William Hoogerdijk, an experienced coach in minor leagues, is organizing a winter soccer academy in Carman.
About myself:
I am currently the coach of the Pembina Valley Panthers, an Under-15 boys’ soccer team that plays in the Winnipeg Youth Soccer Association. We have been playing there for two years and have experienced great success in both of those years.
I also served as assistant coach with the Manitoba Summer Games’ Central Region boys’ soccer team. This team performed well at the games winning a bronze medal.
I have coached Carman Minor Soccer’s 9-12 age group for five years, high school soccer at Dufferin Christian School for five years, and high school soccer in Hamilton, Ontario for eight years.
I have received my Community Coach Youth and Senior Certification through the Manitoba Soccer Association. I have also attended a number of coaching clinics not specifically designed for certification but for growth in coaching such as the Coerver Coaching Youth Diploma course and the Nick Dasovic Coaching Clinic (hosted by the coach of Canada’s Under-20 national team). I continue to look for education opportunities to grow as a student of the game.
About the program:
In an effort to encourage further development of soccer in the Pembina Valley, I am planning to hold a Winter Soccer “Academy” beginning sometime around October 13, 2012 and running until about February 23, 2013. This program would take place once a week – at this time planned for Saturday mornings (that could change depending on preferences, availability of gyms, etc.). Each session would be 1.5 hours long. It would not include dates on long weekends, statutory holidays, or occasional dates when gyms become unavailable due to tournaments or school functions. This would eliminate dates such as December 22 &29, and February 16. Overall it would cover approximately 17 weeks.
A location has not yet been determined but is planned to be in one of the local Carman gyms. At this time, the cost is estimated to be approximately $100 per child (tax receipts would be available).
The academy will focus on skill development in the age 7-9 group (boys and girls are both welcome!). This would allow the players to develop skill and understanding of the game to prepare them to move up to the next level with bigger fields, bigger nets, larger team on the field, and a slightly more competitive environment as well.
The training sessions will be geared toward developing excellent ball mastery and control skills with a view to further development in one versus one attacking moves with the ball. From the ball mastery and moves development, we will move on to small group play development, awareness and vision on the field. The foundation of all of this, however, is the development of ball mastery.
Future Plans?
The development of players in these areas may also lead to the formation of a team to play in Winnipeg Youth Soccer Association (WYSA). This team could begin in three or four years when the oldest players reach their Under-12 or Under-13 year. At this point they would just be finishing their minor soccer career. This is also the age at which WYSA moves to more formally competitive teams in league settings.
Interested? Need information?
At this point in time, I am trying to determine the interest for this kind of a program. I understand this is a new development in soccer in the area. I also hope it will be beneficial for building the game here in the Pembina Valley. If you are interested in this type of program for your child, please contact me at 745.6973 or via email at [email protected]. Please note that calling or emailing me merely indicates an interest on your part, not a firm commitment. I will follow up these indications of interest late in the summer when more details are finalized.
Thanks in advance for your consideration.
Sincerely,
William Hoogerdijk