What is the ASG Academy?
The ASG Academy program is for players ages U9-U12 to advance their development in the game with an eye to becoming part of the ASG Premier program by U13. The club will endeavor to build a pool of capable and talented boys and girls in every age group to foster their growth in the club. The ultimate goal is player development within a positive educational environment.
The ASG Academy curriculum builds on the technical skills foundation developed in the ASG Junior Academy. It takes the foundation and integrates small group and team tactical concepts, physical strength development emphasizing speed, stamina, coordination and agility. Plus, the teaching involves the psychological and social demands on players including competitive drive, passion to play, positivity and working within a team concept. Yet, the Academy program will still be fun.
In simpler terms the ASG Developmental model is designed to develop players that are able to contribute positively within successful teams throughout their ASG careers, culminating with them participating on the Elite ASG Showcase teams. The ASG Academy is focused on the needs of the U9-U12 player within the ASG Developmental Model.
Who should join the ASG Academy?
The ASG Academy is for players with a strong desire to develop and grow with the game of soccer. The Academy player is defined by their competitive desires not their current competitive ability. If your child wants to get better, this is a great place to be!
What is the level of competition for ASG Academy teams ?
Within the Academy, teams will be formed by grouping players of a similar competitive ability together. Teams will then be placed in competitions (leagues and tournaments) that are appropriate according to the team’s capabilities. There are both Copa and Samba teams in Academy just like in Premier, however, these teams are often balanced based upon the competitive ability of the players.
What will the travel requirements be for the ASG Academy teams?
When teams travel, they are doing so to ensure the competition they are facing provides the appropriate challenge. For teams with a high competitive ability we will need to seek other clubs and teams of similar ability. There will be out of town tournaments, and of course we anticipate these teams qualifying for President's Cup which can involve weekend trips out of town.
Our goal is to match the competitive ability of our teams with others to offer both clubs an opportunity to grow and develop. Closer to home is always better but not always practical from a competitive viewpoint. If other commitments or family needs make extensive travel prohibitive, players can be assigned to teams with limited travel expectations.
Can ASG D1 players participate in the Academy?
The ASG D1 program and the ASG Academy are two separate programs geared towards catering to two separate groups. If you love the ASG D1 practice schedule and competition format, the Academy might not be right for you. If you are looking for more practice time, if you are looking to grow and develop as a player, if you are looking to get ready to be a ASG Premier player at U13, that is what the ASG Academy is about.
It is true that you will need to be able to perform at a certain skill level to feel comfortable in the Academy system, but just because your ability level fits in well with the D1 competition does not mean you aren't ready for the Academy Program. The Academy Program is about developing players to their fullest potential. During that journey we will place teams in leagues and tournaments that match the team's competitive ability.
What is the difference between D1 and the Academy Program?
The real difference is the approach to development. In the D1 Program teams practice twice a week and play league and tournament games. The Academy Teams will also have two practices per week, league and tournament games, but will also have additional Specialized Training each week as well as being able to register for ASG's ADP training over the summer and throughout the season. When forming the D1 schedule the primary focus is keeping games local to limit travel demands on families. With the Academy Teams many games will still be local, but the primary focus when developing the schedule is to find the right teams to play to provide the needed developmental challenge.
Additionally, ASG Academy Teams will operate under the direction of the Academy Director. This means teams will operate under the supervision and assistance of the Academy Director to ensure they are operating in accordance with the ASG Development System. The ASG Development System is intended to offer players a long range developmental model preparing them to transition to the ASG Premier Program at U13 and the ASG Showcase program at U16.