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2022-23 Windsor Soccer Academy

2022-23 Academy Dates

1st Semester
Sessions Outdoors On Tuesday & Fridays
Friday September 9th – Tuesday December 6th
*Sessions will move indoors November depending on weather conditions and daylight

Inter Academy Tournaments (For Players 2014 & Older)
Saturday September 24th – Inter Academy Tournament to be held in Lakeshore
Saturday October 15th – Inter AcademyTournament to be held in Windsor
Saturday October 29th – Inter AcademyTournament to be held in Chatham

Winter Break: December 6th – January 5th 

2nd Semester
Sessions Indoors On Tuesdays or Fridays
Friday January 6th – Friday March 10th

Spring Break: March 13th – April 2nd

3rd Semester
Sessions Outdoors On Tuesday & Fridays
Tuesday April 4th – Thursday June 29th

Semester 1 - Schedule

Outdoor Locations

AKO Park, 4270 Alice St, Windsor, ON N8Y 2B8 – September & October

Times
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Session 1 – 5.30pm – 6.30pm

Session 2 – 6.30pm – 7.30pm

You should have received a personalized text with which time slot your player is in to start, please check your texts. If you have not received a text please get in touch at least 24 hours prior to your start date.
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Indoor Locations

John Atkinson Memorial Centre, 4270 Alice St, Windsor, ON N8Y 2B8 – November & December

When move indoors you will be allocated a practice time that is either Tuesday or Friday we will communicate groups and times at least 2 weeks prior to moving indoors. 

Times
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Session 1 – 6.00pm – 7.00pm

Session 2 – 7.00pm – 8.00pm

Session 3 – 8.00pm – 9.00pm

What To Wear

Black or dark shorts and socks. Players should also wear track pants or leggings once the weather gets colder. We will supply all new players with an Academy practice shirt the first week of the Academy. Players can also choose to wear their Academy team shirt to practices. As long as players in some United Soccer Academies shirt that will be accepted.

Uniforms & Practice Kit

For our new players you will be able to pick up an Academy practice shirt at your first few sessions. Academy team shirts have been ordered and are in the process of being printed and numbered we expect to have these by the end of September. We do have some sizes in Academy shirts and will distribute what we have. If you require black shorts and socks we will be taking your sizes and placing the order for all academies after the 2nd week and should have these the third week.

What Your Player Needs

  1. Soccer Cleats/Boots
    You will need soccer cleats for practices and games. For new you can try SportChek. Alternatively you can find lots on Facebook Marketplace. We will also be organising a Soccer Cleat/Boot exchanges where you can drop off any used cleats/boots you have outgrown and pick up any pair we have that fits for Free, we will try to arrange this in the first week.

  2. Soccer Ball For Practices
    Players will need to bring their own ball to practices. We always bring a bag with us for anyone who forgets theirs but players should bring their own as many activities require each player to have a ball.

    Recommended Ball Sizes Are
    Age 5-7 = Size 3
    Age 8-11 = Size 4
    Age 12+ = Size 5

  3. Shin Guards/Pads
    Players will need shinguards for all outdoor practices and matches but they are not required for indoor sessions. FYI shinguards are worn inside of the socks not on the outside!

Academy Parent Expectations

  1. Parents are not permitted on the field of play. Only coaches, players and academy staff are permitted on the field. A designated area will be set up for those who wish to stay and watch.
  2. We ask that spectators do not shout or give instruction to players while they are in a practice or playing a game. We are not saying you should be silent but there is a big difference between yelling instructions at a player and cheering or giving positive feedback after they have done something well. Shouting instructions at a player only distracts them and takes away their focus it also deprives them of learning how to make their own decisions. Furthermore many times what we hear adults on the sideline shouting at their players is the complete opposite to what we are trying to teach them. So please work with us and support your coaches by letting the players play, let them make their own decisions in the games and at practice. We will be communicating with you what we are working on with your players so you can support them and cheers when you see them making great decisions and plays on the field. Coaches and parents are a team, we can both help the players when we work together.
  3. Drop Off or Stay?
    For our younger players 2015/16/17 we completely understand that you want to stay and ensure your young player is ok. We also ask that you try and keep a little distance and allow them to participate without being distracted as it makes our job coaching a lot easier when the young players are not constantly engaging with their parents and are focused on coaches and the activities.

    For our older players 2014 + we encourage parents to drop players at practice and return for them at the end of their practice. This helps players build independence and also increases their level of focus and attention at their practices.

    Inter Academy Tournaments are different stay and watch your player, bring the family!!!

  4. Once we go indoors all players are dropped off and picked up at the end of their session only players and coaching staff are permitted inside the school facilities

Inter Academy Tournament Dates

Saturday September 24th – Tournament to be held in Lakeshore

Saturday October 15th – Tournament to be held in Windsor

Saturday October 29th – Tournament to be held in Chatham

Inter Academy Schedules

Divisions and schedules will be made by September 15th times will be between 10am and 3pm and usually each division will have a 75 – 90 minute time slot. We would like to have a few practices to asses players and group them into divisions that will be competitive and enjoyable. Your time slot will be consistent across the three dates.

Inter Academy Tournaments

We do not believe in running tryouts and only selecting the perceived best players for teams as that does not help improve the most players possible which is our goal. We believe every player should be given the opportunity to play. Selection to teams based on ability can wait until they are older. We believe all players should be part of a team and have the experience of going somewhere new to play a different team that’s the enjoyable part for kids.

Teams will be created using a balanced and social approach taking into account ability and understanding of the game. Teams will then be matched up and placed in an appropriate division for their level of of play and stage of development.

  • All players will get equal playing time.
  • All player get an opportunity to play a variety of positions. 
  • Individual coaches are not assigned to teams. 
  • Our academy coaches will manage the games. Our coaches are interested in all players development and play not just those on one team.
  • Game formats will be designed to allow the maximum number of players to play, while being appropriate for the teams playing and their understanding of the game and their developmental needs.
  • Adult behaviour on sidelines is policed and standards enforced in order to create an enjoyable environment for the players where they can make their own decisions on the field, implement what they are learning and be creative.

Player Groups

Please be aware that we do not use year of birth year as a main factor when creating training groups or teams. We start by grouping players roughly by years of birth and as we go we move players into groups that matches their ability level and understanding of the game.

This is done so to make coaching easier and more effective for the players. It means we can teach the same techniques, principles and ideas to the group rather than some players finding it far too easy and some finding it too difficult. So please do not be overly concerned what group your player is in to start and please also realize that height and size are not a great factor when grouping players as these do not relate directly to ability or understanding.

Groups are fluid and you will see your players training and playing with a variety of players throughout the season. Making sure players have a variety of levels of play and challenge is a key factor in how they develop and learn. Groups that are static and only based on year of birth do not work for the majority of players.

Creating the ideal groups that benefit the most players is not something that is easy and it takes time. One of things we are constantly doing is evaluating players and discussing if they are in the correct group. Development and improvement are not linear they do not follow a straight line its really and up and down process.

Grouping players in soccer is not like school. All children start school at the same age and at a similar level. In soccer we have 8 year olds that are playing for the first time ever with a ball and we have 8 year olds who have been playing since they were 4 and have grown up in a household with soccer parents and siblings, these players need different attention and need to be in different groups.

So please be assured we place players in the groups that we feel best fit their needs and we deliver the training that will help them improve as an individual. When they are ready we will move them up to the next level. If you ever have concerns about your player and a group they are in please book a time to speak with the Academy Director and we will talk with you.

Weather Policies & Cancellations

Please note if any session is cancelled you will receive a text notification, if you do not receive a text then sessions are on.

Thunder & Lightening
If there is thunder and lightening heard and seen while a practice/game is underway the practice/game will immediately be suspended. The thunder and lightning does not have to be directly overhead to be a threat.

Lightning can travel 10 to 12 miles from a thunderstorm. This is often farther than the sound of thunder travels. That means that if you can hear thunder you are close enough to a storm to be in danger of being struck by lightning.

If thunder and lightning are detected the session is halted we must wait 20 minutes with no further thunder or lightening to resume. If you feel there is a chance of thunder and lightning and do not want to come to a session and then it be cancelled we encourage you to make the call yourself. If thunder and lightning have started and are in progress prior to a session starting you will receive a text notification that it will be cancelled.

Rain

If the rain is substantial enough and is set to continue throughout the majority of your session we may cancel the session and you will receive a text notification. Typically if its is raining we do not practice with the youngest age groups. If the rain is light to medium we will practice with older players. If rain is substantial we do not practice with any players

If a session is going to be cancelled due to rain we will send a text alert to all parents on the text list, if you are having someone else bring your player please alert them. We do not cancel sessions based on predicting the weather!!! If you feel its is going to rain and do not wish to come please feel free to make that call yourself we understand some of you drive a distance to attend and don’t want to arrive and then have a sessions cancelled.

Poor Or Unplayable Field Conditions

If we have extended periods of rain and fields have standing water or are unplayable we will notify you ahead of time of a cancellation. One thing we are mindful of is protecting the future condition of the fields at the schools and facilities we play at. In order to continue to have good working relations with the facilities we will do what is best to preserve their fields.

Any Cancellations You Will Be Notified By Text So Please Ensure Everyone Responsible For Bringing Your Player Is Added To The Text Notifications List. Please do not text right before a session as its likely I am driving or I am at a session setting up or in a session coaching and won’t be checking my phone to answer texts. If a session is cancelled we will alert you!