The developmental soccer program is sometimes referred to as accelerated soccer. It is an orientation foryounger players to become familiar with a more assertive soccer atmosphere before being exposed to a full competitive environment.

The developmental program is run differently from the recreational setting that you may be accustomed to. First of all, the developmental teams will play teams from surrounding community clubs. (Mostly limited to the Omaha area) This means that some games will involve traveling to an opponent’s field which is usually 3 to 4 times per season. The game days will also vary, as they are dependent not only on our field schedules but also on our opponents’ schedules.

Another difference between developmental and recreational soccer is that the games will be played with 5 field players and one goalie. A referee will be assigned to each game and coaches will coach from the sideline and not on the “playing field”.

The developmental soccer program is available to any player who qualifies for U9 or U10 soccer. The Blair Soccer Association registration form will guide parents to register their children for the appropriate age level.

There should be no noticeable affect on the other current Blair recreational programs. There may be a few U8 players who option to play up in the U9 division. However, this will only occur if additional players are needed at the U9 level and those players display abilities adequate for that level of play.

The Blair Soccer Association has involved itself in much discussion and research in making this change.

The decision was based on current U10 recreation league concerns, player involvement, and furthering the development and enjoyment of our players.

Our club does not have enough players to accommodate a U9/U10 developmental and recreational program simultaneously. When we attempted this in the past the number of available players was limited which compromised team size, game variety, style of play, and technique, all of which are very important in the development of soccer skills and the enjoyment of play. Therefore the BSA determined that the developmental program would be better suited towards developing our youth players and providing additional enjoyment and learning opportunities.

Furthermore, it is the belief of the BSA that to improve the overall growth of our club and expand the level of play we must commit to programs compatible with other clubs in our area.

The developmental teams do travel to play some of their games. This is approximately four times per season not including any additional tournaments that a team may choose to play. The traveling destinations are generally limited to the Omaha and surrounding areas.

The developmental fee for the entire year will be approximately $100. This does not include the cost of uniforms or additional tournaments. The uniform cost is approximately $50 and includes a shirt, shorts, and socks. If the coach and team wish to play in any additional tournaments each player may be asked to provide an additional fee, which is usually very minimal.

U10 developmental practices are run 2 days per week. They generally occur on Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Practice days and times may be adjusted for conflicts as long as they do not conflict with any other BSA practices or games.

The game days will vary, as they are dependent not only on our field schedules but also on our opponents’ schedules.

First, the number of developmental teams will depend on the number of registrants for U9 & U10. If more than one team in an age division is needed then players will be grouped according to their playing ability. The director of coaching, in connection with coaching evaluations and board personnel, will determine the players’ abilities and divide teams accordingly.

It is important to organize players according each player’s ability to ensure that each player receives appropriate skill development and adequate opportunities to be successful. The BSA strives to maintain such an environment so that children have the best experience athletically and socially. We have found that grouping children by ability level results in their maximum development as soccer players. The primary objective at this age is skill development, which is best served by getting children the maximum number of touches on the ball and the maximum amount of involvement in game situations as possible.

The developmental program directly supports these goals. That is to say, the creation of multiple ability groups is not intended to create talent-rich teams, but rather achieve a parity of ability levels resulting in the most productive practice and game situations for the players.

Coaches are selected based on interest, knowledge of the game, and commitment to developing soccer skills in players according to the Blair Soccer Association’s coaching rules, regulations, and guidelines.

In the event that multiple coaches indicate interest (to the soccer club) in coaching the same team, the Blair Soccer Association will make the final decision in selecting the coach. This may or may not require an application and/or soccer-coaching resume.

As mentioned above developmental soccer exposes players to a more assertive level of play. Therefore, the level of expected commitment will be higher than that of the recreation program. Players will be expected to attend as many practices and games as possible. It is understood that many youth are involved in multiple activities, however, if a conflict arises between a soccer game and another youth activity the first commitment should be the soccer game. Players may lose playing time for absence from practices and/or games.

The Blair Soccer Association strongly encourages positive parental support. We want parents to be involved in the activities of their children. However, being involved does not mean controlling all aspects of a child’s social and athletic experience. Some of the following parent guidelines are taken from the NSCAA and are expected of our parents, guardians, and other spectators.

"Pass The Ball," "Get Rid of It," "Move Up," "Move Back," etc., tend to undermine the need for players to communicate with each other. The only coaching comments a player should hear are those directly from the coach.

Make sure that you take time to enjoy the game yourself. I have heard many comments from players that they dread it when their parents start shouting at the referee, coach, or others. It is noticeable that when parents get more and more agitated, their child gets more and more withdrawn during the game.

Think about your own job. If you had someone whom you are close to shout at you every time you made a mistake, how would you feel? The same is true of athletes. They would rather quit trying or avoid the ball than take the risk of making a mistake so a parent could yell it out to everyone.

The BSA strives to maintain a positive image inside and outside of the Blair community. Parents can help us by strictly following all NSSA and BSA guidelines including but not limited to those listed above.

The main priority of the Blair Soccer Association is to provide players with safety, enjoyment, and opportunities to improve individual and team skills. Therefore, we encourage our coaches to develop their skills to maintain adequate coaching proficiency within our club.

As a player’s skill level progresses throughout each season so should their coach’s. The BSA expects coaches who progress from a recreational program to a developmental or competitive program to maintain a level of coaching that will foster additional growth in his or her players’ current playing ability. Coaches are expected to evaluate their players and provide a practice environment that will consistently expose them to the skills necessary to maintain adequate playing ability for their age level.

limited to foul language, ridiculing others, yelling criticisms or negative comments toward

players, referees, parents, or spectators,