Elite Development League

Parents,

Monday and Wednesday came off pretty well for a good, strong start to the league.

FIELDS

The Field situation will be a work in progress. I will share updates here. Basically I am researching sources for top soil and a roller.  Hopefully this camp is the start of an on-going field development process, similar to other high level leagues. 

SCHEDULE

6 weeks of Monday training and Wednesday games--April 18, 20, 25, 27; May 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, and 23 and 25.  ADDING 4V4 TOURNAMENT TO MAKE UP FOR MISSING APRIL 11 AND 13. By adding in the tournament in place of one week of training, the league takes on a heightened purpose, training teams for tournament play.  The Wednesday match series is the training ground for how teams will perform on June 4.  Please make it a point to try and participate in this final event.  If you are unavailable June 4--PLEASE TELL TAD. 

GUEST TEAMS INVITATION

I am reaching out to the teams I manage in Athens as well as to the coaching directors from local leagues to see if some SMALLER SIDED GUEST TEAMS (4V4) MAY WANT TO PLAY HERE ON WEDNESDAYS.  ALSO I AM INVITING TEAMS TO THE

LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

So the tournament date has been settled for one week after Memorial Day.  Players get a free tournament participation to make up for missing week 1 of the league.

4V4 TOURNAMENT ON

June 4 2016

 

SOCCER EDUCATION--

Here is what you should have learned in week 1

Law 1: The Field--The soccer field for youth games can vary by dimensions.  U6/U8 and U9/U11 will play on an EXPANDED FIELD, as soon as that gets created and painted.  The painted lines are a part of the field, so the ball is in play as long as it is over the line.  The "sidelines" are called the TOUCHLINES.  When the ball goes completely over a touchline--the ball is said to be "in touch", meaning you can pick it up with your hands--it returns to play by means of a player's THROW IN.

When the ball leaves the Field across an "end-line", called GOAL LINES-- it is returned to play by either a CORNER KICK, if the defense last touched the ball, or a GOAL KICK, if last touched by the attacking team.

You can learn soccer terms by visiting the Kicktionary--or soccer Dictionary-- at http://www.athenssocceracademy.com/home/kicktionary

 THIS WEEK--we will be explaining Law 11, or the Offside Law and talking about the goalkeeper position.

Offside--LAW 11
https://youtu.be/z0sO6VQSZ8k

SHIRTS

The shirts have arrived, and this week, I will be experimenting with how to distribute shirts either by size or color.  So because we want to create two teams in age bracket, I may distribute shirts of two colors, or we may all get the same shirt.  Please assist this week with trying on for Size and team appropriateness.

STAY AND PLAY

I am instituting a STAY & PLAY policy for any player who feels they can blend in with the next group up in age.  If you want to stay on either a Monday, when we train, or Wednesday, when we have League Games, please get the OK from TAD.  Generally this will help the player develop, IF THE PLAYER FEELS COMFORTABLE IN THE OLDER ENVIRONMENT.

Sometimes we won't know until we throw the kid out there. Soccer is amazing that way.

I am confident a player, like Vince, for example, will be playing outside of his age bracket very soon, if it is not too early.  Vince is a player in the TINY TOTS LEAGUE who creates scoring opportunities on just about every ball, and who has been known to score most of his goals while being tackled --American football style--by his team mate and younger brother, Dom.

TOURNAMENT TEAMS: UNDER 10 PLAYERS

Recruiting Players for the Marietta Soccer Classic--WHEN: May 14-15, 2016.

Cost is $40 for this additional event.

Weather looks great for this week.  See you all Monday.

Tad Albano

Athens Soccer Academy

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Week 2 Update
Monday
--learned Move 1...Stop ball using the bottom of the foot, step past, turn, accelerate away
--trained with the chip back
 --Goalkeeper training
--Shooting on the 7 foot "Big Goal"

Learning Move #1