TKO ACADEMY PROGRAM - Ages 4-8
TKO ACADEMY
Birth Years: 2019-2020
Season: 2024-2025
- Fall & Spring Training Day: Wednesdays
- Fall & Spring Training Time: 5:00-6:00pm
- Fall & Spring Game Days: Sundays
- Fall & Spring Game Time: 11:00am-12:00pm
Birth Years: 2017-2018
Season: 2024-2025
- Fall & Spring Training Days: Wednesdays
- Fall & Spring Training Time: 6:00-7:00pm
- Fall & Spring Game Days: Sundays
- Fall & Spring Game Time: 11:00am-12:00pm
We have one primary goal with our youth programs and that is to instill in kids a passion for the game.
This program is player-centered with coaches acting as guides to each player’s growth and development. Each session is organized so players can enjoy the game of soccer while engaging in purposeful training. Each week will focus on a specific training theme geared toward developing players’ abilities in different areas.
We want to offer kids the opportunity to play as much as they want and provide parents the option to choose which trainings work best for their kids and their families.
Fun
We understand the need for kids to truly love what they are doing. Ultimately, soccer is a game and we try to make everything we do fun and as game-like as possible. In the process, we work to instill in kids a passion for the game of soccer that will also help them grow and develop as players. Our players are active throughout all trainings and we aim to keep them smiling the entire time. We believe that if kids are having fun, they will love the game, and their passion will push them to continually improve!
Objectives
Our program is player-centered and we structure all our trainings to promote these primary objectives:
- Technical creativity
- Tactical awareness
- Intrinsic desire for the game
- Self-directed leadership
- Quick decision making
Success
We strive to push each and every player to be successful everyday. We measure success by looking at the following:
- Team development
- Individual development
- Passion for the game
We think if a kid walks away from a training or game with a smile on their face and doesn’t want to leave, we have done our job for the day!
Structure
There are 3 primary training structures that we use with our youth programs. Each is used to reach a different desired goal.
1. Site Training
This training structure is used on Monday during the fall and spring seasons and is for our TKO Juniors age group. We use this to work with smaller groups and use a 30/30 method. In the first 30 minutes, we focus on technical development. In the last 30 minutes, we focus on tactical development, allowing the kids to play 3v3 and 4v4 mini-games. During this time the coaches will act as facilitators to allow for creativity and risk-taking within the games.
2. Pool Training
This structure is used on Wednesdays during the fall and spring seasons and also in our winter training program. This training is structured in small stations that the kids rotate through. Each station has a different activity to keep the players engaged.
3. Sunday Games
We use our Sunday game days during the fall and spring as another opportunity to improve each player. The games are structured so each team has minimal subs and kids can get maximum playing time. Games are usually 4v4 or 5v5 with a goalie. Each kid will play multiple positions in each game.
Parent Involvement
We believe it is incredibly important to have everyone - including parents - on board with our approach to teaching, supporting, and developing players, because we believe this is in the best interest of the kids. To this end, we offer parent education opportunities to inform parents of the goals of this program and why we do what we do. Parents can also contribute to the program by helping with indoor teams at SoccerZone.
Coaching
The program is led by licensed coaches who provide quality development for each player technically, tactically, physically, and mentally. In addition to the licensed TKO Premier SC coaches, the coaching staff includes current and past TKO players, and parents. Our goal is to keep the player to coach ratio to 6-1. All of our coaches are trained in the philosophy created by TKO Premier SC and the TKO Academy program and work within the framework that the curriculum has established.