Cara Hughes
Academy Director
Rob Hoover
Pre-Academy Director
Shane Smith
Director of Training
Bradley Schluter
Director of Methodology
FC Dayton’s Academy is the largest Academy in Dayton for players aged 6-10 for a reason: It has a reputation for producing out-of-the-box-ready-to-ball players with a love of the game and amazing abilities to take players on 1v1!
If that sounds like fun to you, come out to a training session and join in with us!
Email cara.hughes@fcdayton.org to organize for your young child to come out and train with us.
Our amazing Academy staff are headed-up by Academy Director Cara Hughes who is supported by Director of Pre-Academy Rob Hoover, Director of Training Shane Smith, Director of
Futsal Daniel Thomas and Director of Methodology Bradley Schluter.
Under 8 Players.
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Elite Teams play 7v7 format.
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Competitive Teams play 5v5 format.
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Elite Teams play in 2 leagues.
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Competitive Teams play in 1 league.
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Elite teams train three times per week in Fall and Spring and twice per week during the Winter period.
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Competitive teams train twice per week in Fall, Winter and Spring.
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Elite Teams play in two tournaments annually.
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Friday Night Futbol Games.
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All teams receive training once per week from an ‘Elite Level Trainer' (ELT).
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Shane Smith.
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Rob Hoover
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Cara Hughes
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Bradley Schluter.
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Dan Thomas.
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Nick Kinder.
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Paddy King.
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Under 9 Players.
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All Teams play 7v7 format.
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Elite Teams play in 2 leagues.
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Competitive Teams play in 1 league.
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All teams train three times per week in Fall and Spring and train twice per week over the Winter period.
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All teams play in two tournaments annually.
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Friday Night Futbol Games.
-
All teams receive training once per week from an ‘Elite Level Trainer' (ELT).
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Shane Smith.
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Rob Hoover
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Cara Hughes
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Bradley Schluter.
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Dan Thomas.
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Nick Kinder.
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Paddy King.
Under 10 Players.
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All Teams play 7v7 format in Fall and 9v9 format in Spring.
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Elite teams play in 2 leagues.
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Competitive teams play in 1 league.
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All teams train three times per week in Fall and Spring and twice per week in the Winter period.
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Elite teams play in four tournaments annually.
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Competitive teams play in two tournaments annually.
-
Friday Night Futbol Games.
-
All teams receive training once per week from an ‘Elite Level Trainer' (ELT).
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Shane Smith.
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Rob Hoover
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Cara Hughes
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Bradley Schluter.
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Dan Thomas.
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Nick Kinder.
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Paddy King.
Format
Teams will play 5v5 at U6, U7 & U8 plus 1 game per week.
Teams will play 7v7 at U9 & U10 with 4 tournaments for Elite Teams and 2 tournaments for Competitive teams with 1 league with the stronger Cincinnati clubs.
The strongest teams in the U9 and U10 age groups may also play in a second league at 9v9 to prepare them for the FC Dayton Youth Program.
The strongest teams in the U9 and U10 may also play in optional extra 9v9 tournaments to further aid the transition from Academy to the Youth Program.
Level of Play
Here are a few reasons why we believe your child’s soccer development is better served with FC Dayton’s Academy.
FC Dayton is fortunate that it is the only club in the Dayton area that can place its Academy teams into the Cincinnati League Systems.
What this means is that FC Dayton is invited to play in the strongest soccer market, so our players experience higher and more advance levels of play than other local Dayton Ohio clubs, who are restricted to playing in the Dayton market.
Why is this important?
At U12 and up, in order to gain entry into the State Leagues, Great Lake Conference Leagues, ECNL and National Leagues (the highest levels of play available to club teams), teams must have performed well against teams in the Cincinnati market.
Stronger clubs are rewarded with higher levels of competition EARLIER than other clubs, so players have longer to prepare for college and high school, having played against the highest levels of teams from the very beginning of their soccer 'careers'.
High-level college showcases will not entertain teams that are not ranked highly in the aforementioned leagues.
Moral of the story? Start thinking about these things early!
What is more important to you as a parent and your child as a player: cookies and fruit snacks after practice and a ‘cool-looking mascot’ or being correctly taught the fundamentals of soccer and to play and compete at the higher levels?
The club experience should not be ‘rec plus’ it should be a full emersion into a learning environment with everything designed to improve your young child and provide them with the best experience possible.
Pathway
Once players have graduated out of our Pre Academy, FC Dayton continues our commitment to them by providing outstanding opportunities to develop at a higher and more competitive level in our FC Dayton Academy Program.
FC Dayton’s Academy Program is by far the best in the area with players traveling from far and wide for a chance to train and play with the FC Dayton coaches.
Methodology
The FC Dayton Academy Program will primarily focus on technical & tactical development of a player within a framework of small-sided games and activities that have problem solving and decision making (tactical) components to them.
We place a high level of importance on technical development and the ability to manipulate the ball 1v0, 1v1, 1v2 and 1v3 and this is reflected in our training environment that consists of high-paced, small-spaced and dynamic activities.
All FC Dayton Academy Program teams are coached by professional and licensed coaches and a supplemental training session with an 'Elite Level Trainer' (ELT) once per week.
Futbol Fridays
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Ages U6 to U10 Boys and Girls.
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No club restrictions, all welcome).
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Minimal coaching, just open play.
Why Play 3v3?
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Way more touches on the ball.
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Increased number of game related decision-making opportunities.
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Constant transition from attacking to defensive situations.
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Increased 1 vs 1 encounters in both attacking and defending situations.
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Increased opportunities to utilize specific ball skills.
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Increased opportunities to be in a 2 vs 1 and goal scoring situations.
3v3 Friday Night Futbol Game Times and Dates:
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Friday April 1st 5pm-6pm.
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Friday April 15th 5pm-6pm.
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Friday April 29th 5pm-6pm.
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Friday May 13th 5pm-6pm.
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Friday May 27th 5pm-6pm.
Location is Forest Field Park, Centerville.
Please email cara.hughes@fcdayton.org to organize for your young child to come out and train with us.
Golazo Futsal Program
There is a strong expectation of all ELITE TEAM players to register and actively participate in the Golazo Futsal Program and this can be done at the same time as accepting your spot on an ELITE Academy team. For more information on Golzao, visit the website page here.
Please email daniel.thomas@cusasoccer.org to address any questions about our Futsal Program.
Cherry on top......Disney!
Each February FC Dayton will look to take U10 Boy's and Girl's Academy teams to play, have fun and compete at an OPTIONAL Disney Soccer Tournament in Florida, played at ESPN World.
Many of our families visit Disney at this time anyway, so we thought "why not make a soccer-vacation out of it???
