MISSION
The mission of the Stars United Academy is to provide the best possible coaching and instruction for our young players to ensure proper development of individual skill and technique and to introduce the team concepts involved in the game. The Academy’s experienced coaching staff emphasizes technical, tactical and physical development while encouraging individual creativity and expression.

PROGRAM VISION
The Academy’s focus is on proper individual and team training; the Club is less concerned with winning matches at these ages than with ensuring proper skill development for future success. Our goal is to teach our young players a love of the game of soccer. We do this by providing a fun, constructive learning environment and allow our players to grow more confident in their abilities. 
 

ACADEMY PROGRAM
The Academy Program is a 10-month program for U9 and U10 boys and girls players. It begins in August and runs through May of the following year. There are no tryouts at the Academy levels. Evaluations for placement on one of our Academy teams are typically held in late May and early June, but players may contact us at any time to inquire about openings.

Spring and Fall: Teams will train outdoors twice per week (at Graham Park or North Boundary Park in Cranberry Twp.); local league games are held each weekend; teams also attend one travel tournament in the Fall and one in the Spring.

Winter: Teams will train indoors once per week and will play 24 indoor league games over the course of the winter. Winter training may be held at RMU Island Sports Center or Tri-County Indoor Soccer Arena. The 24 indoor league games are held at Tri-County Indoor Soccer Arena and are already included in our Academy fee structure. Compare this to other programs that charge additional fees for games.

WHY CHOOSE THE STARS UNITED ACADEMY?

• Experienced Director & Coaching Staff:  Our Director of Coaching & Player Development and the Coaching Staff possess extensive soccer knowledge, coaching and playing experience.  Detailed bios are available under the "Coaching Staff" tab on our website.

• Highest Emphasis Placed on Player Development: Stars United players develop individual skills and an understanding of the team game, in an enjoyable format. Players are trained using proven coaching methods found in the United States Soccer Coaching Curriculum and will compete in a league chosen to stretch their abilities.

• Technique & Skill Are Emphasized; Tactics & Teamwork Are Introduced: The structure (but not the content) of our Academy training sessions will be similar to that of our older players. The main component of the Academy sessions will emphasize technical training. However, at these ages, a child’s capacity to solve problems increases significantly. Players will begin working on self-solving basic, dynamic tactical scenarios through small-sided games, in addition to improving his/her individual skills and technique. Where other clubs tend to focus solely on ball skills or moves, Stars United Academy players also learn to work with teammates to become complete players.

• Proven Results With Our Competitive Teams: In just seven years as a club, Stars United U12 through U18 boys and girls teams have already won five State Cup Championships, received six Finalist medals, won two Bronze medals, and placed twelve times as Semi-finalists. Our teams have also competed in the Region I Colonial League and the Region I Premier League (the highest level of competition in the region).

• Stars United implements the U.S. Soccer Coaching Curriculum:

Children do not learn in the same way as adults, especially when the learning process involves both intellectual and physical activity.

Age conditions the way a person perceives and interacts with the world and with others. In any learning process, age is the key component in selecting appropriate content and methodology. Soccer is no different. For this reason we must not train 6 year old players the same way as 13 years old players. Training sessions must be adapted to the age of the players. Taking into consideration the characteristics of human and player development, we have structured the curriculum into four age groups. 

1. Initial stage – 5 to 8 years old

At this age children do not have the same capacity as adults to analyze the environment. They explore and have an egocentric conception of the world. Children are still gathering the experience necessary to interact with their surroundings and with others. Also, empathy and the capacity to consider the thoughts and feelings of others is very low. In order to help children build their own experience, many exercises will be individual (e.g. each player will have a ball). The tactical component of the game will be reduced to small-sided games with basic explanations about space distribution. Training sessions will be treated more as physical education than specifically as soccer training. 

 

2. Basic stage – 9 to 12 years old

 

At this stage, the structure (but not the content) of the training sessions will be similar to that of older players. The main component of the training session will be technical. It is sensible at this age to develop technique and basic tactical understanding. Children’s capacity to solve problems increases significantly. Therefore players will begin working on basic and dynamic tactical scenarios. At this stage, players are pre-pubescent and have important physical limitations in terms of strength and endurance.

 

3. Intermediate stage – 13 and 14 years old

Players at this age develop a good understanding of the game. However, these players are limited by their physical size and the significant changes, which arise with puberty. Safety should be the number one priority for the coach. The coach must be cautious to avoid overtraining should focus more on tactical and technical elements of the game and less on the physical aspects. Tactical

training plays an important role at this age.

 

4. Advanced stage – 15 to 18 years old

Players at this age have completed most of their physical and mental development. All components of training can be combined and organized with the purpose of developing the highest potential of the player. The strength of the muscles helps to develop technique at high speed and this speed helps the player to react faster to tactical situations. This stage is crucial for combining all the components of soccer in order to increase the players’ soccer knowledge. These are some of the facts in terms of human development adapted to soccer. In this document these facts are used to develop the most appropriate training methodology for each age group.

 

Coaching Philosophy

 

THE MATCH

 

The objective of the training session is to prepare players for competition. The game shows the tactical, technical, physical and psychosocial development of the player.

 

 

FOUR COMPLEMENTARY COMPONENTS

 

TACTICAL

This component helps the player fit into the team. Our aim is to create clever players, capable of adapting to the constantly changing circumstances of the game.

 

TECHNICAL

All players in the team have to be individually competent and proficient in the most important skills

for each position. For example, a central midfield player will need different techniques and expertise

as compared to an outside back.

 

PHYSICAL

Strong and resilient players will provide a significant advantage to the team. A tired player will struggle to think properly and is prone to commit more errors.

 

PSYCHOSOCIAL

The human being is often affected by his/her emotions. We will train the players to use these emotions

to their advantage and turn them into strengths and not weaknesses.

 

 

 

All four components below are interrelated with the four key components in soccer. Developing these components in the training sessions will be essential to create an appropriate environment in order to develop top soccer players.

 

 

GAME UNDERSTANDING This component is related to the TACTICAL side of the game. Developing vision and game awareness is crucial from an early age. In soccer, one action is never repeated in exactly the same way and game situations change constantly. Collective practices and experience in different game situations aids the player by improving his/her knowledge of the game.

 

QUALITY This component is related to the TECHNICAL side of the game. A quality touch of the ball is indispensable to the tactical side of game-efficiency. Technique in soccer allows for great diversity; therefore repeating specific technical actions in a game context provides the player with a wide range of technical movements. Coaches will insist on a clean touch on the ball as well as quality technique.

 

INTENSITY This component is related to the PHYSICAL side of the game. Practices must be performed at game intensity. Short working periods of high-intensity develops the technical quality and the quick, tactical decisions required in the game. Reproducing game intensity during training sessions is essential to the improvement of the different types of speed and endurance.

 

COMPETITIVENESSThis component is related to the PSYCHOSOCIAL part of the game. Opposed and high-intensity practices are essential in the development of high-quality and competitive players. Developing committed and competitive players from an early age is an indispensable aspect in the creation of successful teams.