How does this relate to this discussion?
Best Academy?
- Thread starter Shawn
- Start date
How does this relate to this discussion?
A bit out of date, but I only know one player who attended the Barcelona academy and they were not happy with the experience.
Not sure how good it is.
TSS academy had some very good remarks for the Barcelona academy. But no matter what academy or club, there will always be someone who doesn't have a good experience (lol, as a coach I've come to accept this!).
TSS was also glowing about this academy from the Okanagan - soccaskool. Gimmicky name..... lol
What were the reasons given???
there's always going to be unhappy customers in any venture.
easoccer
Established Member
- Aug 27, 2015
- 862
I was thinking about putting my daughter in tss this spring as opposed to ussl. She played ussl last year after surdel. She had good season in Surdel lots of goals. Joined a newton team didnt see a lot of time and not much improvement. Too many players. It went the other way actually. Stagnant. Back in Surdel this fall and scoring goals again. Even against her old team. Shes u8. I see potential in her and I want ger skills to improve but I dont see that happening in a win at all costs envitonment.
Would this benefit her? Is TSS a goid choice, and for a young player like this?
Would this benefit her? Is TSS a goid choice, and for a young player like this?
My experience with TSS includes only games against them, and their twitter. But, I would suggest it's an excellent environment to achieve what you are describing. The games against them have been player-centred.
JDFMike
Member
- Dec 12, 2017
- 12
probably way past being pertinent...this is just my 2cents but the whitecaps academy is excellent. that said, i am fully aware of the psychology involved in such an academy. it's also expensive especially if you have more than one kid involved in it. further, i do have some cynical feelings of the tournaments they put on and the 'invite' carrots they dangle. but training and the coaching staff on the lower island is great overall and that's the main thing. i have seen the comment that an academy doesn't equate to higher level players but i'm not sure i would agree. again, from my own experience, development happens a number of ways but at the end of the day the greatest development comes from support, mindset, and regular access to other skilled players. the whitecaps offers a baseline of skilled players and while in the academy itself there can be an imbalance of skills, overall it provides a more challenging environment than club level where you field a squad that's a mix of young veterans alongside completely green players. some community clubs also do not have the population or interest for gold level teams or even academies themselves. this is a problem for many parents when you have a player that is advanced & motivated enough that moving up 1 or 2 age groups is your only option.
No experience with the Island academy. I would expect the coaches are a higher standard than your normal staff coaches at the local clubs. They'd be, I'd require, an equal level to any TD, or private academy coach - if not higher.
You are right to be cynical about the tournaments. Have Whitecaps ever signed a player based on any of those tournaments? I don't know, but I'd love to hear about it if they did.
Academy players generally are higher level kids in that of the kids that play (and can afford) higher level sports, they are additionally motivated to find the funds for additional training. On top of that academy coaches should be a higher standard than their club coaches (if they aren't your kid should not be in that academy). But academy doesn't mean they are better players - they are just generally speaking the better players that can also afford it. On my u11 tier 1 team for example neither of my top two players are in the Whitecaps regional academy because neither bothered to try out.
You are right to be cynical about the tournaments. Have Whitecaps ever signed a player based on any of those tournaments? I don't know, but I'd love to hear about it if they did.
Academy players generally are higher level kids in that of the kids that play (and can afford) higher level sports, they are additionally motivated to find the funds for additional training. On top of that academy coaches should be a higher standard than their club coaches (if they aren't your kid should not be in that academy). But academy doesn't mean they are better players - they are just generally speaking the better players that can also afford it. On my u11 tier 1 team for example neither of my top two players are in the Whitecaps regional academy because neither bothered to try out.
Hi there, new to the site but if I may contribute to this forum discussion is that to ensure the Academy you wish to place your kids in have good coaches who want to help develop the basic skills for the player i.e. technical skills because if they don't learn it at the younger stages, they are useless if they don't have it and wish to aspire to the top tier division clubs like the ones on HPL. The ones that haven't develop those skills stick out like sore thumbs and basically are useless from the HPL club recruiting evaluations standpoint. Now, technical skills include the basics, like dribbling with either foot etc and a critical important one, such as taking the ball on the rear foot. I've seen so many older kids that play at the gold, metro and even at HPL level (until they get dropped) that don't know how to take (receive) the ball on the rear foot whether they play on the right or left side.This should be taught at the earliest stages (ages) for the youngsters! My kid joined the Whitecaps academy and they will teach you these basic skills and as you progress at the older age levels, they become acclimatize to their training like rote! Some basic stuff that they will ingrain you with and some even scream at you until you get it right! Some academies do it right and some don't, they just want your money and sooner than later, you wasted your money. Some parents get upset the routine practices offered at the Whitecaps academies but you can tell which kids went to the Whitecaps academies than the other ones when they get older. The coaches are better and most of their academy directors are top notch. Just my two cents from my experience and my discussions with other parents experiences with other academies.
My son has been a member of Premiere Soccer academy coming up on two years and the Academy is outstanding. Shawn Agnew the TD and his co coach Davon Souza are top notch. Shawn's attention to detail in every aspect of his academy is second to none. Shawn is constantly adapting new details and methods to his instruction . He has been to many of my son's club games to watch and see how he is developing. Shawn currently has just finished courses in Spain under Todd Beane at the Tovo academy ....check that out and see for yourself the level of that Academy ( Cruyff son in law). The academy is a grass based academy that transition to Futsal in the winter and really thinks outside of the box in their curriculum. They have started a 12 month residency team for their 2003 born boys and the program is outstanding. I can't say enough about Shawn and the whole academy.
If I could go back and do it again it would be private all the way
They are running a curriculum from Spain. Lots of team workshops and a completely different way of training than I've see. The residency team is 2003 born boys that were with the academy and they were able to get 20 to committ to the program and they all left club soccer to play with the Academy. The Academy is a 12 month program that includes , winter futsal training, weight training program, twist conditioning and Sunday night futsal league. They play 20-30 games from March through August with small breaks during the year. Professional or scholarships being the hopeful end result. So nice to have this option.
Well hopefully this academy can help these kids achieve scholarships and ideally professional soccer. What's the name of the academy?
Residency generally means "billet" meaning kids move from their parents home to go live with another family near the training centre. How the program is using that word, or how you are, is a bit of a misnomer. On a side note I hope it isn't a 12 month program - kids always need breaks. 10 months is probably more likely?
Sounds like they are offering something very similar to TSS.
What teams do they plan to play 20-30 exhibition games against? Ae they counting tournaments in that mix of games (I assume they are)? If they are counting tournaments this means if playing 20-30 games the kids will go months without game(s). This is the same situation as every other academy these days in BC but I am hearing things will be changing quite significantly for academies in BC in the near future.
Hoping these group of boys get out of the sport what they want!
RCharlesworth
Member
- Sep 2, 2015
- 9
This is sort of along the academy theme, am looking for a GK specific coach who would be prepared to work with an established GK for 1 on 1 sessions, possibly weekly if not bi-weekly. Any thought or suggestions would be appreciated
For sure your club TD will know a GK-specific coach, if not provide weekly sessions through your club.
RCharlesworth
Member
- Sep 2, 2015
- 9
The club offers training in a group setting. We were looking for 1 on 1, individual training. We had a GK coach that we worked with but he has had to retire due to health issues. Looking to replace the individual sessions
Admin
Administrator
- Feb 23, 2015
- 392
Which area are you in?