CONTENTS THIS ISSUE GPS TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT Welcome to GPS .3 GPS News .4 GPS News .5 Technical Zone .6 Tactical Zone .7 Psychological Zone .8 Physical Zone .10 Coaching Zone .11 Goalkeeping Zone .12 Parent Zone
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FC BAYERN PARTNERSHIP Partnership News .14
SOCCER ASSASSINS Soccer Assassins
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COLLEGE & ALUMNI GPS Alumni News GPS College Placement
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FRANCHISE SPOTLIGHT GPS Maine
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GPS PROGRAMMING Early Development League .22
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WELCOME TO GPS The mission of Global Premier Soccer is to enhance the soccer experience for players and coaches with the club. We provide our players the opportunity to develop as athletes and as people by fostering an identity of excellence. We strive to develop players who can compete at the highest level of soccer throughout the world.
THE GPS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY
Massachusetts Premier Soccer (MPS) was founded in 2001 by Peter and Joseph Bradley with a mission to provide a new player development model for players in Massachusetts. Now Global Premier Soccer (GPS) has a vertically integrated pyramid structure that takes a player from 3 years of age through to 23. The success GPS has had is based on our ability to improve all our players technically, tactically, physically and psychologically. GPS’s commitment to its players is to provide them with the best coaching available in a professional and elite environment.
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GPS NEWS GPS THANKSGIVING SHOWCASE Waltham, MA, November 30th, 2015. The 6th annual GPS Thanksgiving Showcase drew the curtain on GPS Tournaments for 2015. Almost 500 teams aged from U9 to U19 and hailing from throughout the northeast and in some cases further afield with teams from Puerto Rico and Canada also participating. This was the first year in which the club ran events over two weekends with U9s through U12s playing in the Invitational on 11/21 and 11/22 and U13 to U19 participating in the Showcase from 11/27 to 11/29. “Since we launched the Thanksgiving Showcase in 2009 we have worked hard to improve the experience year on year,” said GPS Tournaments Director James Hamblin. “By splitting the event up over two weekends we were able to ensure a great environment for all the age groups and the diversity of teams created excitement for all.” For the Showcase, over 200 college coaches were in attendance representing NCAA I, II and III schools as well as NAIA schools. Also in attendance was Ben Hanley Director of the GPS International Academy which will be launched in 2016 in London, England. The Academy will be targeted towards 18-20 year old boys seeking a year of high level coaching in a professional training environment prior to returning to a college career in the US. The Thanksgiving weekend closes out the GPS Tournament calendar which has seen the organization host 30 events featuring over 3,000 teams in six different states. “This has been one of our most successful years in the history of GPS Tournaments,” said Hamblin. “We look forward to developing new and innovative events in 2016 whilst continuing to improve on our existing competitions,” said Hamblin.
GPS STAFF RETREAT Over 150 GPS Coaches representing twelve nationalities congregated at Foxwoods Casino for the annual GPS retreat in Connecticut. Highlighting the event was a Q+A with former New York Red Bulls Head Coach, Mike Petke who regaled staff with stories from his extensive playing and coaching career in Major League Soccer. The New Yorker passed on advice on how to manage elite level players and shared insights into his coaching philosophy. Also in attendance was Benno Ruwe, Senior Executive within the FC Bayern Munich US office in New York City. Ruwe discussed the ongoing partnership between FC Bayern and GPS providing coaches present feedback on progress to date and outlined the vision for the years ahead. In addition to the guest speakers, GPS franchises presented on the success of their clubs in 2015 and breakout sessions were held to identify areas of improvement and share best practices from the different GPS locations. There was also a presentation from Director of Coaching Peter Bradley on the recent Technical Visit to FC Bayern and the impact the new US Soccer initiatives will have on GPS in 2016, whilst CEO Joe Bradley delivered his annual ‘State of the Union’ address, closing with 2016 goals for GPS as a whole. Finally, the GPS Soccer Assassins tested staff on their technical skills using a Sklz rebounder. After many failed attempts, Soccer Chance Director Ben Hanley completed the challenge and won a signed Mario Gotze shirt for his efforts!
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GPS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY GPS, are pleased to announce the development of the GPS International Academy based in London, UK launching in Fall 2016. The Academy is targeted towards male players who are seeking to make a career in the game or those looking for an additional year of intensive training prior to attending college with 24 spots available for the first induction class. The Academy will provide a unique opportunity for attendees to stay in the capital, train full time in a professional environment under the guidance of UEFA A/B qualified coaches and compete in competitive fixtures on a weekly basis.
The International Academy attendees will be exposed to professional scouts through regular exhibition games against professional academies and events throughout the UK and Europe. The players will also have the opportunity to attend regular professional fixtures at any of London’s six EPL teams throughout the season. There will also be the option for those players outside the US looking to progress in the collegiate game through GPS partner company Soccer Chance USA (SCUSA) who provide soccer scholarships to US Universities. GPS and SCUSA signed an extensive partnership earlier this year which includes SCUSA staff attending GPS tournaments and specific showcases for SCUSA players in the US. In addition to the soccer component, the Academy players will also be enrolled on to a BTEC Level 3 in sport and performance and gain coaching qualifications from the English Football Association. For more information on the GPS International Academy please see the full brochure here or contact: Phillip Mitchell pmitchell@globalpremiersoccer.com Ben Hanley bhanley@globalpremiersoccer.com. The application for interested players is March 1st 2016.
CLICK THE ABOVE IMAGE TO VIEW THE WEB SITE
GPS GOAL OF THE MONTH OCTOBER
The GPS International Academy will be based in North West London at the state of the art Hive Training Center. The Hive is an international football training venue containing located in the shadow of the iconic Wembley Stadium with four full-size grass pitches and two full-size 3G pitches. The venue has recently hosted the Brazilian and German National teams prior to International fixtures. “We are delighted to announce the launch of the GPS International Academy,” said Philip Mitchell, Academy Coordinator. “We believe this to be an outstanding opportunity for aspiring players to further their soccer careers and enjoy living in one of the most iconic cities in the World,” said Mitchell.
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TECHNICAL ZONE SHOOTING EYES focussed on the striking point of the ball, while keeping head down and over the ball during the shot
ARMS extended to maintain balance, create momentum, and can provide protection from defenders
FOOT planted an appropriate distance from the ball to allow clean contact, with the BIG TOE pointed toward the intended target. KNEE braced to provide stability during the shot.
ANKLE locked with the TOES pointed to allow striking with the laces. Follow through the path of the ball after the strike
STRIKE firmly through the centre of the ball
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TACTICAL ZONE
FUTSAL
A lot of your success in Futsal is reliant on the skill of your players, the keys to winning games comes from experience, good organization, and playing smart. That’s where it is absolutely vital to think about the Futsal tactics and formation that you and your team are going to use. Good tactics can transform any ramshackle band of misfits into a competitive team that other sides will fear.
There are only four outfield players on the court, which means there are only a limited number of ways to arrange your team. Tactics can often be over complicated, with people coming up with all sorts of advanced playing systems. Below are two example formations used in Futsal. Many teams will use a combination of both, one when in possession, one when out of possession.
The 2-0-2 formation, sometimes known as ‘the square’, essentially splits all four players in your team into the two main areas of responsibility: defense and attack. It is simple, clear and can help develop good defensive and attacking pairings. Although two players are encouraged to push forward and two to stay back, these roles are going to need to be fairly flexible as the attackers will need to help the defense and vice-versa (and at points in the game it’s likely that roles will briefly rotate). Most teams attack and defend in numbers of at least three. Pros: + Gives balance between attacking and defending. + Should ensure that the defense and the attack has at least some support at all times. Cons: – Can be defensively weak if defenders join the attack and attackers are unwilling to get back and defend. – It can be unclear which of the attackers should support the defense and which defender should support the attack if the team is inexperienced in playing together or communication is poor.
The Diamond is one of the most popular formations, and provides balance between defense and attack. Leading the forward charge is a dedicated attacker (the pivot), whilst there’s also a dedicated player to marshall things from the back. The two midfield players (“wingers”) are expected to support both the defense and the attack, which can help the team adapt the formation to what is needed most at any moment in time. Pros: Should give you width where you need it most, in the middle of the pitch. Can help provide discipline and responsibility. There is clearly one player with the main defensive responsibility and one with the main attacking responsibility. Two midfielders are able to support both attack and defense, allowing either to burst forward to join the attack with the other sitting back. Cons: – Players naturally seem to prefer attacking to defending – if both wingers focus too much on attack this will leave the defense badly exposed. It requires these players to be disciplined and ideally should be back behind the ball when a team is defending. – The two midfield players need to be fit, mobile, and especially able to develop a good partnership (e.g. to know when to sit-back and cover. GLOBALPREMIERSOCCER
PSYCHOLOGICAL ZONE
YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR THE EFFECT OF COACHING ATTIRE
HAVING A COACH THAT PLAYERS CAN RELATE TO, TRUST AND BELIEVE IN IS THE KEY WHEN CHOOSING YOUR ATTIRE. EXUDING PROFESSIONALISM, ORGANIZATION AND EXCELLENCE INSTILLS THOSE CHARACTERISTICS IN YOUR PLAYERS.
ATTIRE Research in recent years has made extremely interesting discoveries in the area of coach attire and dress code. Research at universities in England [2011/2012] interviewed hundreds of college athletes and showed them photos of professional coaches. The images included a suit on game day, coaching tracksuit on game day, casual jeans and t-shirt and coaching tracksuit at a practice. It also included coaches of a variety of builds ranging from lean and athletic to large in physique.
The college athletes felt unmotivated and would not trust a coach in casual attire. They liked the coach in tracksuit for practices; identifying with them and liking the practical and technically capable individual this portrayed. They also liked suits for game day; saying it represented authority, leadership as a figurehead and a sense of pride and excellence in team appearance. Physique has little impact on their opinion following a practice, but did make athletes wary as a first judgement if the coach was of larger physique until their knowledge was proven in a session. Overall it is important to consider if players can identify with you. If your players turn up immaculate and ready to play and you arrive otherwise— they might be less inclined to play for you!
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SUNGLASSES We have all been there‌ Frantically covering our eyes in attempt to watch our teams play. Whilst the sun can play havoc with your vision as a coach during practice and on game day, the simple solution of sunglasses can have a serious impact on your players.
Players interviewed stated that constant engagement and feedback from a coach was important to them. The lack of eye contact creates a perceived divide and real physical barrier between coaches and their group of players.
Players look to coaches when they do well or make mistakes. Not seeing their coaches eyes made it much harder to gauge their mood and emotions. When addressing players, wearing glasses made coaches appear less engaged and concerned.
FOOTWEAR
Footwear is another key area that coaches can forget to address as having an impact on players. Athletes disclosed that footwear can show if the coach is in the game with them; or if their thoughts, plans and attention is elsewhere. For example, when it is cold you might be tempted to wear your snow boots—but players would rather you wore your cleats and braved the cold with them (note they wont know how many socks you have on!). Similarly, flip flops (1) or slides show you have plans to head to the beach after the game. Players want to identify with the coach and see a role model. They want to see you in cleats for practice and games. It is also worth noting that coaches with over exuberant cleats (2) were perceived as chauvinistic and taken less seriously than those with modest, professional black and white styles (3).
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PHYSICAL ZONE SOCCER IN NUMBERS
10K The primary objective of performance analysis is to support coaches and players in the decision making process by providing relevant information regarding performance.
Average total distance covered in a game (professional male).
In this sense, notational analysis, understood as a technique for analyzing different aspects of performance through a process which involves producing a permanent record of the events, have provided and continues to provide important information for coaches and athletes, enabling advances in training processes .
HEART RATE
2/3s
150-170
beats average
GAME TIME Happens at lower intensity Walking/Jogging
Change Direction and Speed every 3-6 seconds
90’’ Average time on the ball per game GLOBALPREMIERSOCCER
COACHING ZONE FOCUS: SHOOTING At GPS we run regular Professional Development sessions for our staff to maintain high standards and reinforce alignment with the GPS philosophy. This also gives the opportunity for our staff to share and discuss new ideas about player development. To win games teams must pose the ability to score goals. This is a difficult skill to master. There are a number of ways to score a goal and a variety of ways to shoot the ball at goal. This edition’s coaching zone is focused on shooting and taking any goal scoring opportunities that might come your way during a game.
VIDEO This session is focused around combination play to get a shot on goal. Click on the image to watch the video.
The Technical department develops curriculum for its coaches as well as many of the youth soccer partners that we work with. This is an example of a session used as part of a developmental curriculum. Click here to view the session plan.
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GOALKEEPING ZONE FOCUS: COLLAPSE DIVE
The collapse dive is the basic foundation for all diving. Proper technique is crucial for the goalkeeper to dive both effectively and safely. The collapse dive is used on balls hit close to the goalkeeper but far enough to the side that reaching out to make the catch will not allow any of the body to get behind the ball. The goal is to move the entire body behind the ball and get the hands in a good catching position.
The feet do not exceed shoulder width during the stance. The objective is to get on the ground and behind the ball quickly; hips, upper body and arms all go sideways and down together.
Take a step forward to the ball with the leg closest to the ball direction. Ball going to the right would cause the keeper to step forward with the right leg. The ball-side foot kicks in the opposite direction of the shot. The body collapses to the ground with the hands down first. Elbows stay in front of body. The arms extend to the ball as the ball is caught in front of the chest.
The bottom hand should be behind the ball at or just below the midline. The top hand above the ball, eyes focused on the ball. Balance: diving right side drive the left knee forward somewhat to prevent rolling onto your back. Same applies but the right knee forward when diving left. The knee of the top leg extends forward for protection.
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PARENT ZONE FOCUS: THE CAR RIDE HOME  “I don’t know why your coach does that! Next time you should ask him to play you more!” Contradicting information your child is receiving from a coach instantly causes conflict mentally for the player. Your son / daughter will feel pressured to please both you and their soccer coach - which is hard! If you have questions for the coach, wait 24 hours and address them privately yourself.
“You are amazing! We are going to sign you up for more sessions, you can play town, club and ID programs. You will be a star at high school and college and go pro and be famous!” Of course it is important to support and praise children in their career! It is also important not to overwhelm them. Often, they enjoy playing and all the extra’s don’t cross their mind! Be careful not to put too much pressure on your child or burn them out early with too many demands on their time. 
Why did you do that? That was a silly mistake. You need to try harder and do better than that! What was that?!” A couple of points here...Firstly, players know when they made mistakes! They do not need reminding! Secondly, vague comments like ‘try harder’ to not inspire a response from young players. Chances are they are trying hard - it just wasn't a good day! Finally, there is a coach that provides analysis for your son/daughter. They would prefer you to be their parent.
“I don’t care if you have had enough. We have paid and you committed, so you will keep playing now until the end of the v season”. Whilst all players can have bad days and insinuate they have had enough; it is incredibly difficult for a young person to genuinely express vulnerability and concerns about something they are expected to enjoy. Parents should take the time to explore a players opinions on their experience. If you have concerns, ask the coach for feedback and advice.
The ride home from soccer has the ability to be an excellent vessel for bonding between you and your child. Unfortunately, a large majority of young players cite the ride home as one of the more negative experiences in their career. It is important for parents to remember the person behind the player. Particularly at younger ages, the majority of players are not even interested in the game once it is over; they certainly do not want to re live it for an hour on the way home - especially if the game or the tournament did not go very well. Young players have a coach, they have the referee and team mates. They will have multiple coaches at school, town and club. They spend all week receiving information and being told what to do and how to do it by coaches and teachers. Their favorite time is with you at home when it is all over! For GPS parents - be a parent! Discuss where you are going for dinner, plans for the rest of the day or what the next week has in store for everybody. The key for a young person is that everyone plays a role in their life and if those roles become blurred it is challenging for them. Let them invite you into their soccer world at their discretion—otherwise stick to what you are amazing at - being their parent. GLOBALPREMIERSOCCER
FC BAYERN MUNICH PARTNERSHIP NEWS
In addition to the camps in the U.S. conducted by coaches from the FC Bayern junior teams, the partnership also includes a permanent knowledge transfer through frequent conference calls. Furthermore, GPS players are invited on a regular basis to Munich for a chance to train with the FC Bayern junior teams. Stay tuned for more information from GPS on the trip. See how GPS feature on FC Bayern’s official web site here.
18 coaches from across GPS visited Munich this past week from November 3-8. The visit comes as part of the continued partnership between GPS and the German record champions. Sebastian Dremmler, Junior Team Operations Manager and U-15 Head Coach, led the extensive training course based on the FC Bayern Munich youth development curriculum. In addition to the daily courses and meetings at Säbener Straße, the coaches attended the junior teams’ training sessions and games.
Additionally, the coaches were invited to attend the FC Bayern first team’s training session on Thursday. The visit to the training session ended with a special meet & greet with Bayern Head Coach Pep Guardiola and a number of players. On Saturday, the coaches concluded their stay in Munich with a trip to the Allianz Arena to watch the Bundesliga encounter between FC Bayern and VfB Stuttgart.
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FC BAYERN MUNICH In November, the GPS FC Bayern National North Teams traveled to Carolina to compete in the CASL JNR Showcase Tournament. The GPS FCB National Team program is aligned with the US Federation’s new standards - player selection is based on birthdate. For the CASL Showcase, teams were selected by birthdate however played ‘up’ an agegroup. The 2004 Girls were the only girls team to compete at CASL as the older age groups were canceled due to heavy rain. The girls ended the weekend with a respectable 1-1-1 record in a highly competitve U12 bracket.
On the boys side, the 2002 boys (pictured right) coached by Scott Graham and the 2003 Boys (coached by Peter Bradley) both ended the weekend 1-1-1 after playing in high quality U14 and U13 (respectively) brackets. Anthony Boshell and the 2004 boys finished a successful weekend with a 2-1-0 record.
In 2016 the GPS National team program will be sending teams to compete in international competition across the globe to test GPS plays against the some of the best young players around the world. GPS National teams will travel to Sweden to play in the Gothia Cup, Spain for the Mediterranean Cup, Northern Ireland for the Super Cup Northern Ireland. Teams will also travel to Texas for the Dallas Cup and Nevada for the Vegas Players Showcase.
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GPS SOCCER ASSASSINS ONLINE ACADEMY
Instagram’s latest soccer must-follow, the GPS Soccer Assassins (Danny Gildea and Joe Smith), showcase there incredible footwork and soccer skills using the social media platform. With over 22K followers on social media the Soccer Assassins are the fastest growing in their genre of social media. Below is one of their instagram videos that is attracting viewers from all over the globe. Click on the image to view the video.
We would encourage at least 45 minutes of practice to the curriculum we set a day if not more and this will be reviewed interactively by Danny or myself. There is a 1 week, 4 week and 6 week programs all of which consist of a weekly consultation. There will be help every step of the way. If a player doesn’t understand or is struggling to adapt to the exercise we will liaise with them and send out a revised option or a more detailed explanation. Below is Max from Hawaii who has used the Soccer Assassins to help improve is soccer skills.
In 2016 the Soccer Assassins will be launching their online academy. The online academy is a developmental and educational tool tailored to each and every players needs. There will be beginners, intermediate and advanced levels with challenging elements aimed to test the players. Soccer Assassins is built on creativity and that ability to be a game changer at any time, we hope these exercises will encourage this through these innovative ball skills.
The GPS Soccer Assassins are Technical Skills Specialists who believe creativity is at the heart of player development with the focus on providing expression and imagination in youth players. To register interest please contact Danny Gildea at: dgildea@globalpremiersoccer.com or call the Soccer Assassins hotline
781-385-0206. Follow them on:
INSTAGRAM @gps_soccerassassins
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GPS AT COLLEGE GPS would like to congratulate Williams Women’s Soccer and Amherst Men’s Soccer, both of whom lifted the NCAA Division III National Championship this past weekend. In particular the club would like to acknowledge former GPS standouts Kristi Kirshe (Williams), and the Pascual-Leone brothers, Nico and Andreas, Christopher Lewis and David Lander (Amherst) In a dramatic final in Kansas City, Amherst game from behind to defeat Loras 2-1 thanks to goals from Jackson Lenhart and Johnny Rummellhart. Nico Pascual-Leone, the elder of the two brothers captained the Purple and White in a standout season in which he scored 13 goals and made 5 assists. Andreas also featured in the final, capping his Freshman season in which he featured in 8 games. Natives of Valencia, Spain, both Pascual-Leone boys played their entire club career in the US with GPS. Lander, one of the four GPS members of the title-winning squad, played for GPS North from U16 to U18 and participated in a high of eight games, in this his Junior season. Lewis, a native of Kingston Jamaica, played for GPS for two years during his time at Milton Academy. The Freshman midfielder featured in nine games for Amherst this season. Kirshe, a Junior, accumulated 12 goals and 9 assists for the Ephs this season building on an outstanding Sophomore year in which she tallied 18 goals as Williams fell to Lynchburg in the National title on Penalty Kicks. The Ephs defeated Washington University 1-0 in Saturday’s final game, also in Missouri. The Ephs journey to the national championship began with victories over Westfield State and TCNJ in the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III tournament, followed with a win over Stevens before advancing past Williams Smith in penalties to make the final four.
On Friday, Williams registered a 2-1 victory over Centre before Saturday’s national championship triumph in the first meeting between Washington University and Williams. “It has been a great weekend for the Club,” said GPS Director of Coaching Peter Bradley. “To have our Alumni winning National Championships is something we can be immensely proud of. As a Club, we want all of our players to go to College and reach their potential. To see these players going on and doing that sets a great example for current GPS players.”
Williams College Women's Soccer with their National Championship.
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GPS COLLEGE PLACEMENT PROGRAM QUESTIONS TO ASK A COLLEGE COACH If you are calling to follow up on your cover letter and profile, introduce yourself clearly and state where you are from. Tell the coach why that particular college is of interest to you and that will start you on the way to engaging them in a conversation where you can show your personality and your interest in the school and the soccer program. Here are some questions that you can use: 1. What system do you normally play? 2. How many players do you carry on your roster typically? 3. What about the status of your returning group of players? 4. Can you describe what the schedule would look like for fall, winter and spring? I train year round with my club team and am looking forward to continuing that at college. 5. Do you have a pre-season and off-season fitness schedule that I could see? What does the conditioning program look like? 6. What is the coach philosophy regarding freshmen and playing time? Be confident about the impact that you will have on a program. A coach doesn’t want to hear that you will be happy with limited playing time as a freshman. 7. What are the long term plans of the program – what are the goals for the next 3-5 years for the program? 8. Ask about other coaching staff – is there a GK coach, what medical staff will the team have access to? 9. What is the availability of scholarship help – or ask about financial aid or any other help that the school can provide financially if needed or requested? 10. If a coach has seen you play, you can ask for direct feedback to see if they will support your application, given your academics are up to par.
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(E) INFO@GLOBALPREMIERSOCCER.COM
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FRANCHISE SPOTLIGHT GPS MAINE
PDL The GPS Portland Phoenix (above) had a sterling season this summer winning their conference with a team that had 90% new players to the club. They were recorded to have the 2nd best defensive record in the country and the longest unbeaten streak of games (11 games) in the country. The team was built on a foundation of GPS home grown talent including Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu (GPS MA) and Nick Melville (GPS ME) amongst many others. The season was a testament to the strength of the GPS pyramid from premier to PDL. Coach Ally Bain (General Manager of GPS ME and head coach of the PDL) was delighted with the season and looks forward to the team’s entry into the Open Cup in the summer 2016.
GOAL FOR 2016
GPS ME’s goal for 2016 is to build a ‘back to basics’ approach and make sure that players are getting the care and attention needed. “My goals within this area is to increase the intensity our players operate within, using lots of repetition & attention to detail from our coaching points.” said General Manager Ally Bain.
EDP
A key area of Growth for GPS ME has been the EDP program that has grown by 10 players on both the boys and girls side. “Grass roots soccer is extremely important and is a huge focus of ours as we look to develop our club and players to a higher level. This can only be done by bringing players in at a younger age and developing their passion for the game” says Girls Director Josh Thornton.
TEAM SUCCESS
GPS ME has had a lot of on field success in 2015 measurable in many different ways. The girls program now has a team in the top division of NEP from U12 upwards and the boys are not far behind, also housing two NPL teams at U14 and U18. A couple of highlights are the U13 Girls winning their NEP Premiership division in the fall with a record of 6-1-1. The U14 boys finished top four in the NPL. They won 8, drew 1 and lost 2. In 2015, the club had over 15 tournament championships and looks to build on that with upcoming tournaments in December and March. GLOBALPREMIERSOCCER
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EARLY DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE Is the GPS Early Development League a game changer for Soccer in Massachusetts?
Soccer has started to gain more popularity over the past few years with new players from around the globe making their way stateside and huge performances from the US National teams, especially in the most recent World Cups in Brazil (Men 2014) and Canada (Women 2015). The men were able to reach the knockout stages and Women winning the tournament. You can now see youths from the age of 6 trying to replicate what they have seen from their idols of the game, which is exciting to see and shows that there is movement of change which needs to explored and made great. In the fall season this year the number of players participating in the EDL increased by 30% to a total of 195 U8 players placed on one of 24 teams. We ensure constant dedication in making sure our programs are run efficiently and effectively giving our players the chance to be coached to a high level, allowing them to express themselves in game situations and most importantly, having lots of fun playing soccer.
WHAT IS THE EDL? The Early Development League program is focused on player development by providing them the opportunity to express themselves in both practice and a game environment. We focus on technical and tactical player development, using the GPS Curriculum to teach players the key fundamentals of soccer. In addition to the weekly technical sessions, the EDL will also include a league play element, bringing together each of the GPS-MA EDL locations for fun, low pressure games where the players can put into action what they learn in practice. Gender specific programs have been designed for the EDL so that girls and boys have their own leagues to participate in.
Coach Kirby Anderson says "This Fall has been a huge success for our U8 program. It has been great to seeing players develop form the start of the season up until now. It really does help prepare the players for a game environment and this has been evident at our bi-weekly jamborees. You can see how the players are starting to understand the game whilst also focusing on their technical ability in practices." Caroline Del Col who’s Son Austin is a u8 player says “The EDL program provides an excellent introduction to soccer players of all levels. My son’s skills improved dramatically during the course of the program, which focuses on strengthening core fundamentals of the game (dribbling, passing and shooting) as well as providing education on strategy, positioning and teamwork that is well beyond what’s offered on a recreational level. Most importantly, it does all of this while making it FUN for the kids. My son fell in love with soccer thanks to the GPS programs.” For more information on the GPS Early Development League please contact:
Amanda Morton amorton@globalpremiersoccer.com GLOBALPREMIERSOCCER