Children
from three to eight years old will follow the Academy’s Learn to Play curriculum for holistic development, including
cognitive and psychosocial components, while those above eight will undergo
focused physical and technical training as part of the Learn to Train curriculum.
Learn to Play
Taking into account the developing physical and cognitive abilities of three- to eight-year-olds, the Learn to Play curriculum is designed to nurture children through key developmental stages while having fun and getting acquainted with football.
Children
are divided into three groups based on a criteria checklist of physical,
technical, cognitive and psychosocial skills - drawn up with close reference to
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory and Erikson’s Psychosocial Development
Stages. Once players are assessed to have met the developmental milestones in
their group, they will be promoted to the next level.
Learn to Train
From the age of eight, children have a better grasp of basic motor and cognitive skills, and are motivated by skill mastery and competition among their peers. They will be grouped by age to train with their peers of similar age and playing ability, with sessions tailored to the specific needs and focus areas of each group.
| Under-10s | Under-12s | Under-14s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | Agility, balance & coordination, time & space awareness | Core strength & functional movements to prevent injuries | Speed, flexibility, power & strength. *Boys & girls at different maturity levels |
| Technical | Ball mastery, dribbling, passing & receiving, shooting. Skill execution in small sided games. | Football skills with semi-active & active opposition | Football skills with active opposition in different game situations |
| Tactical | Decision making in 1v1, 2v2 | Decision making & working as a team in 4v4 to 7v7 | Decision making, positioning, competing as a team up to 11v11 |
