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Piedmont Soccer Academy

Piedmont Soccer Academy

Club Level Select Soccer

What is Club Level Select Soccer?

Select Soccer is more competitive than Developmental soccer. The training and coaching are carried out by licensed professional soccer coaches instead of volunteers. Compared to Developmental soccer, Select soccer requires more time and financial commitment from parents and players and mainly involves games in and around the metro Atlanta area. Periodically, away games and tournaments can be in other parts of Georgia, with some teams attending out-of-state tournaments.  

What age groups does Club Level Select Soccer apply to?

 Select is split into two age groupings: 

  • Academy is from U9 to U12.
  • Athena (Girls) and Classic (Boys) are from U13 to U19.
  • Academy game scores are not recorded, whereas Athena and Classic teams play for points and are involved in divisional play with promotion and relegation opportunities.  

Are the genders split?

Yes. The teams are split into boys and girls teams. USYSA recognizes 2 types of team genders: (1) Teams with females only are girls' teams. (2) All other teams are boys' teams. 

How do I know my son/daughter's age group?

The system will automatically assign your player to the appropriate level of play. If you have any questions about the assigned age group, you may visit Georgia Soccer's Website to view the Age Group Chart.

What is our Academy Program?

Academy soccer is a unique program where 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11-year-old boys and girls receive top-quality soccer training in a fun and flexible environment. This is the first experience in competitive soccer play and should provide the best opportunity for a successful transition from the developmental program to the 7 a side and 9 a side game of select soccer. The Academy program will implement age-appropriate training systems developed under the guidelines of GSSA and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).

What is the focus?

4 basic technical skills must be developed in the U9 through U12 age groups. Crucial technical skills include dribbling, receiving, passing, and shooting. Players will also develop technical skills such as organizing offenses or defenses and recognizing when to make certain types of runs. The Academy program will place training priorities on the most critical technical topics:

  • Dribbling with creativity
  • Mastering moves and fakes
  • Receiving the ball away from pressure
  • Accurate passing
  • Shooting with power and accuracy
  • Volleying and heading

What are the Age Groups for the upcoming seasonal year?

Georgia Soccer's Website to view: 

Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 Age Group Chart

Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 Age Group Chart

When are the 2024-25 Academy Evaluations?

2024-2025 Evaluation Dates will be 6-7:30 pm on Monday May 20th, Tuesday May 21st, & Wednesday May 22nd.

Where will evaluations be held?

Victor Lord Park Turf Field
206 2nd St 
Winder, GA 30680
*Make sure to bring a ball, shin guards, cleats, and water.

What are our fees?

Fee includes Georgia Soccer registration and insurance, referee fees, professional training/coaching, field use, equipment, and league administration. 

U9 - U12: $1100/seasonal year* (Fall & Spring)
*rates are for the 2023/2024 season

What is our Classic/Athena Program?

Piedmont Soccer Academy offers the most competitive level of soccer through our Classic/Athena program. This program is available for boys and girls from ages 12 to 19. The boys participate in the Select program, and the girls participate in the Athena program of the Georgia Youth Soccer Association. Teams in each age category are grouped into 5-6 divisions based on rankings and results. At the end of each season, teams can be promoted to a higher division or dropped to a lower division to keep teams competitively matched. Participation in our Select program requires a one-year commitment from August to May. 

Practices:

· Professional training and coaching
· Volunteer Team Manager
· A minimum of three hours of practice per week

Games:
Inter-league games that are scheduled by Georgia Soccer 
Teams will play 11 v 11-sided games.

Fees:

Fee includes: Georgia Soccer registration and insurance, referee fees, professional training/coaching, field use, equipment, and league administration. All fees are per season. Payment plans are available. Options for the payment plans can be found online during the registration process that will occur once the player has been accepted onto a team.

U13 - U14: $1100 for the seasonal year* (Fall & Spring) 
U15 - U19: $750 for the seasonal year* (Fall Only)
*rates are based on the 2023-2024 season

Age Groups Charts per Seasonal Year

Georgia Soccer's Website to view: 
Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 Age Group Chart

Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 Age Group Chart

When are the 2024-25 Classic/Athena Tryouts?

U13 - U15 Boys and Girls:
2024-2025 Tryout Dates will be 6-7:15 pm on Monday May 13th, Tuesday May 14th, & Wednesday May 15th.

U16 - U19 Boys and Girls:
2024-2025 Tryout Dates will be 7:30 - 9:00 pm on Monday May 13th, Tuesday May 14th, & Wednesday May 15th.

Where will evaluations be held?

Victor Lord Park Turf Field
206 2nd St 
Winder, GA 30680
*Make sure to bring a ball, shin guards, cleats, and water.

Club Level Soccer Details

Information regarding player assignments:

Players will be accepted into the Club Level via an evaluation/tryout system. Accepted players will be divided by age and ability and placed on teams. Select teams of players will practice together under the supervision of licensed coaches and professional trainers. Players movement from team to team may be necessary for those who progress at a quicker than normal rate or for those who may need a different level of competition. This flexibility is unique to the Select program.

How do we handle practices?

In the Select program, we offer 1.5-hour practice sessions twice per week. There is an optional 3rd session for scrimmage games or special training topics. Specialty training sessions are offered weekly and will include Keeper training, Speed & Agility, & Fast Feet. Please ask you coach about times.

What will games look like? 

U8 - U14 will play for 2 full seasons (Fall & Spring).
U15 - U19 will play 1 full season in the Fall, but can participate in Friendlies and Tournaments in the Spring. 

The fall season will take place from August to November, and the spring season will take place from February to May. Academy teams will play at least 8 games per season against other Academy teams.

U9 & U10 teams will play 7v7 games, U11 & U12 teams will play 9v9 games, and U13 and up will play 11v11 games.

How do we handle player movement?

The Club and the Coaching staff can move players on a game-by-game basis as they wish to enhance the individual player’s development. This can happen with promotion or relegation. This will encourage players always to give 100% effort when practicing and to play games. Players mature and learn at different stages of their soccer careers, so if players are selected for one particular team, this is not necessarily a guarantee that this decision is a permanent one. Some players thrive on competition immediately, and others take time to adjust so that each player will be evaluated individually. The success of the team stems from continuity, so it is essential to keep that in mind when picking our teams and developing our young soccer players.

Coaching:

All coaching should be left to the coaching staff, and parents should not offer advice to players during games or practice. Parents should refrain from giving any tactical feedback to players regarding performance unless they have consulted with the coach, as they may give contradictory information or over repeat what the coach has already said, either of which can lead to confusion or frustration for the player.

Positive Parental Support:

Positive support is vital during times of disappointment which is a natural part of a young soccer player’s developmental success.

All players/parents are required to sign a player/parent commitment contract to participate.

Positive Encouragement:

Positive encouragement from parents is vital to help young soccer players understand the significance of winning and losing the experience of frustration in learning, and the need to develop self-confidence.

Positive Coaching:

Positive coaching from our staff is vitally important to our player’s development. We must ensure that our players are instilled with the confidence to play and have an understanding of the coach’s instructions. We must also ensure that our players are able to accept constructive and negative information that will help them to improve themselves as soccer players and team members. Encouragement at this level is a massive motivational tool for making our players successful, creative, and well-rounded soccer players.

Will my player participate in any tournaments?

Teams may participate in tournaments located in/out of state. You may be required to travel out of town to participate in the tournament, and this will be at the discretion of the Club and Coaching staff.

Will I have to travel?

Academy games will be played with local leagues to eliminate extensive travel for players at such a young age. Travel will be limited to 1 - 1.5 hours if at all possible.

Select/Athena Games are scheduled through Georgia Soccer and could be anywhere in the state, depending on the League your team plays in. 

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