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This page was updated July 05, 2008.  Content changes frequently; use your "Refresh" feature to display the most current information.

News:

Academy Camp July 14-18: (July 5)  We kick-off our fall preparations with the NASA Academy Camp at Metro North Park the week of July 14-18.

• Camp prep:  Healthy kids are happy kids, and happy kids will enjoy camp! Please be sure to take advantage of our camp tips and advice to help ensure that your daughter stays in peak condition and has a great camp experience.

• When / where to meet:  We'll meet in front of the Metro North Park clubhouse each morning in the 8:30 - 8:45 AM.

• Vacation conflict?  If your daughter has a vacation conflict with camp, she's welcome to attend the NASA Academy Camp at United Quest Park the prior week, July 7-11. Both camps have the same coaches and curriculum.

Scrimmage on Monday, June 30th: (June 28)  We'll have an optional scrimmage night on Monday, June 30th at Metro North Park from 6:30 - 7:45 PM. This is a "come if you can" event. We'll meet near the turf field at the front of the park and either scrimmage on the turf field or field 4 at the back right of the park.

Academy registration: (June 26)  NASA has implemented a new on-line registration system for the Academy & Select programs. The system "went live" on June 12th. Link: NASA Academy registration system. Registration deadline is Monday, June 30th. (Later registration is allowed, but could result in the player's uniform order being delayed.)

• Registration status:  To check your daughter's registration status, please click here.

The on-line registration system replaces the traditional "signing night" event. The system handles payments and uniform orders and eliminates most paper forms. Note: You'll order uniforms as part of the registration process. If your daughter hasn't gone through uniform fitting, you'll need to do so before you can register her.

• Uniform numbers:  The registration system requires you to enter a preferred uniform number. Link: uniform numbers. You can actually enter any number to satisfy this requirement. We'll have time to sort out uniform numbers and fix any discrepancies before our supplier actually numbers our uniform shirts.

Uniform fitting: (June 15)  Girls uniform samples are located at the United Quest Park (UQP) clubhouse. (Boys uniform samples are at Metro North Park.) Families can stop by UQP weekdays during normal office hours (9 AM - 5 PM) to go through fitting.

Orientation meeting: (June 12)  We'll have an orientation meeting on Tuesday, June 17th at 6:00 PM behind the Metro North Park clubhouse. We'll collect the registration materials listed below, review the Academy philosophy and answer general questions. This is aimed at parents, but the girls are welcome to attend. We expect the meeting to take 1 hour. Here's what you should bring:

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

If you aren't able to attend, check our web site afterwards for info about submitting these items.

Summer schedule: (June 7)  The girls get a rest for the next several weeks. We may have an occasional informal kick-around, but we won't have any regularly scheduled training. (We believe in off-season breaks from organized sports.) If the girls want to practice their skills on their own, here's a list of "play at home" activities.)

Communication channels: (February 5)  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. 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 hot-line, which we use 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

Lost & found: (November 6)  Let's all try and keep this section empty! Please make sure all "generic" items are labeled: warm-ups, shorts, backpacks, balls, water bottles, etc. For clothing items, use a Sharpie and jot down initials and uniform # on one of the interior labels. This will minimize headaches when items are misplaced.

• Embroidery options:  If you would like to get warm-ups or backpacks embroidered, here are some options: www.nasaathenaacademy.org/embroidery.htm

Game-day guidelines: (August 13)  Please review our game-day guidelines with your daughter so everyone understands our expectations for game days.

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 Metro North 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.

U10 Academy coaching staff (2007-08):

• Dawn Bristol:  7th year with the Academy, also coaches the NASA '10 Select team
• Ward Swain:  7th year with the Academy

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 Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)
• Weekly friendly matches against other clubs' Academy teams
• Flexibility to move players freely between teams
• Academy camp

The pool of players for the Academy will consist of 30-40 girls, most coming from the NASA recreational program at Metro North 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 Metro North 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.