance
- Emphasis on explosive actions
- Starts
- Sprints
- Jumps
Personality Development
- Fair play , sportsmanship and respect
- Learning to have fun and to develop passion for the sport
- Learning communication:
- Player-Player and Player- Coach
- Being coachable
- Accept and take advantage of leadership moments
- Accept Decision
- Learn to Analyze own performance
- Listen to your own body and be able to report injuries
- Game mentality
- Ability to handle pressure
- Self-confidence
Content Development
- Learn soccer rules
- Maintenance of materials, Gear and shoes
- Learn general rules of social behavior
- Have proper clothing suited to circumstances
- Take care of the body: Hygiene, Nutrition, and Rest.
- Learn to read the game / opponent / Systems
- Learn to think about and analyze the game
What they Need
- Need technical repetitions (Too much technical repetitions can be boring, need decision making activities, technique is incidental to tactical focus)
- Require much individual tactics learned in 1 v 1, 2v 2,3 v 3,3 v 2 …etc
- Do not need fitness training without the ball, basic endurance is developed almost exclusively via ball games built a round the technical-tactical concepts
- Need interval training, may need fitness training without the ball if they cheat in workouts
- Need small sided games
- Need many developmental-diagnostic activities
- Need more passing-receiving and team tactics
- Need functional training basically positional play
- Need team tactics and game plan
MLS Next Academy: (U15-U19)
Objectives
In this phase learning to win, and use of all available sources to achieve a good result players should be thinking about and consciously working on the planned and systematic improvement of performance. The organization and intensity of training sessions becomes important. Coaches should use scrimmages to have the players learn to face the systems, and opponents who they will play against in competitive games.
- learning correct and physically assertive 1 v 1 play
- developing position- specific tactics
- Learning more complex group and team tactics
- the concept of Possession -Build up and space through positional play
- Counter attack
- Frontal attack, game on the wings, switching the area of play
- Playing zone (ball oriented) defense as a team, pressing and depressing
- Variations on set plays
Technical Development
- Controlling and continuation with the ball by all allowed body parts with speed and resistance
- Passing the ball with inside foot , both right and left foot over distances ( on the ground)
- Passing with the laces and instep passing, both right and left over longer distance in the ground and in the air
- Working on being more creative by using fakes and feints
- Learning how to properly shield the ball with and without resistance
- Shielding the ball with and without resistance
- Learning how to play one/two touch passing
Tactical Development
The basics of individual tactics
- 1 v 1 activities
- Getting open
- Marking and opponent
- Simple dribbling and faking
- Correct form and timing for tackling
Improving and expanding basics of individual tactics
- Assertive 1 V 1 play
- Combination play
- Choosing the right right technique for the situation
- Improving faking for ball control, dribbling, and shooting
- Positional covering of the field in length and width ( Spatial Awareness)
- Being Available for the ball ( develop an understanding of triangle on the field)
Physical Development
- Continue developing a good running technique and Coordination
- Explosive first step
- Maintaining and improving flexibility
- Continue Developing proper coordination and balance
- Emphasis on explosive actions
- Starts
- Sprints
- Jumps
Personality Development
- Ability to handle pressure
- Self-confidence
- Concentration
- Mentality/ work rate
- Motivation
- Attitude
- Self – Discipline
- Courage and determination
- Have study discipline (school)
Content Development
- Learn soccer rules
- Maintenance of materials, Gear and shoes
- Learn general rules of social behavior
- Have proper clothing suited to circumstances
- Take care of the body: Hygiene, Nutrition, and Rest.
- Learn to read the game / opponent / Systems
- Learn to think about and analyze the game
- Learn to be able to have a fundamental discussion about the 1-4-3-3 system and how it works
- Learn to deal with the pressure of training amount, school work and living an active lifestyle
- Learn to deal with the pressure of playing on a more competitive level ( accept results)
What they Need
Too much technical repetitions can be boring, need decision making activities, technique is incidental to tactical focus
- Need more passing-receiving and team tactics
- Need functional training basically positional play
- Need team tactics and game plan
- Need interval training, need fitness training without the ball
- Need some 11 a side, but 8 v8 and 6 v 4 will often suffice
- Need full field
- Need diagnostic-prescriptive activities
Enjoyment at this age is vital for players to learn and develop
Thank you for your interest in joining the Lamorinda Soccer Club. Please review the informaqtion listed above. Players interested in playing for Lamorinda Soccer Club in one of our programs or academy pathways are welcome to register using the registration form above.
For more information about tryouts please email admin@lamorindasc.com