Additional assessments for our Youth Academy program will be held from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at the Rotary Soccer Complex on the following dates for boys and girls born 2013 - 2016 (U8 - U11):
Tuesday June 27th
Tuesday July 11th
Thursday July 13th
A parent meeting will be held at the assessments to provide more information about the Academy program. All players planning to participate in the Academy program should attend at least one of these assessment dates.
New Academy players should bring copies of their birth certificates. All players need to complete the NCYSA registration form and medical waiver form if they did not already do so at one of the assessments in May. If, for any reason, a player is unable to attend one of the scheduled dates, please contact us at [email protected] so we can make alternate arrangements to assess your player.
Academy Program
Lenoir Youth Soccer Association offers an Academy Program for players in the U11, U10, U9, and U8 age levels. Academy programs seek to improve individual player development, satisfaction, retention, and to build less pressured youth soccer environment for coaches, adult spectators, and match officials. Academy programs have emerged as the 21st century alternative to the frustrating shortfalls in soccer development displayed by most preteens. The void is heavily influenced by coaching quality and the pressures to win at critical periods in the development process. Emphasis is placed on technical progress in the areas of dribbling, passing, receiving, striking balls, and basic decision-making. The program is designed for players who are finding success in their recreational soccer experience and want to improve and learn about the game in a fun, exciting, and emotionally safe environment.
The Academy Program philosophy is to emphasize player development over team development and focus on the technical development of each child without the pressures of short term wins/losses/results. This philosophy encourages players to be more creative and the playing environment becomes more enjoyable. Academy follows a pool training format where all players train together two evenings each week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays) during the Fall (August - November) and Spring (February - May) seasons. Competitive matches (7v7 format) against other Academy programs are typically scheduled on 4 to 6 Saturday mornings each season at Academy Festivals within a 90-minute drive of Lenoir. When participating in Academy Festivals, the Academy pool is divided into one or more teams of 12 players each. Each team usually has 2 games scheduled against teams of similar playing levels at each Academy Festival. LYSA hosts at least one Academy Festival at the Rotary Soccer Complex each season.