With the recent announcement from the Governor, we are writing to share our excitement about the news that we are one step closer to getting back on the fields! Our return to play plans will be developed in alignment with US Soccer, Kentucky Youth Soccer Association (KYSA), and our City Parks, to do our part in bringing back soccer programming to our community as safely as possible. We’ll keep you informed on our progress and various soccer program options as we are able to offer them.
If you have a player with the birth years 2013 - 2003, please read the following important information about our Academy Select Tryouts and Program. Our 2020-21 Academy tryout registration is now OPEN!. There is no cost to register or try out. The tryout dates are still TBD, however if you plan to participate you are encouraged to register as soon as possible. With the COVID-19 Return to Play guidelines not set, we may be forced to have an unconventional tryout and team selection process this summer. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF TRYOUT DATES! REGISTER NOW TO RECEIVE ALL COMMUNICATION OR YOU MAY MISS OUT!
Why choose the SKY Soccer Club Academy Select Program for your player?
The impact of youth sports on a player’s life can be significant. A Soccer Club’s culture and mission dictates the influence and development of kids as players and people. Our mission at SKY Soccer Club is to develop great players and people and enhance the community we serve. This is ingrained in all that we do. A college or professional scout will not ask how your player’s team finished in the “big” tournament. Instead, technical skill, tactical understanding, academics, maturity and community involvement, will be most important. Our goal is to influence the whole player through our culture and coaching.
When a player and family invests their time and resources into our Academy Select program, we recognize it is both a privilege and responsibility to provide the highest quality culture and technical experience we can. Our Pathway provides players of all abilities the opportunity to meet and exceed their goals. Our investments in people and strategic partnerships over the last nine months have enabled a player pathway that provides high quality, professionally designed and delivered programming for players of all ages. Our players are experiencing high level, age and developmentally appropriate technical training, from an experienced professional and licensed coaching staff. There is no other soccer club in the State or Region connecting programs for players ages two to eighteen through a single, seamless, program pathway, and the dividends will be big.
We’ve seen record growth in programs throughout the Academy Select pathway, including over 50% increase in Academy Select players from the start of the fall season to the start of the spring season. SKY has not seen this type of growth in over 5 years and it’s thanks to the families in our club for buying into our program and our mission on and off of the fields.
Coaching
Coaching is an important part of the development pathway! Coaches are often mentors and can have a significant influence on a player’s personal development and lives. Consider who your is coach on the field, and who your coach is off the field. Do they conduct themselves in a way you want your child to model?
Further, who is the Club’s Director of Coaching, what experience do they have leading soccer organizations, developing programs, coaches and players? The Director of Coaching has a huge impact on the quality of a program, the development of the players, and the coaches that interact with your children. Know who your DOC is, their experience, and what they represent on and off of the field.
At SKY Soccer we’re proud to have a DOC and Coaches leading our programs that have a passion for teaching the game, represent our culture and mission, and can deliver quality technical, tactical and social development for our players. Our coaches are encouraged to continue to develop their craft and we offer continuing education reimbursement to advance our overall coach and player development. Over the last 9 months we’ve added numerous U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) Grassroots Licensed coaches, multiple USSF “D” Licensed coaches and a USSF “C” Licensed coach to our ranks.
What is SKY Academy Select Soccer Program?
SKY Soccer Club’s Academy Select Soccer program offers the highest level of training and competitive game play available for players in 9U - 18U divisions.
Our Pathway and Program Matrix outlines program objectives, descriptions, among other particulars, and includes breakdown of fees and what you will receive in return. For the 2020/21 Academy Select season, our Club Fees will remain the same for all age divisions except 9U (birth years 2013-2012), which have been lowered. Despite the lower cost for 9U Academy players, the level of coaching, number of practice sessions and estimated number of games remains the same. To develop our Academy Select program, players and teams, it is vital that we introduce our younger players to the highest age and developmentally appropriate level of training and competition as early as possible. We’ve lowered the cost of entry to directly impact the quantity of players and overall quality of our program. Please do not hesitate to register for the Academy Select Program for financial hardship reasons, as we have numerous payment options to assist.
Note that our cost structure includes Club and Team fees. Team fees enable each individual team to determine how many games and/or tournaments they will participate in, while managing their own funds via a team bank account overseen by the Team Treasurer and Manager. This is in contrast to clubs that charge a flat fee, then dictate how many games and/or events you can participate in and may come to you during the season to request additional fees.
As an added investment in our players, we began free optional skills training sessions this spring for our 9U-12U Academy Select players. These are fast paced and fun technical sessions focused on individual player development. We will continue to offer these optional skills training and goalkeeper training sessions to our Academy Select players as a part of our technical development initiative this season.
There’s more?
Yes, there is more! Our Academy Select uniform cycle with Adidas is up and we’re excited to reveal our new kit design later this summer. We’ll also have a full fan shop available starting this summer to purchase all kinds of awesome SKY branded swag and gear online. There may be one more secret reveal before summer ends, but we’ll keep that one quiet for now...
We couldn’t be more excited to be talking about getting back to soccer and building on the tradition of our Academy Select soccer program. Don’t miss out, register now, stay safe and healthy, and WE WILL SEE YOU ON THE FIELDS SOON!