Big news from the Future Stars Academy as the program kicked off its first ever 4v4 Gameday over the winter that were played on Saturdays. The program focus is teaching the game through guided discovery in a competitive match with no pressure for the 'team' to win. Players had a great time having the opportunity to apply their individual skills learned in the regular academy sessions or simply having fun getting to compete.

All players get to handle the ball frequently in this small sided developmental format favored by European academies instead of getting stuck on an oversized field playing 7v7 where players can get lost in the crowd and not get many opportunities on the ball.

We will be building on this program this summer and leading into the fall under the guidance of Academy Director Anthony Fulton. Players can sign up for the Academy Training, Academy 3v3/4v4 Gameday, or BOTH in any session!

 One of the most common issues that we deal with as directors and coaches especially at the younger ages is that if a player is placed at the White level, that somehow they will not develop the same way as a player placed at the Blue level or wont have the same opportunity.

We want to dispel this myth about the structure within our club and learning environments in general. As many years of experience have shown us, if a player has opportunity for maximum game time minutes at the White level vs limited time with a Blue level team, the better developmental opportunity at that point in time is with White. This can be difficult if both player and parent have the desire to be on that top team while the priority of the club is to put the player where development can be maximized NOW to prepare for the FUTURE.

We frequently have conversations with parents that come back to the idea of ‘I want my child to be on the Blue team’. But as coaches and teachers we are looking at ‘Where is the opportunity for maximum development?’ or ‘What is the best competitive classroom for the player right now?’.  It’s a differing viewpoint between coach and parent that brings us to one of the most important issues of being in a competitive developmental pyramid. This is the most difficult for the smaller formats of 7v7 and 9v9 where the long term plan of building for 11v11 isn’t on the mind of a U10 or U11 parent. However, it is one of the most important things to consider when there are multiple teams within an age pool. We encourage both parents and players to embrace the opportunity regardless of the color name of the team. The goal should not necessarily be ‘I want to be on Blue’ but ‘I want to be where I can maximize my development’ and it is up to all of our coaches and directors to continue to instill that mentality across the organization in both parents and players alike. 

 As we approach official tryout dates for the 2022/23 soccer year there is naturally some anxiety involved.

To quote our Cleveland Force Director Everett Palache pertaining to this time of year, “Spring is where we learn the character of our players/families. If a player is happy and ‘getting what they think they deserve/need’ things are good. If they do not get ‘what they think they deserve/need’ they start to look for other options, so they don’t face the challenge but look for a comfortable space. We have learned that the loyal and committed players to their process benefit from the club’s training and player pathway. Those that choose not to take on the challenge/competition usually select a safe place on a roster that makes them feel good but does not prepare them for the future.”

Our experience over many years has shown us the same. Those committed to the challenge, to the training environment, trusting of the coaches and to the player pathway the organization provides have reaped the benefits over time.  This includes ‘uncomfortable’ periods when a player/parent disagrees with player placement, feels like they should be on a team or roster above where they are on, or perhaps not receiving the playing time they feel they deserve. There is nothing stopping our players from earning what they desire with their performances on the field and in the training environment. We have professionals in place overseeing a process that can provide any player with the proper competitive classroom for their ability level and have the experience to know what environment is appropriate at a given time. Parent trust of the soccer professionals in place to make those decisions is a critical part of letting the process happen. It is easy to question, and difficult to trust. As an organization, we remain committed to providing an environment at top notch facilities that will challenge and push players to maximize their potential and prepare them for success in life on and off the field. 

 There are many exciting things happening at the club as you can see! Future newsletters will include articles and updates from our various directors and programming to keep our parents informed about all of the things happening at the organization and a continued emphasis on the BIG picture. The future is very bright and we are excited to get this next chapter in the club going!