FCKC Academy Structure

Club Director

Director of Operations

Director of First Touch

DOC EastDOC NorthAcademy Director

*

Coaches

DOC South

Coaches

Coaches

GK Coach North

GK Coach South

GK Coach East

FT Staff• Support

staff• Uniforms• Media• Marketing• Finance• IT

*See next slide for Academy System breakout

Pre-Academy:Formed if enough quality

players per birth year

Academy: Top Team in

each birth year

Premier East: Top team in the region

Feeder to the Academy and Pre-Academy teams Premier

South:Top team in the

region

Feeder to the Academy and Pre-Academy

teams

Premier North:Top team in the region

Feeder to the Academy and Pre-Academy teams

FCKC AcademyMission Statement

• The FC Kansas City Academy system will identify and develop top players to compete at the highest levels of competition by implementing proven coaching and development techniques in conjunction with regular assessment and review by the club and academy directors.

• The goal of the academy system is to create teams that play following the 3A model:

- Attractive

- Attacking

- Aggressive

FCKC Academy Philosophy

General

• Following the style and tactics of the senior team, the FCKC Academy system will focus on developing players and teams who are comfortable playing a possessive, attractive style of soccer based on good build up play and without solely relying on direct overhead balls to generate offense. The club academy director will work closely with the coaches in this system to ensure that training and tactics are consistent and effective across all the age groups.

• Selection into the academy system comes with higher expectations and a deeper level of commitment by players, parents, coaches, and staff.

• Player development and team performance is the utmost focus of the FCKC Academy system; winning will come as a by-product of that focus.

• The FCKC Academy system will develop players after the wholistic style focusing on the complete player who is commited, classy, coachable, competitive, and confident.

Players

• One of the primary goals of the academy system is to create a culture that develops complete, high-level, players in a challenging team-based environment.

• Players consistently pushed during training sessions and should expect to work at the competitive edge of their comfort zone in order to excel. A “high anxiety” environment is crucial to learning and creates the focus and edge players will need to improve and perform under pressure.

• FCKC Academy players will focus on long term success over short term, placing emphasis on competing at a high level while still allowing for trial and error as well as individual creativity as part of the learning process.

Families

In many ways, the family behind the player is as important as the player itself. Youth sports rely on parents and family as the engine that drives the program forward. They are critically important to our success and as such have similar expectations placed on them as members of the academy system. We expect the following from our parents, families and fans on the sidelines: 

• Let the coaches coach, you support your athlete. Words like “shoot”, “cross”, or “pass” are coaching terms and shouldn’t be part of the fans vocabulary. Cheer on our players in a positive manner and let them learn from the game while the coaches address the right (or wrong) behaviors.

• Parents and families are expected to remember that they are representatives of FCKC and their team wherever they go. Unruly, selfish, or otherwise detrimental behavior will not be tolerated and may result in the removal of the offending party from events or the team itself in extreme cases.

• A pattern of disrespect is a non-negotiable and will not be tolerated for the sake of protecting the integrity and culture of our program

Coaches and Staff

• FCKC Academy system coaches and training staff will be selected from the most qualified personnel in the club and potentially from coaches outside the club with strong consideration given to coaches in the club already.

• Academy coaches will be closely monitored and evaluated both before they are given a team and continuously during their tenure with the academy system.

• With intentions to help insure Academy coaches are not over-extended to be able to properly service their teams in the first season we will strive to have each Academy level coach carry no more than four teams in the club as head coach.

• Coaches are expected to seek out opportunities to advance their education through licensure or other means. Before the end of the 2017 season, all Academy level coaches will be expected to have obtained at least a USSF C license. These requirements are in place because FCKC is committed to the development of their program as a whole. It is critical that coaches and staff in the academy system realize that the quality of our players will not improve if the quality of our coaching does not improve.

• The potential of rotation of coaches is every 2 to 3 years is a strong targeted reality.

Once selected, coaches in the academy system should shape their training and environments around the following:

• Proper technique is crucial to develop confidence and tactical e

• Fitness training should include a ball.

• Training sessions must be functional and directional.

• Possession means possession WITH PURPOSE.

• We encourage players to be creative individually, and they and their teams should be given the freedom to take risks.

• Guidelines for a training curriculum will be provided to all coaches, and coaches will have freedom within these guidelines to train and develop their teams.

 

Coaches and training staff will adhere to the same expectations and standards to which the players are held, this means:

• Coaches will be early to training sessions with a plan in place and have the field prepped for practice before session starts.

• Coaches will be early to games and prepared to help their teams

warm up for their match.

• Coaches will be dressed appropriately for each team event in FCKC gear or other attire that presents a clean and professional image.

• Coaches will behave in a professional, respectful, and courteous manner at all times. Coaches who display unprofessional or disruptive behavior will be sanctioned by the club. In no case will any tolerance be shown for a coach who arrives at a game or team event impaired by alcohol or other substance.

FCKC Academy Strategy

Academy Team Creation

• The FCKC Academy system is an elite level of play that is part of our overall success as a club. As such, only the club is allowed to form or name teams at the “academy” level. Those teams will be formed out of yearly tryouts, and no coach or manager is allowed to use the academy name on any team not created by the club.

TrainingThe FCKC technical and academy director use the club curriculum and determine general methodologies for training. This is designed to ensure the quality of training and environment is the same across all teams and age groups. In general:  • FCKC Academy teams will train at least 3 times a week. Players who

desire additional sessions are welcome to inquire with their coach as to where and when a fourth session is available.

• Following the same philosophy as US Soccer, FCKC Academy team trainings will target a 3:1 training to match ratio.

• Training sessions will be at least 75 minutes long in outdoor and a minimum hour long during winter months.

• Goalkeepers will attend at least one position specific training session provided by the club per week.

• FCKC will work with the coaches and staff to ensure the facilities they use are appropriate for their age and level.

• Regular feedback is an important part of player development both from coach to player / parent and vice versa. It’s important that we establish open lines of communication between all the members of the academy system.

.

CoachesFCKC Academy system coaches have the full support of the technical /

academy directors and the club as a whole. We will develop and enhance our coaches and coaching skill by:

• Continuously assessing coaches against the curriculum and standards set forth by the directors.

• Recording and assigning each coach the analysis of match video in order to improve their ability to identify soccer problems and correct them.

• Helping the coach set appropriate goals for their players and teams along with regular assessment of their performance against those goals.

• Setting regular educational and developmental goals for each coach and providing routine feedback about progress against those goals.

PlayersThe FCKC Academy system will develop top level players by:

• Providing world class coaching and a competitive environment in which to develop their technical skills and tactical abilities.

• Setting and providing regular feedback in a club standardized format on individual goals and milestones to each player

• Providing access to elite leagues and tournaments that will expose the player to a high level of competition

• Providing regular access and exposure to high quality coaches and teams at the next level of play

FCKC Academy Age Groups

The club will form teams in both genders

according to the following age matrix:• U13-2004• U14-2003• U15-2004• U16-2001• U17-2000• U18-1999• U19-1998

Players must try out in their own age group but can also potentially be recommended to try-out or play in the age group above.

*u12-2005 will have a system put in place where age groups and coaches work together with training and some matches to prepare the players for their first year of Academy

Academy Teams will participate in the following venues and events:

• League Play: MRL as the baseline goal and National League as a potential league

• Tournaments: 7 per year for year-round teams and 4 per year for HS teams. Each season the Academy Director will select one event that all teams do.

• State Cup: In addition to the tournaments above, State Cup play will be required with the potential for Regional and National Championships

• Winter season: Each team will participate in a futsal league as well as 1 other league (indoor, winter outdoor, or another futsal league,)

Academy Teams will participate in the following training venues:

• Team training sessions: 2 per week year round

• Technical Training: 1 additional technical training session per week in the fall and spring seasons for year round teams and either fall or spring for HS teams

• Training locations will be determined by the club. The goal is to be at Swope Soccer Village.

FCKC Academy

Coach Selection

Criteria for Selection of Academy and/ or Pre-Academy

• National D License or minimum or 5 years professional playing experience

• Coaching experience

• History of effective communication and management of players, parents, and team admins

• Willing to immerse themselves in coaching education

• Able to work towards their next coaching license

• Willing to establish working relationships and connections with college coaches

• Able to motivate players

• Flexibility to handle the rigorous schedule demands

• Good reputation in the following traits: proven character / role model, loyalty, humility, being a team player, hungry to learn

• Evidence of upside potential

• Forecasted longevity

• Only coach teams within FC Kansas City

Timeline

• October: Initial Academy System meeting with selected coaches

• November: Revelation of Academy System to all club members and

club-wide training session by birth year on 11/29 *

• December: Club-wide training session by birth year on 12/19 *

• January: Club-wide training sessions by birth year on TBD date *

• February: Club-wide training sessions by birth year on TBD date * and Announcement of Academy Coaching Staff

• March: Birth year training sessions with the specific Academy Coach *

• April: Birth year training sessions with the specific Academy Coach *

• May: Birth year training sessions with the specific Academy Coach *

• June: Try-outs

*Sign-up and fee required

Player Requirements and Expectations

• Soccer as the first priority as displayed by actions and attitudes

• Display the needed effort to be successful in developing as a player and person

• Commit to the rigorous training, match, and travel schedule

• Show up for each event prepared to play when the whistle blows

• Arrive early and be ready to go on time.

• Be physically and mentally focused at each event

• Potentially participate in a mandatory Academy fundraiser

• Represent the club well both on and off the field

• As a family, sign a player / family code of conduct

Why Academy?

• Play with top players who are also committed to the game

• More training scenarios available

• Higher level leagues and tournaments

• Stability of a collaborative, quality coaching staff

• More opportunities for college exposure