The goal of the MSC Youth Development Academy is to identify new players who are seeking more dynamic training opportunities and to provide a technical pathway for their transition into competitive soccer. By offering recreational-league players a chance to train in a new and challenging environment, MSC hopes to create a wider pool of enthusiastic, technically-proficient players for club teams. These Youth Development Academy sessions are planned and run by licensed MSC coaches, as well as MSC trainers made up from a pool of older team members, and emphasizes enjoyment of the game, as well as beginning soccer skills and technique.

This program is designed for players from ages five through nine and emphasizes an introduction to the beautiful game, with players learning how to properly execute basic techniques such as dribbling, passing, receiving and shooting in a fun yet challenging environment. Sessions are designed to maximize the quantity of touches for each player and to ensure little to no standing-around time. Players will be constantly moving, constantly involved and continually encouraged to enjoy themselves on the pitch. During training, players will be grouped according to age and ability, with between 10 and 15 players per coach, ensuring each receives adequate instruction and supervision.

Additionally, for those players aged 7 through 9, MSC offers the opportunity to join training sessions with one of our pre-competitive teams. This program is designed to bring younger players ready for a more competitive challenge into the club orbit, providing high-level training in a fun environment as preparation for the full transition into competitive soccer. While some of these players may still compete in a recreational soccer league, players in this program will train biweekly throughout the summer months with a licensed MSC coach assigned by the club to guide the team through their transition into competitive league play. These pre-competitive teams will form the backbone of the following season’s U11 competitive teams.

For the summer season, the program runs from April through August, with at least four hours of team training per month. Additionally, our pre-comp teams may enter our league’s pre-competitive division of game play against pre-comp teams from Chugiak and Anchorage clubs, as well as a series of friendlies or even some of the tournaments that are offered throughout the summer months.