As part of MUSA's Long Term Player Development Plan and ongoing efforts to develop players who love the game of soccer, the Board of Directors recently adopted a new format for our players, Foundations: Player Development Guide.
The goal was to see if there was a better way to develop technically skilled, tactically savvy players who were passionate about the game. We wanted to get more players involved with soccer and keep them playing longer. In addition, we wanted to provide an on-going coach training process to help parents who want to be involved become better coaches.
The Foundations: Player Development Guide consists of skills training curriculums aimed at exposing younger players to the sport, developing soccer-related skills and foot/ball control in a non-competitive fun environment.
For our recreational players, Foundations: Player Development Guide includes two skills training curriculums: First Kick and Kick Start.
FIRST KICK CURRICULUM - ONE BALL, ONE PLAYER
Age Groups:
- U4, under 4 years old (Pre-Pre-Kindergarten)
- U5, under 5 years old (Pre-Kindergarten)
- U6, under 6 years old (Kindergarten)
1st Kick is MUSA’s introductory soccer program for U5 and U6 focusing on the non-competitive, fun development of soccer-related skills, including balance, coordination, and foot skill and ball control. Each player engages 1:1 with a ball and they want to touch it as often as possible, because that’s fun. No soccer experience is necessary.
KICK START CURRICULUM - TWO PLAYERS, ONE BALL
Age Groups:
- U7, under 7 years old (1st Grade)
- U8, under 8 years old (2nd Grade)
Kick Start is MUSA’s clinic format program that emphasizes skill development through age appropriate games and activities for U7 and U8 age groups. This is the age group where players can begin to understand the concept of working with a teammate and the willingness to intentionally pass the ball to someone. The “two players-one ball” concept encourages activities in which players are sharing a ball. Players will learn the basics of dribbling, shooting and team play in a fun and engaging way. No soccer experience is necessary.