What To Look For In A Soccer Academy
We are thrilled to host the Director of Pelada Football Academy, Joey Garah, on the latest episode of FC Game Changer. Joey goes into detail about what makes Pelada Football Academy stand out from other academies and the core philosophies that they aim to pass on to their coaches and players.
The struggle that many players and parents find is that some academies (especially the elite and more competitive ones) can become all-consuming. There can be coaches that are way over the top which causes players to struggle psychologically. There is no balance that allows players to play another sport or go on a family vacation in the summer. But, at the same time, these families want the development and structure that comes from an academy with high-quality coaching and player opportunities. And Joey saw this as a common problem that he could help solve.
The mission of Pelada Football Academy is “To support the education of young people in our community through soccer by fostering values of positive leadership, team ethics, and fair play alongside the technical and tactical skills of the game.” This mission is even further reinforced by the name. “The word Pelada [ pronounced Pay-lah-dah ] comes from Brazil and describes an informal game of soccer between friends. Peladas are played everywhere, every day, motivated by nothing more than love for the game and the sense of community at its core.”
For youth soccer players in the Eugene-Springfield area, Pelada has teams for players ranging from age 5 all the way up to U19. Pelada has leagues all year round, in addition to camps & clinics. Each age group has a set of developmental goals that they work to achieve.
U5-U8: Help players acquire balance, coordination, physical awareness, and socialization skills along with a basic set of techniques and a love of soccer.
U9-U10: Build the foundations of soccer technique and team play while establishing good habits in the areas of learning, work ethic, deliberate practice, and group cooperation.
U11-U12: Intense focus on achieving technical proficiency across skill sets while introducing fundamental tactical themes and terminology.
U13-U14: Build game reading skills and tactical understanding while seeking an increased range of technical abilities.
U15-U16: Cement tactical understanding and create team leaders while improving decision-making and seeking consistency in the execution of technique.
U17-U19: Cements a style of play that takes full advantage of individual skill sets while pursuing advanced tactical understanding, game-reading ability, and competitive player impact.
Watch the video below to learn more about Pelada Football Academy.
