Academy Soccer Program

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE COMPLETING THE REGISTRATION FORM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE!

The Cobb YMCA Academy Soccer Program is for players U-09 through U12 that are looking for more competitive soccer than the recreation level. Academy Soccer is the bridge between Recreation and Select.  The experience provides the players and parents an opportunity to try the Select environment prior to reaching the U13 age group. Academy is dedicated to help players develop individually, in order to be better prepared for Select at U13. Focus is heavily skills-based, with work also being done to develop players than can function well within a team environment. The time and travel commitment is very similar to Select, so that families can know what will be required at the Select level. Unlike Select, which has individual teams, Academy is a pool of players to give coaches the opportunity to experiment with players in order to ensure more well-rounded and complete soccer players. Families will be responsible for any additional training, travel, and tournament play at the Academy level. Academy team coaches and evaluation personnel will select the players to be on the respective teams following spring tryouts.

Academy players will be required to participate in a mandatory half-day summer team camp. The focus of the camp is skills-based and is intended to help take the players to a higher level of play. The Academy team camp is in addition to any training that may be planned by the coach of an individual team. The fees for the camp are included in the fall registration price and are not refundable. Times for the team camps are traditionally boys from 9AM-1PM and girls from 5PM-9Pm each day, Monday through Friday of the designated week. The camps are usually the last two weeks of July. The first week is usually U14 and above, with the second week being for U9 through U13. Changes may be made to this schedule depending on the number of teams we have at any age group.

Special Note:Once an Academy Program player is registered and rostered to a team he/she is bound to that team for the entire seasonal year (August 1 - July 31), which includes both fall and the ensuing spring seasonal play, unless a release or transfer request is approved by both the Cobb YMCA Youth Sports Director and GYSA. This commitment is a rule of both the Cobb YMCA and GYSA. The annual commitment is for both player participation and financial (registration and training fees). No request for transfer will be considered until all annual fees have been paid. Payment of all fees does not guarantee a transfer release will be granted.

Tryouts for Academy soccer occur at the end of May and the first of June, the time dependent on the respective age group. Times will be posted during the spring season, usually by April 15^th.

For questions, please contact the Youth Sports Director, Chuck Ross at chuckr@ymcaatlanta.org, or (770) 578-2784.

2010 Fall Academy Try-Out Schedule
2010 Fall Select Try-Out Schedule
2010 Fall Select/Academy Registration Form