SCSC’s ever-popular 6-week Spring Development Program for its youngest players will begin the week of April 22nd.   For those who registered, here is some important information about the program and what to expect as a parent - it’s a little long-winded, but please take the time to read before sessions start (***FIRSTLY, PLEASE NOTE A DATE CHANGE OF FIRST SESSION ONLY FOR THE U4 STARLETS AND THE U5-U6 GROUPS - Tuesday 23rd April now, NOT Wednesday 24th as originally planned - I sincerely apologize if this causes an inconvenience, but was unavoidable unfortunately).

The Development Program is our youngest soccer offering within our club, and as parents of these children you are obviously fully aware of the short attention spans and the often joyful-to-watch lack of co-ordination that the vast majority of players in this age group share....which is why things are a little different at this age and it won’t necessarily seem like the soccer you may see on TV. Our focus here is on ball familiarity (how to move the ball) and general agility skills (how to move your body), as well as an introduction to the game through 3v3 and 4v4 play. It is all about having fun at this point.

IT IS VITAL THAT PARENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST THEIR OWN CHILD, WHEN NECESSARY. Truth is children at this age can be easily upset and with larger groups, it is often difficult to be able to cater to all of the players’ immediate needs. Volunteer coaches will assist for the most part, but if it something only ’Mommy or Daddy’ can fix, please feel free to step in.

YOU ALSO NEED TO LET YOUR CHILD GO AT THEIR OWN PACE, AND LET THEM MAKE MISTAKES. Soccer is one of THE most difficult sports to learn and it is widely viewed that you aren’t able to reach your peak until....wait for it...Age 28. So please understand that your son/daughter has a long path ahead of them. There will be some players who simply won’t want to get involved as they are scared...this is fine, and we will slowly attempt to get them into it, but please do not force them. Also, shouting and yelling at children simply is not accepted - not only at the Development Program level, but throughout Soaring Capital as a club - we are very proud of this element of our conduct.

OK, here are the details:

WHEN? Mondays, U7-U8 players, 5-6:15pm Wednesdays***, U4 STARLETS & U5-U6 players, 5-6:15pm (***THE FIRST SESSION IS ON A TUESDAY INSTEAD THOUGH - WE START APRIL 23rd) WHERE? Eldridge Park Soccer Fields, we will be on the field furthest from the lake, next to the shed facility.

WHAT TO WEAR? Dress for the weather but ideally T-shirts and shorts will be sufficient. If you have cleats and shinguards, that’s great! But is not essential at this age. Sneakers will be fine.

WHAT TO BRING? Easy - water, any required medication, and a SMILE. If your child would like to bring their own (fully inflated) ball that is OK, but I will have enough for everyone.

WHAT TO DO? The first day is always a little hectic as we register players and hand out the free t-shirts. Please feel free to just encourage your child to PLAY with a ball while we wait to start (have them kick it back and forth to you or try to steal it from each other).

BAD WEATHER? Every spring we ultimately get affected by the lightning season - if I have to cancel a practice the decision will be made by 3pm on the day and the website homepage will be updated to reflect the change and a blast email sent out - PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE AND YOUR EMAIL BEFORE SETTING OFF ON YOUR JOURNEY TO AVOID UNNECESSARY TRAVEL. Any sessions missed will be made up at a later date (possibly on weekends)

NEED MORE INFO? Contact me - phone: 607-483-0251 or email: development@soaringcapsoccer.com

Cheers, Jonny Sinclair SCSC Development Director of Coaching