ACADEMY
ABOUT ASC ACADEMY
Academy — Building a Strong Foundation with the Right Start
The Auburn Soccer Club Academy is designed for our youngest players and serves as the foundation of our developmental pathway. It focuses on teaching essential soccer skills, fostering decision-making, and cultivating a love for the game. The Academy prepares players to confidently progress into higher levels, including our Select Program.
WHO IT'S FOR
The Academy is open to players in the U8 through U11 age groups. When players reach U12, they transition into the Select Program.
Enrollment is open year-round, and new players may join at any time after a team/coach evaluation.
Our Mission & Philosophy
Our approach prioritizes player development over competition. We focus on technical growth, smart decision-making, and building confidence without pressure. We aim to create a positive, age- appropriate learning environment that supports long-term development and enjoyment of soccer.
Training & Competition
- Training Schedule: Academy teams train twice per week for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on age. We also offer 2 extra training session per week for any academy player that wants to participate.
- Local League Play:
- We aim to keep our travel to a minimum, especially for our younger age groups. We play in the AMO (Auburn, Montgomery, Opelika) Playdates at least once a month. We also will travel to Columbus, GA, Atlanta areas and Birmingham areas 1-2 times a season.
- Balanced Competition: Coaches may adjust matchups during games to ensure safety and maintain an appropriate developmental environment.
Benefits for Players & Families
- A strong foundation of age-appropriate soccer skills
- Coaching from professionally licensed youth-development coaches
- A fun, encouraging training environment
- Local and regional competition tailored to each age group
- A clear pathway into advanced levels such as the Select Programa
JOIN THE ACADEMY
The Academy offers open enrollment throughout the year.
For more information or to register, please contact Meghan Kemp at meghankemp@auburnsoccerclub.com
ACADEMY CURRICULUM
Technical Emphasis
Dribbling:
- Finding space (heads up)
- Beating an opponent (taking players on)
- To keep possession (shielding)
Passing:
- Short passing
- Disguise passing
- Introduction to striking longer balls
Receiving:
- Mechanics of receiving balls on the ground
- Importance of first touch (sets up second touch)
Shooting / Finishing:
- Mechanics of shooting
- Mentality to finish
- Finishing off the dribble
Juggling:
- Individual
- With a partner
Tactical Emphasis
- Penetration via the dribble or pass
- Role of support
- Introduction of simple 2 player combinations
- Mentality of winning the ball back (getting pressure)
- Understanding transition from attack to defense
- Understanding transition from defense to attack
- Understanding how two lines interact
Psychological Emphasis
- Positive
- Encourage players to take risks (encourage dribbling and creative play over passing)
- Fun!
Fitness:
- No sprint test, long distance runs
- Should be done as a means of getting better on the ball and should include the ball
- Run mechanics
- Movement education
- Proper training activities should provide enough fitness
FEE BREAKDOWN
7v7 Spring (U8 - U10)
9v9 Spring (U11 - U12)
