Academy Division

This division has been formed to provide an opportunity for all children in third and fourth grades and between the ages of 8 and 11 to learn and play the game of soccer. It is the division in which all children registering for soccer are encouraged to play and where the Association guarantees them a place to play.

• The Academy Division will be organized for both the spring and the fall seasons.
• In the spring season, the child must be eight (8), but not eleven (11) by August 31 of the previous calendar year.
• In the fall season, the child must be eight (8), but not eleven (11) by August 31 of the current calendar year.
• Prior to each season, an Academy teams formation meeting will be coordinated by the Division Director inviting the participation of all prospective coaches, with the goal to evenly balance all teams across each Academy subdivision.
• Team formation will be based on coach evaluations and collective player rankings from the previous season. This formation process will be done so that no child is embarrassed and they should not know in what order they were selected.
• When registration numbers permit, two subdivisions (East and West) will be formed based on skill. These subdivisions can be adjusted to accommodate the registration mix, and will be set up in order to allow players to compete where they will find optimum levels of physical and technical challenge and success.
• The Division Director will have the authority to mandate roster changes up to and including the fourth week of the season, but only for the purpose of balancing the teams, i.e., one team is stronger than the rest of the teams, or because a player has been misplaced between Academy subdivisions. This will only be done if necessary to promote end-to-end play and competitive games that challenge all players appropriately.
• Roster sizes will be determined by the Division Director according to registration numbers, but shall be limited to ten players to help ensure that players can play at least half of each game in a 5-versus-5 league.
• Every child is entitled to play at least one half of the game unless individual conduct justifies less time. In such a circumstance, the Division Director must be notified about the conduct in question.
• Full uniforms including shirts, shorts and socks will be used with six inch numbers on the back of the shirt. The cost of the uniform will be the responsibility of the parents and will not be included in the registration fee. The proper uniform will be purchased through the Association for first-time Academy players and the uniform can be used for multiple seasons.
• A tournament will be held at the end of each season, with the possibility for two winners to be declared when registration numbers for a season allow for an East and West division.
• Player Evaluation. All coaching teams will be expected to work together to evaluate players at the end of each season, and turn in evaluations prior to the end of the season to the Academy Division Director. This is to be used for Travel Division team recommendations and future placement.
• All coaches are encouraged to view a game of each team in their league other than the one that they played against that team. This is for the purpose of helping to evaluate players other than their own.
• Once teams are established, coaches are expected to communicate with player families on a weekly basis.
• Training and games for the majority of each season are built around a theme of the week. Training will include one professionally-led practice and one coach-led practice on the theme each week, and coaches will focus their attention on the given theme at each week’s games.
• Coaches will be provided with a pre-season training session as well as weekly practice plans around 8 weekly themes, and are expected to follow those plans for the first 45 minutes of each practice session. The following 30 minutes of each training session will be dedicated to scrimmaging in such a way as to reinforce the theme of the week as well as work on other aspects of the game as needed.
• When there is an East and West Division, the Academy Program may offer a Visiting Player Policy. Together with the Director and based on recommendations from coaches in the West Division, coaches in the East Division may invite players from the West Division to join them for games that do not conflict with their original team’s games, thereby inviting them to play in multiple games in the same week. This policy will be offered when East Division teams do not have enough players due to scheduling conflicts or injuries and when players in the West Division are between the two divisions for skill level and could therefore benefit from additional challenge in order to continue their individual technical development.
• All Academy games will aim to have end-to-end play for both teams. When a game has a 5-goal differential, the trailing team may add a player, especially if the action is not end-to-end and competitive. After an 8-goal differential, the teams must trade players. Both teams' coaches should coach from the midfield line and communicate with each other as the game goes on so that play remains competitive and wide goal differentials don’t become an issue. Coaches are encouraged to find other creative ways to promote competitive end-to-end play as the context dictates.
• The Academy program is based on collaboration, community, and individual technical development. Kindness and respect for everyone, from teammates to opponents to coaches to refs, are expected at all times. Referee decisions will not be disputed, but questions about decisions can be brought to the attention of the referee mentors for the further development of young referees.
• The Academy Division Director, in conjunction with the Instructional Division Director, shall supply the Travel Division Director with a list of names of candidates to become the Fourth Grade Boys and Girls Age Group Facilitators within four weeks of the close of the spring season.
• The Academy Division will follow the Academy Laws of the Game.