Individual Development * Ages 4 -7 *

Great Training * Player Centered *

Coach Driven * Sports Science * Parent Supported*

Our paramount concern as a soccer community is the holistic development, safety and enjoyment of our players. The player is the center of Impact Soccer Club and we make soccer decisions with their best interests in mind. For some time now, there has been concern on the part of experienced coaches, thoughtful parents and eager players, that we need to find a way to raise all levels of development within our Club – from the bottom up.  More importantly, we need to emphasize the most fundamental benefit of the game of soccer:  FUN!  

Introducing A New Training Program

So, Impact Soccer Club has been developing a new program of training for our youngest players, ages 4 to 7. Current models of teaching soccer in the United States and around the world have been studied.  The best models all agree that, by respecting players as individuals with distinctive needs and talents, we can help all players fulfill their full potential.  We incorporated that into a new training program, which began in 2012, called the Impact Junior Academy.

Great Training for All Young Players 

Impact Junior Academy sets itself apart from other academies by the fact that the individual development of the youngest of players is the foundation for our Club.  Youths of ages 4-7 are separated from the traditional, antiquated teaching methods of team control and winning-as-the-goal.  Impact Junior Academy can be likened to a high school curriculum:  each student is taught certain benchmark standards - regardless of whether he/she will graduate to go on to work, to a 2-year community college, to a technical school or to a 4-year university.  We are seeking to give the best possible training to every boy and girl in our program, regardless of his/her ultimate goal in learning soccer.  This includes the purely “sports-for-fun” player in our seasonal league and the year-round player who is interested in growing up to be a professional soccer player!

Player-Centered Decision-making.  

Impact Junior Academy’s coaching philosophy is to first and foremost teach all young players soccer foundations. Players will learn the same succession of age-appropriate technical exercises, through entertaining drills. Each player will be given a skill set to practice and achieve with a rewards system to encourage progress and build self-confidence. Then, in small-sided scrimmaging, they play at their level of ability to ensure that their development in practice can be used in a game situation. Young players learn ball skills, creativity, and a better understanding of the game - including tactics needed to play at the next level (whatever that may be!) This is how we better form exciting (and excited!) players.

Coach Driven Development

In Impact Junior Academy, coaches (with their assistants) drive the soccer operations. Our technical staff is comprised of highly skilled, full-time soccer professionals (including two former MLS and International players, several former college coaches, former and current high school coaches, - all former college players) who have the expertise, time, and proactive attitude to provide the best player development environment possible.  All technical decisions are made by, or delegated by, this elite group of Head Coaches assembled. The Assistant Coaching staff is comprised of volunteer coaches (current and former players) and high-school-aged, elite Impact players. Impact Soccer Club devotes 100% of its Competitive Coaches to provide the Impact Junior Academy with a high coach-to-player training ratio.

Sports Science Is Changing

Scientific research has concluded that it takes eight to twelve years of training for a player/athlete to reach elite levels. This is called the “Ten-Year Rule” (or “10,000-Hour Rule”), which translates to slightly more than three hours of practice, daily, for ten years. Unfortunately, parents and coaches in many sports still approach training with an attitude best characterized as "peaking by Friday", wherein a short term approach is taken to training and performance, with over-emphasis on immediate results (winning games). We now know that a long-term commitment to practice and training is required to produce elite players/athletes in all sports. There is no short cut to athletic preparation. As Impact Junior Academy, we stay current in the latest sport science developments and best practices used across the world to ensure optimal player development.  For example, instead of fighting amongst 16-22 players on the field for time on the ball, Impact Junior Academy players spend most of their session time with a ball at their feet.

Parent Supported Activities

This new program will in no way omit the all-important contribution of our parents!  Some of you, who played soccer in college, may wish to apply for one of our all-important Assistant Coach positions.  Some of you will find a less stressful atmosphere watching the Monday-Wednesday sessions without having to coach or manage.  A few of you will find scheduling conflicts much easier to manage without the absolute of team-controlled activities. Your weekends will be free to follow other interests or to attend an older player’s games.  All of you can relax knowing that your child is getting the best soccer education in our area.

Impact Junior Academy graduates have already gone on to competing at top levels on both Recreational and Competitive Soccer teams.

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For questions regarding the Academy, please contact:
Director of Coaching, Rick Morin at [email protected],
Girls Director, Rob Terry, at [email protected] or
Boys Director, Gavin Glinton, at [email protected]