The following presents information on Peace Arch Soccer Club’s plans for its Player Development Program for the 2012-13 season that starts in September 2012:
- Overview
- Playing Environments
- Mini/Micro age groups (U6 to U10)
- Rep Players (U11 to U18)
- Non Rep Players (U11 to U18)
- Player Feedback
- Rep Player Environment
- Rep Team selection and placement
- Player movement
- Peace Arch Soccer Club Academy
Overview
In 2008, the Canadian Soccer Association released its long-term development plan: “Wellness to World Cup”. One of its recommendations was to begin considering both the stage of development (page 29 – Wellness to World Cup) and development age of players when designing programs:
Everyone passes through the same stages of development from early childhood through adolescence, but the timing, rate, and amount of their development varies. This is described as the difference between chronological age and developmental age. Two children may be the same chronological age (e.g. 11 years old), but at the same time they may be four to five years apart in developmental age. Long-term player development asks soccer coaches and administrators to take developmental age into account when they design programs and select players” – (page 35 – Wellness to World Cup).
Peace Arch Soccer Club adopted the recommendations from “Wellness to World Cup” in 2008 as the blue print for its long-term player development program.
The restructuring of the Club’s development program will continue at the mini/micro level. These are crucial years where our players need to inherit a love and passion for the game through their individual successes. This can be achieved by encouraging greater levels of success for all participants.
To do this the boys will play games and practice with other players at a similar level of development. By doing this:
- Players will get more touches of the ball during games and practices;
- Players will be in more situations where they can be successful;
- Players will be in more situations where they can be challenged;
- Players who have fun and success will become long-term participants in a sport that is good for their mental, emotional and physical health.
Our goal is to create a development environment where players of a lesser ability are not dominated by stronger players and where our stronger players are challenged by participating with players at a similar level of development.
The following will give you an overview of you how the Player Development program structure and delivery will look like in September 2012.
Playing Environments
Micro/Mini Age groups (U6 to U10)
U6 –Since this will be the first introduction to soccer for most of the U6 boys our primary objective for the U6s will be to create a positive environment where the basic skills of soccer are introduced in a fun-filled manner. The players will be broken up into balanced teams each with its own volunteer coach. Prior to October 1st practices will be held primarily at Crescent Park. After October 1 practices will be held in school gymnasiums on week nights. Over the course of the season a Club Professional Staff Coach will attend a gym session to assist you with this transition. Games for the U6s will likely be on Saturday mornings at 8:30 am on Field 9 at South Surrey Athletic Park. Practices are usually an hour long and games about the same length.
During games coaches will be encouraged and expected to match up players of similar levels of ability.
U7 –The objective for this age group will be to continue to develop the skills that the boys began to develop in the U6 age group. The players will be broken up into balanced teams. Prior to October 1st practices will be held primarily at Crescent Park. After October 1 practices will be held in school gymnasiums on week nights. Over the course of the season a Club Professional Staff Coach will attend a gym session to assist with this transition. Games for the U7s will likely be on Saturday mornings at 9:30 am on Field 9 at South Surrey Athletic Park. Practices are usually an hour long and games about the same length.
After the Christmas break, our intention is to continue the development of our players to prepare them for U8 soccer the following season by beginning to assign boys to play against boys of similar ability and level of development.
This is done by creating A and B teams (Blue and White) within the squads and during games coaches will be encouraged and expected to match up players of similar levels of ability.
U8 & U9 – Our objective for the U8 and U9 age groups is to continue to develop the skills that the boys began to develop at the U7 and U8 age groups. To best achieve our objectives our development program will assign boys to play against boys of similar ability and level of development. This recommendation of the “Wellness to World Cup” Long Term Development Program of the Canadian Soccer Association was implemented by the Club in 2009. This will operate as follows:
- Further evolving the Club’s Prospect Program – see Prospect Program section below:
- For the regular U8 and U9 program creating A and B groups – see Regular Program for U8 and U9 section below:
We have circulated a separate Prospect program update to all parents in these Age Groups that describes the Prospect program in more detail.
Prospect Program
Peace Arch Soccer Club is providing a unique opportunity for the U8/U9 players during the 2012-13 season. Consistent with our player development philosophy, we are continuing with an enhanced “Prospect” program for our more committed players. The proposed change for the upcoming fall/winter season has the Prospect players separated from the regular fall/winter league. The Prospect players will train all year together and play games together as a unit against Prospect teams from other Clubs. The Prospect program will run independently from the regular league as opposed to the players participating in both.
Prospect players will be selected for this program based on the Club Head Coach and age group coaches’ evaluations over the previous seasons. Opportunities to move in and out of this program will be available throughout the season and will be dependent on a player’s development.
Regular program for U8 and U9
The players in the age group not involved in the Prospect Program will be split into A and B (Blue and White) divisions for games. The Club will create teams of 20 and the team coaches will split the boys based on their development stage into A and B teams (Blue & White). The Blue Group is expected to be for the boys who are at a higher level of development.
Game day
For games Blue teams will play Blue teams and White teams will play White teams. U8 game times are tentatively at 11:00 am on Field 9 at South Surrey Athletic Park. U9 game times are tentatively at at 11:00 am or 12.30 pm on Field 10 at South Surrey Athletic Park.
Teams in the regular program will practice as a squad and Coaches will work together with regular communication on the progress of every player. By adopting this approach, it also allows each squad to practice regularly on team oriented areas.
Practice Times
- The U8s will tentatively practice from 5:00 to 6:00 pm on a Wednesday night on Field 10.
- The U9s will tentatively practice from 6:00 to 7:00 pm on a Wednesday night on Field 10.
- Prospect program players will tentatively train from 4:00 to 5:00 on Mondays and Wednesday on Field 9.
U10 – Our objective for the U10 age group is to continue to develop the skills that the boys began to develop at the U9 age group. To best achieve our objectives our development program will assign boys to play against boys of similar ability and level of development. Each house age group will be split into A and B (Blue and White) divisions for games. The Club will create teams of 20 and the team coaches will split the boys based on their development stage into A and B teams (Blue and White). The Blue Group is expected to be for the boys who are at a higher level of development.
Game day
For games Blue teams will play Blue teams and White teams will play White teams. Game times for the U10s will tentatively be 9.30 am on Field 10 at South Surrey Athletic Park. The teams will play 7 v7 or 8 v 8 games.
Practices
Teams will practice as a team and Coaches will work together with regular communication on the progress of every player. By adopting this approach, it also each team will be able to practice regularly individual skills and team oriented areas.
Practice Times
- The U10s will tentatively practice from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on a Wednesday night on Field 10.
For all age groups our plans may change if registration numbers restrict our ability to offer programs as we would have liked.
Rep Teams
U11 to U18 Div 1 (Gold) / Div 2 (Silver) teams – Where possible, Rep teams will train at the same time as the rest of their age group. Each practice held on the turf will consist of 30 minutes of Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) training and individual technical development followed immediately by a one hour team practice. This coming year due to tight field allocations Rep Teams will likely be rotated through the Turf fields and Jessie Lee (Gravel). Much effort has been put into maximizing the amount of space and time available on the Turf fields. When teams are training at Jessie Lee, a member of the Club’s Professional Coaching staff may be on hand to support tactical training.
Non Rep teams
U11 to U18 Non Rep Teams – The non Rep teams in the U11 to U18 age groups will train for one hour per week either on Turf or at Jessie Lee (Gravel). Where possible rotation systems will be put in place where teams rotate through the Turf or Jessie Lee on a bi-monthly basis.
Player Feedback
The Club will provide each team coach with a player report card to provide written feedback to each player on their team. This information will help identify the key areas where players do well or require improvement. As a minimum this feedback is expected to be provided to the players prior to the end of their season in February.
It is important to note that these evaluations will be used as an important part of the Rep Player evaluation process to select Rep players for the following year.
PASC Club Wear
While on the fields for both practices and games it is expected that ALL coaches and Players are to be dressed appropriately. The Club Wear Program that was established last year will continue. The Peace Arch brand is available to all coaches and purchases can be made from our Club store through the website www.soccerclubwear.com/peacearch/.
Rep Player Environment
Team Selection and Placement
Rep Player selections for the following Fall season will be based on a combination of performance over the regular season and on the evaluation sessions held in April or May.
Player performance in training and games between September and March is the most significant evaluation period. This period will be the main opportunity for players to showcase their abilities and earn selection to the team for the following season. The evaluation sessions in April or May will provide a final opportunity for
The Club’s Professional Coaching Staff to consider players for selection against others who may be new to the Club or to the divisional level.
For players new to the Club or to the divisional level being attended, evaluation sessions in April or May represent the primary opportunity for evaluation of a player’s suitability for selection and placement on a Rep team.
Players of a Rep team standard coming into the Club mid-season may be placed on a Rep team based on the Professional Coaching Staff’s and Rep team coach’s assessment of the player’s ability in comparison to their knowledge of the other players at that level currently within the Club. It should be noted that such placements may at times be restricted due to the unavailability of spaces at the desired level.
Player Movement
The Club is aware that players develop at different times and at different rates. To accommodate these differences the Club has adopted a Player Movement process that will allow players at a lower level the opportunity to push for positions at higher levels throughout the regular season. Players who are showing such signs of improvement will be brought to the attention of the Professional Coaching staff, along with the coaches of the Rep teams, by their respective Club Team Head Coach. Such movement is entirely up to a player’s desire and commitment. Likewise players that are finding it difficult to develop or to have success and are overwhelmed by the demands of the Rep level will be offered the opportunity to be placed at a level where they can achieve their development goals. If any player falls into these categories it will be addressed as soon as possible. The Club has developed specific policies regarding Player Movement. It should be noted that player movement – although desired may be restricted by the amount of space available at the desired level.
Peace Arch Club Academy
The Club will continue to have the following programs available on a user pay basis:
Weekly Skill Based Academy Program – This program will be for those U8-U18s wishing to improve their overall skills. This program will be designed to focus on individual skill development and will run on a Friday night. The majority of the program will consist of U8-U12 players; however, the Club will accommodate groups of older players wishing to participate in additional training and skill development.
Pre-season Team Training – for teams U11-to-adult wishing to introduce and familiarize their team with a system of play prior to the season kick off. This will be a 7.5 hour program running prior to the season kick-off (5 sessions Monday-Friday)
Summer/Spring Development Camps – The Club is now running such programs in partnership with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Travel Teams U8-U18 – for those wishing to travel to either local or international tournaments. These environments will be supported by the Club’s Head Coach in a full time or part time capacity. Peace Arch Soccer Club’s Travel Program Summer 2011 had seven teams (as young as U8) travel across to Washington State to play against strong American competition in the Yakima Tournament. Through integration with the successful Semiahmoo Soccer Club’s Soccer Travel Academy, Peace Arch is looking at ways to expand the travel programming this upcoming season.
Since I started at Peace Arch Soccer Club in 2008 the Club has initiated a number of new programs. These changes have, of course, come with their challenges as people have gotten use to the new programs. I’m looking forward to the adoption of our new changes and strongly feel that they will improve the development of our players. There are fewer better environments in the Lower Mainland for player development than Peace Arch Soccer Club and I look forward to an exciting future for the players in our community.
Greg Berry
Head Coach, Peace Arch Soccer Club
