| The TKO Academy offers the best local, low-cost training and development opportunity for boys and girls in the U9 through U12 age groups. TKO provides licensed coaches that emphasize individual player development for all age groups.
TKO Academy Philosophy
The goal of the TKO Academy is to help players develop the skills they need to pursue their soccer careers, while at the same time teaching positive values like sportsmanship, dedication, and teamwork.
To achieve the goal of total player development, the focus is on building skills and learning the entire game, rather than winning individual games by assigning players a single position and emphasizing tactics. This allows the TKO Academy to produce well-rounded players who are ready to move on to Premier soccer and beyond.
We also believe that young players develop at different speeds, therefore each of them should be given the opportunity to experience multiple positions, play creatively, and learn on the field by making mistakes. Every player receives equal attention and instruction, whether they are early standouts or late bloomers.
Academy Goals:
- Develop individual players’ skills
- Teach positive values (sportsmanship, teamwork, dedication, etc)
- Instill a love for playing the game
- Have fun
- Win
Ages:
Teams in U9-U12 for both boys and girls
- U9 and U10 play 6v6
- U11 and U12 play 8v8
League Play:
Fall season runs from early September through late October
Spring season starts after Spring break in April and ends in early June
Home games at the Kalamazoo Soccer Complex on Drake Road
WMYSA leagues by age division, adjusted to find the right challenge for each team
- Most age groups have an A and B division
- Teams may play up an age group
- U12 has an “Elite” division
Travel:
- Usual opponents: Portage, Red Arrow, Force, Battle Creek United, SWM, Indiana Invaders, Kingdom, Kalamazoo, River Oaks, Marshall
- Most opponents within 20 minutes of Kalamazoo
*U12 Elite plays many Grand Rapids-area opponents
Training:
Two 90-minute training sessions per week at the Kalamazoo Soccer Complex on Drake Road, run by licensed TKO staff coaches
Usually Mon-Wed or Tues-Thurs, depending on coach/parent schedules
When possible, one training session may be pool training with another TKO team in the same/next age group to provide new challenges and variety for the players
Tournaments:
TKO hosts a tournament in both the fall (Fall Futbol Frenzy) and spring (KISS) seasons
All Academy teams also attend one other tournament as a club each season
Teams may attend any other tournaments according to coach/family desires
Winter:
10-week program, with one weekly session run by TKO Academy Director, team head coach and TKO staff coaches
Indoor league play at SoccerZone (cost separate)
Cost:
- $300 club fee – covers fall & spring seasons and winter training program
- Each individual team also has a season fee to cover referee fees, tournament entry, etc, typically around $75-125
- $115 uniform package, which can be used for multiple seasons
*U12 Elite club fee is $725
For more info on the TKO Academy, please contact: Academy Director Pat Tetreault pjtetro3@hotmail.com
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