Junior Academy
For boys and girls ages 7-10 born in 2017, 2016, and 2015
Give your young player the best developmental experience!
Our Junior Academy is the first step towards higher commitment level within our club development pathway.
The program is for players who have developed a love for the game and want to become better soccer players, creating a competitive but not exclusive environment for these developing youngsters.
In partnership with our technical partner, Coerver® Coaching, the program includes 2x weekly training with a CFC coach, summer tournament play, fall and spring league play, and a winter indoor training and game play.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
For the player looking for more than rec soccer
We believe every player has a pathway, and our work as a soccer club is to provide all pathways to players so that they can choose the one that fits them best.
This program is the first step towards higher commitment, higher competition, and better training environments. Players who choose to do this program are those who have developed a LOVE for the game of soccer and are interested in playing more, getting better, and competing!
This program is not for the “most talented” players, though many of the players may have experienced success at the recreational level. They develop because they love practicing and play more! These are very young players with a long development ahead of them, and our goal is to create a fun, inclusive learning environment that puts kindling on the flame of passion the players are developing for the game.
Led by Coerver® - the BEST training for long-term player success
Our Junior Academy is led by Coerver® trained staff utilizing Coerver’s world-recognized curriculum. The focus is on individual player development with a small-sided team element included in the programming.
Our program directors utilize a periodization plan that blends the Coerver curriculum with basic team principles throughout the year. You can check out our learning objectives for the players here.
Higher level, regional competition in tournaments and league play
Capital FC’s Junior Academy includes the next step up in competition in the fall and the spring, playing in both higher levels of the OYSA Valley Academy League League and Oregon Youth Soccer Developmental Leagues.
In addition to league play, the program includes tournament play in the summertime, allowing for the next step up in competition from our recreational programs, and a winter indoor program.
Is this the right program for my child?
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The program is for players that were born in 2017, 2016, or 2015.
As players move to the “competitive” and “premier” pathways, teams are organized by birth year, not grade.
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$105/mo for June-April + $100 annual membership
Includes coaching and director fees, equipment, field rentals, tournament costs, league fees, and a ball for each player.
Uniforms are not included in program expense.
Scholarships of up to 75% of the fee are available for families based on need.
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This program is for players of all skill and experience levels.
However, the commitment is higher in terms of time, season length, cost, and travel in comparison to our recreational programs.
The most important part of choosing if this is the right fit is to ask the question: does your player have a passion and love soccer? All players who participate will make significant improvements through the course of the program.
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Season Length: 10 months, with several breaks built into the season.
Practices: 2 practices per week (1 hour length)
Tournaments: 3 tournaments consisting of 3-5 games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday throughout the summer time.
League Play: Most teams play 2 games per Saturday with 4 game dates in the fall, and 4 in the spring. These 8 games make up each fall and spring season.
Winter Indoor: Players play at the indoor center through the winter with 1 practice and 1 game per week.
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Practices are held either at Capital FC’s Complex, Pioneer Sports Park, or at Salem Indoor.
Fall and spring league games are played at CFC in Salem, Albany, Eugene, and Bend. However, a select few teams may play around the state, usually within an hour’s drive.
2024-2025 PROGRAM ANNUAL PLAN
Though these dates are not set in stone, here is an overview of what you can expect for the year.
SUMMER
MAY - AUGUST
PLAYER PLACEMENTS | May 6th and 7th
Through the player placement process, players will be run through a series of exercises that allow for Capital FC’s Junior Academy staff to evaluate each player. Players will be placed (if accepted) into groups based on the four pillars of player development: physical, technical, tactical & psychological.
Tryout Schedule:
2017 Boys: May 6th and 7th, 5:30-6:30
2017 Girls: May 6th and 7th, 6:30-7:30
2016 Boys: May 6th and 7th, 5:30-6:30
2016 Girls: May 6th and 7th, 6:30-7:30
2015 Boys: May 6th and 7th, 6:30-7:30
2015 Girls: May 6th and 7th, 5:30-6:30
Please register in advance for the event online.
Following the event, players will be invited to join the program and attend an organizational meeting to go over details for the year.
Organizational Meeting Details:
When: Wednesday, May 15th, from 6-7pm
Where: East Salem Community Center (1850 45th Ave NE, Salem, OR 97305)
SUMMER TRAINING AND TOURNAMENT PLAY | June- August
Age groups will receive two 60-minute trainings per week beginning the week of Memorial Day. Summer tournaments will consist of one tournament per month for the months of June, July & August.
Summer Tournament Schedule:
JUNE 2024
Capital Cup Week 2 | June 28-30: All teams
JULY 2024
adidas Beaverton Cup | July 19-21: 2015 Red + White teams, 2016 Red + White teams
Lake Oswego Nike Cup | July 26-28: 2015 Black + Grey teams + 2016 Black Teams + 2017 Red Teams
CFC SUMMER BREAK | Following July Tournament
AUGUST 2024
Mt Hood Challenge | Aug 2-4: 2015 Red + White teams, 2016 Red + White teams
PCU Rose City Classic | Aug 17-18: 2015 Black + Grey teams + 2016 Black Teams + 2017 Red Teams
FALL
SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER
FALL TRAINING
Players will continue training twice weekly through the fall (60 minute sessions). These sessions will be held at Pioneer Sports Park. Sessions are led by CFC Staff and will fall in line with our development objectives for the year.
FALL LEAGUE PLAY
Players will play in an 8 game season beginning after Labor Day and will run from September into early November. The league that the players join will be determined by the team they are with. We anticipate these games to be played on either Saturdays in the Oregon Youth Soccer “Valley Academy League” for most of our players, or Saturday/Sundays in Oregon Youth Soccer’s Fall Regional League for our oldest and most advanced teams.
One important note is that rosters are “fluid” for the teams. Teams will be assigned a primary roster for the season, but they may be asked to play in more than one game or to change rosters to fit the development needs of the player as well as the needs of the teams.
WINTER
NOVEMBER - JANUARY
WINTER TRAINING PROGRAM
After the fall season concludes, when the weather is cold players will turn indoors for training and playing small sided games at Salem Indoor. Training will be reduced to just once a week focusing on the individual player technique and receive one indoor game per weekend over 8-10 weeks.
OPTIONAL WINTER OFFERINGS
Players have a little more flexibility in the winter. For those looking for more, the following options are available: Thanksgiving Tournament, Holiday Tournament, Coerver Performance Academy, Coerver Holiday Break Camp.
SPRING
FEBRUARY - APRIL
SPRING TRAINING
Players will resume training twice weekly during mid-February. These sessions will be held at Pioneer Sports Park.
SPRING LEAGUE PLAY
Players will play in an 8 game season beginning in early March. Games will continue through the first weekend of May. This marks the end of the program.
OTHER INFORMATION
CONCLUSION OF SEASON
At the conclusion of the spring season, players will then be asked to move on to either the U11 Competitive/Pre-Academy program tryouts, taking place May of 2025, or to the next cycle of the Junior Academy Program.
BREAKS
Note that there are the following breaks that are built into the season:
CFC Summer Break (Late July/Early August)
End of fall season through Thanksgiving week
Two week Winter Break
Spring Break
Any Salem-Keizer School District unexpected closure
TEAM, ROSTER SIZE, and PLAYING TIME
Our objective is to form 4 teams per gender in the U10 division, 3 teams per gender in the U9 division, and 1 team per gender in the U8 division with roster equity of between 10-12 players placed per team. Within these age groups, players will receive a minimum of 50% playing time per game. If team rosters are not full, registration for the program is open throughout the year.
Following the end of each season, the coaching staff may move a few athletes to a different team to maximize player development. In addition, players may be asked to play on multiple teams on different game days depending on the needs of each individual team.
COST
$105/mo (June-April) + $100 annual membership to secure your Junior Academy position in May.
Includes coaching and director fees, equipment, field rentals, tournament costs, league fees, and a soccer ball for each player.
Uniforms are not included in program expense.
Scholarships of up to 75% of the fee are available for families based on need.
STAFF
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KEVIN PLECHL
JUNIOR ACADEMY DIRECTOR
Coach KP holds his United States Soccer Federation A and Youth Licenses, Coerver Youth Diploma II, United Soccer Coaches (USC) Director of Coaching Diploma, as well as multiple USC coaching diplomas.
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COLLIN BOX
CFC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ COERVER OR DIRECTOR
Collin has been with CFC since 2008 and has been the Coerver OR Director since 2011. He is involved behind the scenes in the curriculum, planning, coach education, and program design for the Junior Academy. Collin holds his USSF “Youth” License, NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma, and Coerver Youth Diplomas I and II.
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JOE WENTWORTH
CFC DIRECTOR OF COACHING
Coach Joe oversees the player development pathway and team elements of the Junior Academy program and works with Collin and Coach KP to ensure the program is in line with the club’s “way of playing.”
Coach Joe has his United States Soccer Federation A and Youth Licenses.
FAQs
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It is all about commitment level. A big indicator of this is how much your player chooses to play at home or at school with friends. If your child has a passion, loves soccer and wants to improve, then this is the program for them.
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Skill level isn’t as important as your player’s passion and love for the game. These kids have a long playing career ahead of them, and our club believes in inspiring players for a lifetime of learning and enjoyment. We believe that the Junior Academy program will allow for players to develop good habits from an early age rather than having to un-learn and re-learn skills later.
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Rosters serve as a baseline for how teams will train and practice together. The coaching staff will form rosters so that all players are at a similar level to maximize their individual player development.
At the discretion of the coaching staff, some players may be asked to practice and/or play with a different team for specific games or tournaments. These decisions will all be based on how to help each player develop appropriately.
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Yes, although at times this may be difficult. Refer to the Program Overview above to see that there are a few “down times” in the program. These would be the best times to play other sports.
If a player on the roster of a competitive team desires to play another sport that has an overlapping season, it may be possible to play both sports. Some compromises may need to be worked out with the coaches of both sports regarding participation in practices and games. Some players may be able to successfully divide their energies, but some may find it very difficult to manage. A player in the Junior Academy program who chooses another activity or sport instead of participating in the Junior Academy will not be penalized for making that decision. However, a player may be dropped from the program if the player fails to attend a significant number of practices and games.
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Yes. We have several programs that are available to you if you decide that your family is not ready for the greater time and financial commitment of the Junior Academy. Players can continue to play in our Recreational Program in the fall and the spring. We offer our Recreational Program for players kindergarten through middle school
There are also other camps and clinics offered by CFC and Coerver during the summer and the winter. Check our website for details as they become available.
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You can find all this on the Policies and Parent Resources page on our website.
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Players should wear a white shirt and black shorts to tryouts.
Players needing assistance with registration should contact our office as soon as possible prior to the first day of tryouts.
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There is a required package for the jerseys and then some additional items that are optional for purchase.
The required jersey kit includes home and away jersey, home and away short, home and away sock, and training jersey. This will cost between $150-$200.
Have more questions? Reach out!
Send us a message via the form, or reach out directly to our program director, Kevin Plechl.
kevin.p@cfcsalem.com
(503) 673-6708