Welcome to the Pre-Academy
Our newest player development program for the 2025/26 season! See what sets our Pre-Academy program apart in the words of our own coaches…..
Welcome To The Pre-Academy!
THE CLUB IS DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF OUR PRE-ACADEMY PROGRAM FOR THE 2025/26 SEASON AND BEYOND. THIS WILL START WITH OUR 2013 AGE GROUP AND GO DOWN TO THE 2018/19 TEAM WITH A NEW TEAM BEING FORMED EACH YEAR UNTIL WE HAVE ONE IN EACH AGE GROUP UP TO U16 (HIGH SCHOOL AGE) WHERE THOSE PLAYERS SHOULD BE LOOKING TO PLAY PLATFORM SOCCER (ECNL, MLS NEXT, GIRLS ACADEMY).
THESE TOP TEAMS IN EACH AGE GROUP WILL BE FOCUSED ON ENHANCED PLAYER DEVELOPMENT WITH A VIEW TO THE MAJORITY OF ROSTERED PLAYERS BEING READY TO STEP UP INTO A NATIONAL PLATFORM IN THEIR U12-U14 YEARS OF PLAY!
TO HELP MEET THESE GOALS, OUR EXPECTATIONS ON THESE PLAYERS WILL BE INCREASED IN TERMS OF WORK RATE, COMMITMENT AND COMPETITIVE DRIVE WITH AN AIM FOR THEM TO PLAY IN THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF NORCAL COMPETITION/HIGHER AGE GROUPS ACROSS THEIR DEVELOPMENT YEARS
IN ORDER TO HELP EXPOSE THEM TO DIFFERENT STYLES OF SOCER AND LEVELS OF COMPETITION EACH YEAR ALL OUR PRE-ACADEMY TEAMS ENTER NORCAL STATE CUP AS THIER TOURNAMENT WITHIN THEIR FEES ALLOWING THEM TO COMPETE IN 7-9 GAMES VS A VARIETY OF OPPOSITION FROM A WIDER RANGE OF GEOGRAPHY THAN STANDARD LEAGUE PLAY.
ROSTERS WILL SPECIFICALLY BE SMALLER, AIMING TO CARRY ONLY THE REQUIRED NUMBER TO FIELD A TEAM EACH WEEKEND IN ORDER TO PROMOTE A GREATER DEGREE OF GUESTING FROM BOTH YOUNGER PRE-ACADEMY TEAMS AND THE LOWER LEVEL TEAMS IN THAT AGE GROUP
IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF SESSIONS AND IN GAME CONSISTENCY, OUR PRE-ACADEMY TEAMS WILL BE LED BY 2 OF THE CLUBS HIGH LEVEL COACHES ON EACH SIDE AIMING TO COMPLIMENT EACH OTHERS STRENGTHS AND AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT.
THESE COACHES WILL LEAD THE 6 PRE-ACADEMY TEAMS AS WELL AS MENTORING THE OTHER COACHES IN THE PROGRAM TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER TEAMS IN TERMS OF TRAINING METHODS AND PLAYING STYLES ENSURING THAT PLAYERS WHO ENTER THE PROGRAM DURING THE SEASON ARE ABLE TO ADJUST AND EQUIP THEMSELVES IN A HIGHER LEVEL OF RESISTANCE.
Stepping up & showing up!
The Pre-Academy aims to be a development focused environment where we look to take players from Recreational programs who have a hunger and desire to learn and provide the opportunity to test themselves at the highest level of competition!
Here you see our 2013G Pre-Academy team as they begin their first season in NPL, a position they earned through their consistent growth and performance in NorCal State Premier in the Spring of 2025!
Videos are thanks to the fantastic DH Flix!
Pre Academy Player Expectations
With Expectations Set Early, We Design A Program To Maximize The Benefits
PLAYERS AND FAMILIES WITHIN THE PRE-ACADEMY PROGRAM HAVE THE FOLLOWING EXPECTATIONS -
ATTEND 3 OF 3 TRAININGS PER WEEK THE MAJORITY OF WEEKS.
PRIORITIZE GAMES AND TOURNAMENTS YEAR ROUND OVER OTHER EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
WORK TO TRAIN AT A CONSISTENT LEVEL BEING WILLING TO TAKE ON FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE FROM COACHING STAFF WITH A POSITIVE MENTALITY.
FOCUS ON PLAYER DEVELOPMENT OVER IMMEDIATE RESULTS - DEVELOPMENT LEADS TO WINNING.
BE OPEN TO PLAYING MULTIPLE POSITIONS ON THE FIELD AND LOOK TO IMPLEMENT OUR STYLE OF PLAY
Pre-Academy Player Guesting Rules
THE GOAL OF GUESTING FOR PRE-ACADEMY PLAYERS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ELEVATING THE LEVEL OF PLAY INSTEAD OF PLAYING DOWN.
PRE-ACADEMY ROSTERS WILL BE GIVEN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY UP A YEAR DURING THE SEASON BOTH WITHIN THE PRE-ACADEMY TEAM AS WE DELIBERATELY CARRY SMALLER ROSTERS BUT ALSO INTO THE NORCAL TEAMS (RED, WHITE, BLACK).
NORCAL ROSTERED PLAYERS WILL ALSO BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GUEST FOR PRE-ACADEMY TEAMS DURING THE SEASON TO EXPOSE THEM TO HIGHER LEVELS OF PLAY.
THE PLAY DOWN EXCEPTION WILL ONLY BE ADJUSTED IN NEED OF A GOALKEEPER OR IF SPRING BREAK, ETC EXHAUSTS OPTIONS FOR NORCAL ROSTER PLAYERS.
What is ‘1 Up’ Training?
OUR TRAINING SCHEDULES ARE SET UP SO EVERY TEAM WHILE GIVEN 3 SESSIONS A WEEK, WILL BE GIVEN A ‘1 UP’ TRAINING WHERE THERE PRACTICE ALONGSIDE THE TEAM DIRECTLY 1 YEAR ABOVE THEM.
THIS CONCEPT SHOULD HELP WITH THE FOLLOWING ASPECTS -
Increased speed of play and higher resistance for younger players
Requirement to set standards and examples for the older players
Consistent verbiage, techniques and tactics across age groups to help increase comfort and understanding when players are invited to play up
Our club focus of balancing Resistance and Success within sessions is able to be maximized this way, ensuring that we are able to build cohesion not just within a single team but an entire program!
Winter 2025/26 Training Schedules - November 2025 to February 2026
FAQs
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There is NO difference in price between a Club player and a Pre-Academy player. We find that many PA players will take advantage of extra opportunities but the club doesn’t have a separate pricing structure.
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As with most clubs a spot on the top team, in this case Pre-Academy, is earned and not given. Players who don’t commit or work hard can be removed to a lower team. While the opposite is also true and a player from a lower team who works hard and earns their stripes can be moved to a Pre-Academy team midseason or midyear should they want.
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We guest for development, not for results.
As a club we have a ‘raise up’ mindset. This means our first look for guests will also be from a lower team and giving a player the chance to expose themselves to a higher level of resistance and trying to prove they can compete.
PA players can only guest down outside exceptional circumstance (Last minute need due to drops) if they are either A) Keeper in Pre-Academy, we ensure they play field on a 2nd team or B) They volunteer to play Keeper on a lower team who needs someone.