Here is another set of general information. This message will cover general philosophy as well as practice and game schedule updates.
Club Philosophy. Please see the attached academy guidelines that outline the general approach we subscribe to within Montclair United Soccer Club. I am also attaching the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) guidelines of best practices for player development. Each of these documents is informed by the science of child development as well as exemplar training programs across the world. At this age, our emphasis is still on developing individual skills while trying to foster their ability to work together as a team. Our metric for success is whether kids are improving by the end of each session.
This year we are switching to much larger fields with 11 boys playing for each team. The larger sided games are not well suited for these boys due to their general cognitive and physical development at this age. New Jersey is a bit of an anachronism in the general soccer world, which tends to have boys play smaller sides at this age.
We will keep focused on individual development and getting the boys to play well in small units. We will strive for a ‘possession-oriented’ game where the passes are kept short, simple, and on the ground. We will be happy if the boys can patiently work the ball up the field during the games.
Director of Coaching. Touré Weaver is the Director of Coaching for MUSC. Touré grew up in Montclair, playing for MUSC and the high school. He then went on to play for a Division 1 college team: University of Pittsburgh. Touré is passionate about coaching and spent time in the Netherlands learning about their approaches to player development. For a small country, the Dutch have had an outsized influence on world soccer, producing technically and tactically renowned players and teams. Touré has been applying his craft for more than 10 years within the Montclair High School. He has been freshman and junior varsity coach. He currently is the varsity assistant coach.
Touré wants to bring more intensity, discipline and attention to detail to the MUSC training program. He is establishing a general curriculum with age-based standards that trainers are expected to achieve. He will be monitoring the trainers and training program through the year.
As director of coaching, Touré will ensure that we are working toward a unified standard as well as consistency in performance across all teams.
Commitment. There will be an expectation that players will show commitment to their teammates and to the program. We recognize that the players will have other activities that may conflict with the soccer schedule over time. With that said, we ask that players regularly attend practices, be prompt, and show total focus while in the training sessions. By and large, the players who have signed up for this program are seriously committed to developing as soccer players. We want to honor that commitment.
All players are expected to wear their training jersey to practice. We will distribute this year's training jersey soon.
Players are expected to treat their trainers, teammates, referees, opponents, and themselves with respect.
Intra-Year Movement between Teams. Players will be evaluated between the fall and spring season and may be moved between teams. The criteria will be based on where the player best fits. The decision for movement will be made by the trainers in consultation with Touré. If this should happen, we will work together with the parents and trainers to communicate that this is in the best interest of the player's development.
Training Sessions. For now, training sessions will be Monday and Wednesdays 5:30 to 7:00. Small sided games will be held Fridays, 4:00 to 5:30. The days will not change but the training times may change as the days become shorter. Locations can also vary from week to week. Keep a lookout for the weekly email announcements about training time and place.
League Games. League games will be held on Saturdays, anytime between 9am and 5pm. The league is expected to publish the schedule this Friday. As soon as we get the schedules, we will distribute them.
Team Managers. Farley Katz will be the manager for the White team. José Francisco will be the manager for the Blue team. They will be responsible for coordinating game logistics and communicating with you the what/when/where/how of each game. It is very important that you let them know early in the week whether your son can play in the upcoming game.
Volunteers. This is a community-based organization that survives by the efforts of dedicated parents. We are fortunate to have so many talented individuals in our midst. I will be distributing a list of tasks over the weekend and asking for volunteers to pitch in.
Parent Meeting. I am trying to decide whether to call for a general in-person meeting after one of our practices or try a conference call around 8pm on a Monday or Wednesday. I have a conference call service that requires you to make a long-distance call to somewhere in Minnesota. Let me know which you would prefer.
More to come.
Charlie
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MUSC U11 Boys Academy
We build total footballers
