The GSC Pre-Academy includes year-round Beginning Soccer programs for children between the ages of 3 and 8. These programs are taught by professional coaches based on the world renowned AC Fiorentina soccer development program for children.

Our focus is on psycho-motor skills, agility, and technical training. A key goal is to prepare the child for the next level up of competitive soccer, but more importantly to teach the child the core values of the Gryphons: team work, commitment, and responsibility.

We offer the following Beginning Soccer programs to allow young players to train throughout the year:

• Year-round Pre-Academy (Sundays) is the core component of our Pre-Academy curriculum and forms the basis for all instruction and supplementary programs offered by our Pre-Academy.
• Supplementary Skills Training (Mondays) for players who are looking to further their skills. This is offered as an addition to our Sunday Pre-Academy, not as a substitute.
• Winter Program (January through March) for players who want to continue their training through the winter months
• Summer Program (July through August) that helps keep players in shape and continue their training through the summer months.

Pre-Academy Age Groups and Seasons

Our year-round Pre-Academy curriculum is delivered over 4 seasons, each extending over five 6-week seasons, and caters to a specific age group, starting with an introductory game-play program and continuing to a more skill-development oriented program. See below for a description of our Pre-Academy age groups. Players can join any time during the year as long as they meet the age requirement. Please contact our Director of Programs if you have questions.

Grasshoppies Academy (ages 3-5)

The Grasshoppies Academy is the entry-level program for the Pre-Academy. Grasshoppies is perfect for young children between the ages of 3 and 4 who have more energy than their parents. Grasshoppies prepares players for easy transitions into the Crickets Academy, and subsequently, into competitive Gryphons teams.

Sunday Grasshoppies Season 1: Week of Mar 25 to week of Apr 29
Time: 9:00-10:00
Location: Hillsdale High School turf field
Cost: $95

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Crickets Academy (ages 5-7)

Since 2004, the Crickets Academy has been meeting once a week on Sundays.  The Crickets Academy is very popular with young players for whom there are no competitive leagues yet. Crickets Academy develops skills and prepares players for an easy transition into Gryphons Academy teams.

Sunday Crickets Season 1: Week of Mar 25 to week of Apr 29
Time: 9:00-10:30
Location: Hillsdale High School turf field
Cost: $135

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Super-7s Academy (ages 7-8)

Our aim is to prepare Super-7/8 pre-academy graduates to be ready for the technical and physical demands of our first year Academy teams (U8/U9). Super-7/8’s will be exposed to all of the technical and physical training our U8 players receive, with the exception of the tactical component needed for competitive games. The Super-7/8s curriculum incorporates the following aspects of our U8 curriculum:

• Technical skills: juggling, passing and receiving, dribbling, long balls, shooting, dribbling against an opponent (1v1), heading, moves / fakes, tackling
• Psychomotor Skills: basic motor skills, postural, sensory perception, acrobatic abilities
• Coordination Ability: combined movements, spatial & temporal skills, differentiation, reaction, balance, adaptation & transformation, rhythm, anticipation, motor creativity
• Athletic & Physical Ability: speed (perceptive, anticipative, decisional, reaction, cyclic motor, acyclic motor, action, intervention), proprioception, articular mobility

These four basic elements are essential in player development. Exposing young players to these skills before age 11 enables them to reach their maximum potential. Super-7/8 players will begin with the simplest of exercises to build confidence while still maintaining challenge for each individual.

The Super 7s program will be lead by our U8 & U9 Academy Age Group Head Coach Orhan Muratoglu with assistant coaches under his supervision.

Sunday Super 7s Season 1: Week of Mar 25 to week of Apr 29
Time: 9:00-10:30
Location: Hillsdale High School turf field
Cost: $135

Register Now!