U9-U10 Academy
Ages 8-12 are the most critical development years of a soccer player’s career. It is at these ages where the basic fundamental skills of soccer are mastered that allow players to compete and be successful as soccer players at the next level of play and where they develop a true love for the game.
​
The PVU Academy Program is designed for players ages 8-10 years old who have a higher level of ability, commitment, and interest level in soccer.
​
This program includes:
3 Seasons: Fall, Winter, and Summer.
Fall Season - Tryouts in July
Winter Season - is by sign-up and focuses solely on technical development.
Summer Season - Tryouts in late January.
We hold different tryouts to ensure we're placing players at the appropriate skill/development level as they develop throughout the year.
Families can choose to participate in 1, 2, or all 3 seasons.
Season Plans
Fall
Tryouts are held in July for the fall season
The season runs from the 4th week of August through the middle of October and focuses more on player development and can serve as an introduction to competitive soccer.
Training begins the 4th week of August with 2 training sessions per week on Tuesday's & Thursday's.
Games are on the weekends and begin the end of August and run through the middle of October.
The number of players signed up for a particular age group determines the number of teams we try to field.
Training
Training sessions will be Tuesdays/Thursdays
PVUFC has a pre-established schedule with age group training and team training evenly spaced throughout the season.
The training ratio is appropriate for this phase of development
Pool Training Format – players all together under the club philosophy with staff coaches and team coaches together
Teams still have their own identity with weekly team training with a team coach
Winter
The Winter Training Program runs from November - January.
The Winter Program is a training-only program and runs on the weekends.
The Winter Program is designed to enhance and build the proper technical skills of the player using age-appropriate development from the PVUFC Player Development Curriculum.
Training sessions led by PVUFC Staff coaches.
Summer
Tryouts are held the last weekend of January.
Preseason indoor training begins the 1st weekend in February with 2 training sessions per week.
Outdoor training begins mid-April with 2 training sessions per week.
TCSL League play runs from May through July with games being played on weeknights.
Training
PVUFC has a pre-established schedule with age group training and team training evenly spaced throughout the season.
The training ratio is appropriate for this phase of development
Pool Training Format– U9 & U10 players train together under the club philosophy with staff coaches and team coaches together
U10 Teams still have their own identity with weekly team training with a team coach ​
Academy Goals
Goals of the Academy Program
Create a training environment in which all players within the U9 & U10 age groups are given access to top-level coaching and to foster development for the entire age group.
Focus on individual player development while continuing to allow for competitive team opportunities.
Objectives & Outcomes
Objectives
Matches - Efficiently occupy space in relation to the ball and to teammates
Tactical - Creating space and applying basic principles
Technical - Accuracy in individual soccer techniques
Physical - Develop speed, agility, coordination and balance
Psychosocial - Interact positively and feel confident within the group
Outcomes
Being efficient in 1v1 situations
Balance in relation to the ball (forward, backwards and side to side)
Coordinated movements at speed with and without the ball
Application of basic attacking principles
Academy Structure
From the tryouts, players will be placed in their respective Age Group Pool and will train together as an age group.
PVUFC will hold age group pool training for all participants two times per week.
Prior to the start of TCSL games, players will be placed on a team which will be birth year based.
Team placement will be based on placing players at the appropriate competitive level to make it a beneficial experience for the individual, team, and age group.
Each age group is led by PVUFC staff trainers who will lead all training sessions as well as being responsible for overseeing the age group development plan and player curriculum.
At U9, each team is led by a parent coach for game day coaching.
At U10, each team is led by a PVUFC coach for game day coaching.
Academy or Rec? How To Choose
The difference between participating in the Academy Program or the Recreational Program lies in the level of investment, commitment, and interest of the players and their families. To help parents decide which level of play is most appropriate for their child, listed below are the characteristics of typical players who would participate in the Academy Program:
• Demonstrates a solid technical foundation (ball control, dribbling, and shooting)
• Higher level of coordination and agility
• During games is proactive in their attitude and approach to getting involved
• Demonstrates a higher level of passion and concentration during practices and games
• Soccer is a higher priority for the player and family
• Wants to participate in soccer 2-3 times per week