Instructional Division

Current Season

The Instructional Saturday training sessions/games for the season will be played at Dacey Field (Grade 2) and Keller-Sullivan School Field (Kindergarten and Grade 1). Please drive carefully as there will be many children each Saturday. Additionally, only 2nd Grade Boys and 2nd Grade Girls can register for a mid-week academy training session at Upper Dacey Field.

The training sessions/games of the Spring Instructional Division will begin on April 13th. The 9-week schedule is as follows:

• Saturday 8:15am–2:30pm, starting April 13th all Age Groups Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade start training sessions/games
• Wednesday, 6:15-7:15pm, starting April 17th 2nd Grade Girls Instructional start mid-week academy-style Training Session
• Thursday, 6:15-7:15pm, starting April 18th 2nd Grade Boys Instructional start mid-week academy-style Training Session

Fall 2024 Schedule

• 2nd Grade Boys — 8:15-9:30am — Middle/Upper Dacey — Click for Schedule
• 2nd Grade Girls — 10-11:15am — Middle/Upper Dacey — Click for Schedule
• 1st Grade A — 9-10am — Lower Keller and Upper Keller — Click for Schedule
• Kindergarten A — 10:30-11:30am — Lower Keller and Upper Keller — Click for Schedule
• 1st Grade B — Noon-1pm — Lower Keller and Upper Keller — Click for Schedule
• Kindergarten B — 1:30-2:30pm — Lower Keller — Click for Schedule

Goals for the season (in order of emphasis):

1. Develop dribbling and ball control skills
2. Introduce some basic soccer rules and concepts
3. Have fun! (Actually, this goal should come first, because if the kids don’t have fun, the other goals are pointless!)

Equipment your child needs:

• Ball – Size 3. Please check the size, as it is much easier to learn with the correct sized ball.
• Shin guards. Please wear under socks.
• Water bottle. Preferably filled with cold water rather than a sports drink, as it can also be squirted on players to help cool them down.
• Reversible navy print/white mesh uniform jersey.
• Cleats. Optional, but strongly encouraged as the fields can be very slippery.

Uniform jerseys are included as part of the registration fee, and other items are available at the Soccer Office store at competitive prices. In addition, used cleats can be obtained free from our Cleat Exchange program.

Practice Organization/philosophy:

For the first half hour we will be doing activities that are geared towards teaching your child the basic skills necessary to play the game well. The second half hour will be a small-sided scrimmage (3v3 or 4v4) where your child will get the opportunity to apply and develop these skills in a match situation. Although it is a competitive environment, these are not competitive games; there are no Win/Loss records and no League Standings. Again, the point of the scrimmages is skill development; if the kids try hard to use the skills we are teaching them I consider it a victory no matter what the score.

Also, in the scrimmages we utilize a Continuous Play format to maximize playing time. Please read the description of how Continuous Play works and why we are doing it.

General guidelines:

• I realize that we all have busy schedules, but please try to have your child on the field and ready to play at the designated time. We have only 1 hour a week to practice/play soccer, so every minute counts. Having to repeatedly stop an activity to explain to latecomers what we are doing is disruptive to the practice and unfair to those players who were there on time.
• If you know that your child will be unable to play on a given day, please let your Coach know. Some of the practice activities we do work better with a full squad, and knowing how many players will be there helps us plan productive and fun practices.
• Please encourage your child to practice soccer skills during the week; in fact, some of the ball control skills that we teach can be practiced safely indoors. Also, remember that “the game is the greatest teacher”, so a few sessions of one-on-one or other small-sided games in the backyard each week will probably be of as much benefit as all the practices this season!
• Cheering is good, but please do not yell instructions to your child or anyone else’s child during the scrimmages. It can be distracting, and what you tell them may be different from what the Coaches say. If you feel you have something to add and would like to be an Assistant Coach, please contact me; the FYSA can always use more help!
• During the scrimmages, please cheer for both teams. This is an Instructional Division, and we are here to help all the kids learn the game. Remember: this is for fun, and these are our children.