Developing great individuals through the sport of soccer. PROGRAM OVERVIEW 07/17

PHILOSOPHY The focus of our Academy is not wins and losses, but the development of the individual player. This is the time where players will learn and improve more quickly than at any other stage in their soccer career. The curriculum for the Academy program is similar to that of a typical educational curriculum: each week, month, season, and year will build from the foundation from past experiences and development. The Academy Program prepares the youth soccer player to enter the Select/Competitive program at U13 with a wealth of knowledge regarding all aspects of the game. Our ideal goal is to have around 30-35 players at U13 that have been a part of the Academy program since U9. Obviously, this varies from age group to age group based on the depth of the talent pool, but this is our goal. It is for this reason that we encourage players (if appropriate) to enter the Academy at the U9 age group, so the foundation is solid for years to come!

PROGRAM STRUCTURE The Academy is structured so that our players are part of an age group pool (boys and girls train separately).  All players within the age group will train at the same time and practice space with an appropriate number of coaches to maintain a good player to coach ratio.  The philosophy behind this structure is to allow the group (both players and staff) to be able to interact with everyone involved in the age group, so their exposure is more than a typical “team” environment. On game days, we roster teams that will compete at varying levels against other clubs. This system provides fluidity where players can be rostered at a level that is relevant to their development and receive the benefit of learning from multiple coaches over the course of the year.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE CONT. The coaches can also specifically tailor the practices to the needs of the players based on where they are on their own developmental ladder.  Each coach, over time, will work with every player in the group. As children grow, rates of development (physically and emotionally) can vary drastically. The age group pool provides an environment where there is always an appropriate place for each player to compete no matter where the child is in their development. By being familiar with every player, each coach will be able to make the transition much easier when it is time to move a player “up” or in some cases "down".   Arkansas Comets Academy Program U9-U10 Curriculum   Arkansas Comets Academy Program U11-U12 Curriculum

PROGRAM TRAINING STRUCTURE Two training sessions per week Additional optional training opportunities Speed and Agility Goalkeeper Training Extra Technical Sessions   Technical skills – dribbling, receiving, passing, shooting, 1v1 defending & tackling Tactical skills – basic decision making (when to pass, when to dribble)  Physical skills – balance and coordination, speed and agility (movement education)  Psychosocial skills – Respect, discipline, and grit (Core Values taught) Arkansas Comets Academy Program hold’s annual evaluations (basically tryouts, but less stressful) each year to determine if the Academy program would be a good fit for each individual.   Like all of our soccer programs at Arkansas Comets Soccer Club, we promote teamwork, enthusiasm, enjoyment, and a lifelong love for the "beautiful game" of soccer.