News
First and foremost, I would like to thank our valley’s soccer parents for their continued support of Vail Recreation District youth recreational soccer programs.
Watching so many children enjoy the game of soccer has been a highlight of my career at the VRD. This information regarding upcoming changes to the VRD’s spring soccer season is due to an inability to secure fields west of Avon.
The VRD’s spring soccer season will commence, weather permitting, the last week in April following spring break. The program will take place on various fields from Vail to Avon and will a ccommodate our participants as necessary. Age groups will remain the same as previous years and as recommended by the U.S. Youth Soccer Association, plus similar to youth soccer leagues around the country.
Additionally, our new program will shift focus to a smaller team concept for U8 and U10 players known as “small-sided games.” With this new focus, U8 teams will play 4v4 with no goal keepers, while U10 teams will play 6v6 with goal keepers. As stated at www.usyouthsoccer.org, we as soccer coaches, administrators and parents believe the following points are reason to switch our focus to small-sided games:
1. Individual Technical Development: We want our young soccer players to touch the soccer ball more often and become more skillful with it.
2. Tactical Development: We want our young soccer players to make more, but less-complicated decisions during the game.
3. Reduced Field Size: We want our young soccer players to be more physically efficient in the field space they are playing in.
4. Making Players Feel Important: We want our young soccer players to have more individual teaching time with the coaches and with less players on the field and less players on a team, we can assure this.
5. Problem Solving: We want our young soccer players to have more involved playing time in the game.
6. Exposure to Attacking and Defending: We want our young soccer players to have more opportunity to play on both sides of the ball.
7. Excitement: We want our young soccer players to have more opportunities to score goals.
We look forward to continuing to offer VRD youth soccer to Vail Valley children and are excited about new programming opportunities in 2009. We will work to make this transition to an early start on upper valley fields as seamless as possible. Should you have any questions, comments or concerns, contact me via e-mail at jrabinowitz@vailrec.com or call 479-2280.
Joel Rabinowitz
Vail Recreation District Sports Director
Watching so many children enjoy the game of soccer has been a highlight of my career at the VRD. This information regarding upcoming changes to the VRD’s spring soccer season is due to an inability to secure fields west of Avon.
The VRD’s spring soccer season will commence, weather permitting, the last week in April following spring break. The program will take place on various fields from Vail to Avon and will a ccommodate our participants as necessary. Age groups will remain the same as previous years and as recommended by the U.S. Youth Soccer Association, plus similar to youth soccer leagues around the country.
Additionally, our new program will shift focus to a smaller team concept for U8 and U10 players known as “small-sided games.” With this new focus, U8 teams will play 4v4 with no goal keepers, while U10 teams will play 6v6 with goal keepers. As stated at www.usyouthsoccer.org, we as soccer coaches, administrators and parents believe the following points are reason to switch our focus to small-sided games:
1. Individual Technical Development: We want our young soccer players to touch the soccer ball more often and become more skillful with it.
2. Tactical Development: We want our young soccer players to make more, but less-complicated decisions during the game.
3. Reduced Field Size: We want our young soccer players to be more physically efficient in the field space they are playing in.
4. Making Players Feel Important: We want our young soccer players to have more individual teaching time with the coaches and with less players on the field and less players on a team, we can assure this.
5. Problem Solving: We want our young soccer players to have more involved playing time in the game.
6. Exposure to Attacking and Defending: We want our young soccer players to have more opportunity to play on both sides of the ball.
7. Excitement: We want our young soccer players to have more opportunities to score goals.
We look forward to continuing to offer VRD youth soccer to Vail Valley children and are excited about new programming opportunities in 2009. We will work to make this transition to an early start on upper valley fields as seamless as possible. Should you have any questions, comments or concerns, contact me via e-mail at jrabinowitz@vailrec.com or call 479-2280.
Joel Rabinowitz
Vail Recreation District Sports Director
