Fall 2022
(for more details on winter, click here)
3rd – 5th Grade Skills Academy – $190
Dates: 8 week session from September 15th to November 3rd, 2022
Time: Thursdays 4:00-5:15pm
Location: Estabrook Field
Capacity: 25 boys, 25 girls
Registration deadline: Sep. 13th
Late fee applies after deadline and placement not guaranteed
The LUSC Skills Academy (LSA) is a signed up based program (per season: fall, winter, spring) for our 3rd – 5th graders. Although all players will train on the same field, players will be segmented by LUSC staff into training groups, based on ability. Curriculum will be tailored to the different levels. Players will be closely monitored by the staff and may be moved up or down during the course of the season, based on performance. Skills Academy boys and girls will train separately.
The LSA is a training program where U9-11 players receive an extra training session per week throughout the year to create a 3 practice/1 game ratio that is consistent with youth academies around the world in limiting the amount of competitive games kids should be playing in at this age. The LUSC Skills Academy will be 100% professionally coached.
2022 Fall Skills Academy Staff:
Brendan Donahue, LUSC Director of Coaching, Girls 2012 LPDA Coach, Girls 2009 LPDA Coach, Former Region 1 Olympic Development Staff, Former DI-III Collegiate Coach (1995-2005), USSF A license, NSCAA Premier Diploma, US Youth Soccer National Youth, Coerver Youth Diploma
Boys Director Tom Heimreid, LUSC Assistant Director of Coaching, NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma, NSCAA Premier Diploma, NFF 2, Boys 2012 LPDA Head Coach, Boys 2009 LPDA Head Coach
Girls Director Joe Dincecco, Boys 2011 LPDA Head Coach and Girls 2011 LPDA Head Coach, USSF “B” License, NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, 10+ years of NCAA Collegiate Coaching
Hagop Kouchakdjian, Boys 2007 LPDA Blue Co-Coach, 2016 LHS State Championship Team Captain (2x captain), Named to the MA 2016 All-State Team, 4-year letter winner at Hamilton College
Andrew Chipashvili, Boys 2007 LPDA Blue Co-Coach, 2016 LHS State Championship member, Boston University 2021 Graduate, BU Club Soccer Vice President
Why a Skills Academy?
- To provide LUSC children with a yearlong technical development plan under weekly professional supervision for committed and interested LUSC U9-11 players.
- The professional staff that oversee the skills academy will make technical training, including demonstration of proper technique, their number one priority.
- Offer Lexington families a high quality local alternative to “club” soccer during the U9-11 developmental years. These are vital years in terms of developing proper coordination and good habits.
LUSC Skills Academy Goals
- Improve Players Perception
- Decision Making
- Execution
The player on the ball has 3 Phases he/she must process and execute each time he/she is in possession:
- Perception- What is happening? Your eyes need to observe everything.
- Decision Making- What to do? Plan, judge, decide.
- Execution- How to do it? (Technical ability becomes important)
Instill a passion and love for the game through a Ball Mastery curriculum
Develop Game Intelligence through 1v1, 2v1, 2v2, 3v2, 3v3 exercises
“Ball control is the most important skill a young player could learn. Controlling the ball will simply make the game easier to play and open up more options instantly. The great thing about practicing ball control is that there are many different body parts and ways to control the ball that could prove beneficial in a game. It’s the single skill I find myself doing to this day on the practice field. I look for two things when I am controlling the ball: I find the easiest way to control the ball and I control the ball in the direction that will make my next pass as simple as possible.”
Claudio Reyna: Current Sporting Director of Austin FC, Former US Director of Player Development, former National Team Captain
The LUSC Skills Academy is sign up based, not a tryout selected academy.
Why?
“All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.”
John F. Kennedy
