Academy Soccer, logo

Academy Soccer

Academy Soccer, logo

Registration OPEN for Spring 2025 Academy Soccer Supplemental Assessments!

Eligible player birth years:
2015, 2016, & 2017 || BOYS & GIRLS

Email academysoccer@gcaasports.com for Supplemental information!

Registration OPEN!

The Cleveland United Academy Soccer program is the bridge for 9U and 10U players as they move from Recreation Soccer towards Travel Soccer.

The Academy program is a player development program for committed young soccer players looking to advance to the next level of competitive play. At this level, we focus on individual player development with emphasis on technical skills and tactical knowledge. All players rotate positions and learn skills associated with these positions. Academy offers a positive, engaging, and rewarding experience that is not overtly focused on results (wins vs. losses). The idea is that we focus on developing the player and putting them in the best training situations with our best coaches, for a faster rate of growth within the game.

This program structure is endorsed by US Youth Soccer (USYS) and the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association (NCYSA). The NCYSA Youth Academy Program ensures all players, parents, & coaches across the state are teaching age-appropriate activities under qualified guidance.

NC Youth Academy Objectives:

  1. A recent development in US Soccer communities as late as the early 21st century.
  2. An “alternative” to frustrations felt by families with “win-at-all-costs” mentality during early developmental years.
  3. Seek to improve individual player development.
  4. Increase player participation, satisfaction, and player retention.

For more information, contact: academysoccer@gcaasports.com

Soccer Pathways
Practices: Academy teams will have two practice sessions per week, lasting 1 hour and 15 minutes each. Practice days and times are set closer to the start of the season, based on field. The practice location is at the GCAA Athletic Fields at West View Elementary.
 
Uniforms: Academy Soccer participants use the same Adidas uniform kit that the GCAA Travel Soccer program uses. This consists of a Home set (Silver jersey, shorts, and socks) and an Away set (Navy jersey, shorts, and socks).
 
Games: Teams attend what are called Academy Events. At each event, each Academy team plays two games. These are scheduled on Saturdays. Games are not scheduled for every weekend, and are spaced throughout the season. Teams usually play around 16 games (8 Academy Events) per season. Travel locations can include places like Wilson, Goldsboro, Rocky Mount, and with occasional trips out to a coastal venue.
 
Tournament: Academy Teams participate in the NCYSA Youth Academy Showcase at the end of every Fall and Spring season.
 
Rules of Play: The Academy Program Rules of Play are set by NCYSA and can be found here. 

Cleveland United Academy Soccer evaluates players in mid-May of each year through open assessments. Players are accepted into the Academy Program for a one year commitment, August through May (Fall AND Spring seasons). Numbers permitting, each year Cleveland United Academy Soccer forms a pool of players, consisting of both boys and girls ages approximately 7 - 10 years old. Teams will be formed with this pool of Academy players. Players will have a base team, while also fluidly playing as needed on other teams in the Academy. The pool of Academy players will all practice together.

  • Fall season training starts in early August
  • Fall season runs through mid-November
  • Spring season training starts in early January
  • Spring season ends in early May
  • Assessments to form the Academy pool of players for the year, August through May (Fall AND Spring seasons) are held in mid-May
    • Supplemental Assessments are held in late November/early December, if there is a need to add more players to the Academy pool. 
Questions? Email Academy Soccer!
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