U-7 (1st grade) and U-8 (2nd grade) Fall Program
The 4v4 program will be split by grade this year. There will be U-7 Co-ed and U-7 Girls programs as well as U-8 Co-ed and U-8 Girls programs. The children will receive an hour of practice each week with two pro coaches and a "Team Parent." A games program will be held each Saturday morning at Granada School in East Corte Madera.
Each group will arrive at the same time. (for example all the U-7 girls will arrive at 8:30am and will play four or five differently formatted 10 minute games). This will continue until the last group finishes at 11:30am. Five playing fields will be set up on the field at the school to enable teams to rotate and play a number different of groups each Saturday.
The festival style format is one of the building blocks of our program of Long Term Player Development. With a solid foundation in child development and international soccer education, it has been introduced to provide the children with a better environment to practice the skills they have been introduced to during their practice day. Having the children to play multiple games eases the anxiety about winning and losing and the small-sided format is instrumental in giving them the opportunity to maximize their skill development.
(Read about Long Term Player Development)
The coaches will be able to react to unfair balances and adjust the teams accordingly. This format also helps to build a club atmosphere rather than the individual team culture that has evolved in the past.
As we have limited space on the field and in order for the players to concentrate on their coaches' voices and their play, parents will be asked to cheer from outside the field area, as only a team coach will be allowed in with the team. |
