Gulf Coast Soccer is delighted to offer our dynamic Center of Excellence Academy Program, aimed at young athletes who feel they are ready to make the jump to a more competitive program.

 

This program is designed for competitive players, boys and girls, who are keen to position themselves on the competitive soccer pathway, preparing them for their future journey through select soccer, college and beyond.

 

The Center of Excellence is divided along two lines, one that flows seamlessly into the other:

• Pre-Academy: U6-U7
• Academy: U8-U10

Our program offers 3-times-per-week professional training and a supportive environment that fosters both the abilities and passion of the players for the sport.

 

Program Overview:

• Club evaluations are required to ensure appropriate team placement:
  • 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd teams etc.
• Up to 3 training sessions per week:
  • 2 Team training sessions (outplay the opposition as a group).
  • 1 Coerver Skills training session (outplay the opposition individually).
• Professional coaches.
• In-house coaching education for all of our coaches.
• All of our coaches are taught how to teach your young players.
• Cohesively taught sessions and Game Model for coaches and players.
• All of our coaches are provided with a road map of how to play.
• Local games

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Pre-Academy

U6-U7 Boys & Girls

The Pre-Academy program deepens the focus on technical skill development, training and competing in 4v4/5v5 games on Saturdays. 

 

Key Benefits:

• Professional Coaching
• Skill Development
• Introduction to Competition
• Training twice per week

Players are introduced to advanced dribbling techniques, first touches, and 1v1 scenarios, enhancing their individual technical abilities. Players who have fully graduated through this program should leave with the ability to beat players 1v1.

 

In Pre-Academy, players also start to understand the basics of working together, beginning to explore small group play and the concept of spacing on the field. 

With professional coaches guiding them through our curriculum and session plans, players gain increased confidence and technical precision.

 

This is vital, as it prepare them for the next step in the Select Soccer Pathway, our Academy, where they will build on these skills

and begin to understand positional play within a structured team framework.

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Academy

U8-U10 Boys & Girls

Our Academy introduces a sophisticated approach to technical and tactical development within the 5v5 and 7v7 formats.

 

Key Benefits:

• Professional Coaching
• Coerver Skill Training
• Performance Center Invite Only
• Training three times per week

The Academy represents a new stage of learning: here, players begin exploring positional play and game intelligence, inspired by the approach of clubs like FC Barcelona and Manchester City. 

 

Training sessions incorporate scenarios like 2v1s, 3v2s, and building out from the back, teaching players how to create and exploit numerical and positional superiority on the field. 

 

With guidance from our Methodological Director, Academy players learn how to make intelligent decisions in complex situations, gaining an understanding of when and how to apply their skills in real-game contexts. 

 

*The very best player's in the Academy, will be invited to our Coerver Performance Center for supplemental skills training and receive a ‘bag patch’ to wear proudly on their GC backpack.

By the time players complete the Center of Excellence Academy program, they will be technically proficient, tactically aware, and well-prepared for the demands of competitive soccer.

If you have questions or need registration assistance, please email us at questions@gcysc.com.