Alexandria Soccer expands U7/U8 Academy coaching staff, player pool
Alexandria, Virginia (Via Alexandria Soccer) – Alexandria Soccer has expanded the U7/U8 Academy coaching staff and pool of players for the spring 2016 season.
As part of its initiative to provide the club’s youngest players professional instruction at the youngest ages Alexandria Soccer offers both the U7/U8 Challenge and U7/U8 Academy programs each fall and spring seasons. Each program is designed to fit the developmental stages and comfort level in the game each individual player is at. The Challenge program is an open registration for any player regardless of comfort level, while the Academy program requires an ASA staff coach recommendation through an identification process. Interested players for the academy are able to attend an “ID Day”, where they practice and play games alongside current Academy players and work with the Academy coaching staff. Players are encouraged to attend multiple “ID Day’s” during the winter months so they can receive a proper program recommendation for the spring.
The current ASA Academy structure is entering its third year and has seen significant participation growth on both the boys and girls side. ASA has expanded its coaching staff to include six highly qualified and motivated coaches to work with the players. Overseeing and coaching in the Academy program is the Academy Director, Grigor Boychev, who was recently named the 2015 VYSA Boys Competitive Coach of the Year. Grigor holds his USSF “B” license and is on the ASA technical staff. He leads a staff that includes Will Hanna, Aurelio Kamosso, Omar Ismail, James Myers Antiaye and Edwin Zelaya.
All of the coaches on the staff have previous experience developing individual players at the youngest ages and are currently working with older travel teams that mirror the ASA style of play and philosophy. As part of the Academy program the players are still encouraged to participate on their recreational team, which means attending practices and/or games. The Academy structure includes two training sessions a week as well as one game each weekend in a local league both fall and spring.
With the changing landscape of youth soccer, on the competitive side, to group players and teams by their birth year, this years Academy pool of players will consist of players who would be in three different travel groups for the 2016-2017 year.
For example:
Players born in 2007 = U10
Players born in 2008 = U9
Players born in 2009 = U8
