U10 hot-line: 1-866-206-9066, ext. 8870#

News  (Archives)	About the Academy	Academy Goals
Schedule	Player Pool	Pictures
Contacts	Miscellaneous Info	Soccer Links  (Maps)

This page was updated July 08, 2009.  Content changes frequently; use your "Refresh" feature to display the most current information.

News:

Academy Camp coming soon! (July 8)  We kick-off the season with Academy Camp on Monday, July 20th at United Quest Park. We want to make sure all the girls get off to a good start. Proper hydration and foot care are two huge factors in keeping the girls fit so they can get the most out of camp. Here are some tips to help them be their best:

• Fluid intake:  Your daughter should start drinking extra fluids the weekend before camp. If she waits until camp starts, she'll be fighting an uphill battle! She should bring a large insulated water jug (minimum half-gallon, labeled with her name or initials) filled with ice and water or Gatorade. Bottled water may be convenient, but it's not practical for the camp environment. The water won't stay cold, so girls won't want to drink it.

• Foot care:  The big issue is avoiding blisters. Tips include making sure new shoes are "broken in" before camp, wearing sandals during lunch, having an extra, clean pair of socks for the afternoon, and making sure shin guards aren't rubbing directly on feet.

• More info (schedule, checklist):  Check our Academy Camp link for complete details about hydration and foot care, along with the daily schedule and a camp checklist. Healthy kids are happy kids, and happy kids will enjoy camp!

• Vacation conflict?  If your daughter has a vacation conflict, she's welcome to attend the camp at Metro North Park (MNP) the prior week (July 13-17): same coaches, same curriculum, just a different location. Please e-mail Ward if your daughter will attend part or all of the MNP camp.

Registration update: (June 25)  Here's the "to do" list for registration, fees, paperwork and uniforms:

• Register for the Academy program:  NASA has an on-line registration system for the Academy & Select programs. This system replaces the traditional "signing night" event. Link: NASA Academy registration system. (If your daughter was a "walk up" at tryouts and didn't register in advance, you'll need to register for tryouts before you can register for Academy itself. Link: tryout registration)

• Submit paperwork items:  NASA's on-line registration system handles Academy fees and the majority of registration paperwork. There are only a few items you'll need to submit by hand. If you didn't submit these items at our orientation or uniform fitting meetings, you can drop them off during the day at the United Quest Park office. Please put the item(s) in an envelope labeled with your daughter's name and the words "U10 Girls Academy".

  Registration item	Required for
  two notarized medical consent forms (Acrobat file)	all players
  two copies of the player's birth certificate	new players only
  a small picture (ID-sized); a school picture from last year will do	all players

• Order uniforms (deadline: June 28th):  We thank our returning players for providing samples for uniform fitting. Uniform orders need to be submitted to our uniform coordinator Kris Hart by June 28th (check link for contact info).

Tryouts: (June 18)  We thank all the families who brought their daughters to our tryout sessions, and we congratulate the girls for their effort and desire. Link: tryout results

• Returning players:  Our U9 and U8 players from the spring season are all invited to return in the fall. After we complete contact with all new players, we'll post a complete player pool, including returning players.

• Missed tryouts?  If you missed tryouts but are interested in the NASA Academy program, please e-mail Ward Swain to arrange a late tryout.

Spring season party - Monday, June 15th: (June 13)  We've rescheduled our end-of-season party to Monday, June 15th. Link: party details

Roster update: (June 5)  We send our best wishes to Ashtynne and Katie C., whose families are moving out of state this summer. Good luck with your new teams. We'll miss you girls!

Marrowthon thank you! (April 19)  We thank everyone who participated in the Great American Soccer Marrowthon event. We had a huge turn-out for a worthwhile cause!

Women's Professional Soccer returns! (March 24)  The WPS league kicks off on Sunday, March 29th. Games will be televised weekly (usually Sunday late afternoon or evening) on Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) and/or Fox Sports Net (FSN). Check it out when you get a chance and watch the best women players in the world. Link: WPS TV schedule

Photo links: (October 30)  We thank the Villhauers and Ciufos for providing oodles of game pictures. Here are the links:

• Villhauer:  Go to www.ritzpix.com, click Log-in, enter the user name nasaacademyu10girls@comcast.net and password gonasau10, then click Log-In again to see the albums.

• Ciufo:
  • September 6:  Tarpley game
  • September 13:  Tarpley game
  • October 4:  O'Reilly game
  • October 11:  Early-Birds game

Shameless commerce - Brasilian skills balls: (September 10)  Several of the girls have taken a shine to the "little blue" Brasilian futebols we bring out to practice. You can order these via the web: www.brasilianfutebol.com. We don't have any financial interest in the supplier, but our experience over the years is that the supplier is reputable and the futebols are fun, durable and help players improve their ball skills

Communication channels: (September 9)  During the season, we recommend you check the Academy web site a couple of times per week - early in the week and again late in the week. We update our web site as needed, which is often multiple times a week. (Use your "Refresh" feature to be sure you see the most current information.)

We'll send occasional group e-mails, but you can stay current by checking our web site rather than waiting for e-mails. Another communication channel is our U10 Academy phone hot-line: 1-866-206-9066, ext. 8870#. We'll use this to post announcements about any last-minute schedule changes, usually weather-related. If you need to contact a coach, you can do so in person after a training session, or you can contact the coach via e-mail or phone. Link: contacts

• Rain guideline:  If there has been any significant rain in the previous 48 hours, please check our Academy hot-line to see if we've had to change any plans. Info on the Academy hot-line takes precedence over info on the general NASA field status hot-line.

2008-09 Girls

About the Academy: Formed in May, 2001, the NASA Academy is designed to enhance the development of the North Atlanta Soccer Association's girls at United Quest Soccer Park through professional coaching at the 8, 9 and 10-year old levels (what we call "U10" players). Our mission is to build a strong foundation for the soccer stars of tomorrow, while providing a fun and healthy soccer environment. We've expanded over the years to create U11 and U12 Academy programs. The Academy programs serve as a bridge between our U8 / U10 / U12 recreational soccer programs and the U13 select (i.e., "Athena") program.

2008-09 goofy girls

U10 Academy coaching staff (2009-10):

• Jay Ingram:  8th year coaching at NASA, 7th year as a NASA Academy coach
• Ashley Stinson:  NASA alumni, recent UGA graduate, Academy Camp staff coach
• Ward Swain:  9th year with the Academy, 12th year coaching U10 Athena at NASA

We’ll also occasionally have older Athena-level players join us as guest trainers. This will allow your daughter an opportunity to see the technical skills that higher-level players must possess.

Highlights of the Academy program:

• Training three times a week (currently Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
• Weekly friendly matches against other clubs' Academy teams
• Flexibility to move players freely between teams
• Athena Academy camp

The pool of players for the Academy will consist of 30-40 girls, most coming from the NASA recreational program at United Quest Park. We identify prospective players in three phases:

• Academy staff evaluates players during training sessions and games with their recreational teams during their league seasons
• We make further evaluations during informal scrimmages in May
• We complete evaluations through structured tryouts after the spring season

Players who are identified as strong candidates will be offered admission into the Academy. There is no obligation to join, however. If the level of commitment isn't right for your daughter or family, the NASA recreational program at United Quest Park will still be available as an option.

Links:

• Frequently asked questions
• Information for Academy prospects

Academy Goals:

• Create an atmosphere where young players are exposed to the game with an emphasis on skill development more than team development.

• Create an environment where players are allowed to flourish in a competitive arena in which the focus of quality soccer is more important than short-term success of winning versus losing.

• Educate our players and parents in the development process and club values.

• We'll measure learning and fun, not scores and standings.