|
THE ADVANTAGES
For what type of player is Darlington School Soccer Academy designed?
The Darlington School Soccer Academy is designed for
players who wish to develop to their maximum potential
through a year round “total soccer immersion environment.”
Because soccer players develop technically
through increased touches on the ball, an increased
number of game situations will quickly develop their
decision-making abilities.
Who can participate in the Soccer Academy?
Boys and girls in middle or high school (including both
Darlington and non-Darlington students) who are
interested in maximizing the development of their soccer
skills may apply. Four programs within the academy
are designed to work with participants’ academic schedules
and desired level of training.
What advantages will a student participating in
Darlington School Soccer Academy have over
players in soccer club teams?
Club teams training for 90-minute sessions two times
per week rarely have the time to train and condition
properly, much less to educate players on nutrition and
sport psychology. Thus, these players will not fully
develop in all aspects of the game. Soccer Academy
players may train more in one day than a regular
club team player trains in a week. Further, the Soccer
Academy’s affiliations with Arsenal Rome, the Atlanta
Silverbacks and U.S. Club Soccer will allow for all participants
to compete at the most appropriate and competitive
level possible, in terms of age and ability.
What are the advantages to participating in
Darlington School Soccer Academy instead of
playing on Georgia High School Association
(GHSA) teams?
The clear advantage is the flexibility to play non-GHSA
teams, including soccer clubs throughout the country,
colleges and international teams. The training and game
possibilities in a club environment are endless, versus
the traditional, highly restrictive GHSA environment.
GHSA does not allow its member teams to play in
tournaments in other states, much less other countries.
Also, college exposure will be greater in a club setting
than on a regular high school team. College coaches are
more likely to attend a weekend showcase tournament
with several hundred top club teams and 100+ interested
players rather than a high school game.
Will high school players have opportunities to
showcase their abilities to college representatives?
Players desiring college exposure will be given opportunities
to play at showcase tournaments on both
Georgia Youth Soccer Association (GYSA) and Soccer
Academy’s U.S. Club Soccer Teams, training, competing
and traveling both domestically and internationally.
What are the advantages to enrolling in Darlington
School as well as Darlington School Soccer Academy?
Darlington School’s proven track record, with small
classes and instructors who care, makes the difference in
preparing students well for college. The beautiful campus,
extensive facilities and many academic, athletic and
social opportunities, combined with a friendly spirit,
ensure that each Soccer Academy student is given the
opportunity to succeed.
Darlington School’s faculty and coaches are committed
to helping each student manage his or her time
to achieve success in the classroom and on the field.
Parents can monitor their child’s progress daily through
continuously updated grades and comments from
instructors and coaches posted on each student’s secure
Web page.
How will Soccer Academy participants who are
also Darlington School students be able to keep
up with Darlington’s rigorous academic demands?
While the Soccer Academy teams are traveling, mandatory
study halls will be set, and the Soccer Academy
staff will provide tutoring. As with all Darlington students,
parents can log onto their child’s Web site to get
daily updates on academics, as well as his or
her progress in the Soccer Academy.
The rigorous academic and athletic schedule will
allow all participants to develop and exercise good
time-management, a life skill that every student should
develop, especially those who desire to continue playing
athletics in college.
ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION ELIGIBILITY
How will participation in Darlington School Soccer
Academy affect my high school athletic eligibility?
Any new student entering Darlington School after the
ninth grade is determined by the Georgia High School
Association (GHSA) to be a “migrant” or “transfer”
student and is automatically ineligible for varsity
GHSA competition for one year. New ninth grade
boarding students participating in the Soccer Academy
will be deemed ineligible for varsity sports competition
for one year in all GHSA sports, due to the fact that
an “athletic program of distinction” was the primary
motivating factor attracting the student to Darlington.
Current Darlington School students who are eligible
for GHSA varsity competition and choose to participate
in the Soccer Academy will maintain their eligibility
for all GHSA varsity sports except varsity soccer.
Soccer Academy players who do not attend
Darlington School or Darlington Middle School students
who participate in the Soccer Academy will
still be eligible for GHSA varsity competition in
high school.
Why will Soccer Academy participants that
are Darlington School students not be able to
compete on Darlington School’s Georgia High
School Association varsity soccer team?
Under GHSA rules, sports teams are not permitted
to train outside of a designated period, which begins
in late January and ends in early May. The Soccer
Academy will be training in the weight room, track and
on the field from the start of school in August through
the end of school in May.
Why can non-Darlington students participate in the
Soccer Academy and still play for their schools?
The GHSA regulations state that no GHSA member
school may have a coach meet with their sport’s
athletes in groups larger than two outside a set time
frame. Because the Soccer Academy staff is employed
by Darlington School, players from other local GHSA
teams are not subject to this rule.
How will my high school athletic eligibility be
affected if I withdraw from the Soccer Academy?
If a player chooses to withdraw from the Soccer
Academy, by GHSA rules he/she will be ineligible for
GHSA varsity soccer for a period of 12 months after the
date of withdrawal. All of these eligibility requirements
assume the student meets or exceeds both Darlington
School’s and GHSA’s rules for academic eligibility.
How does participation in Darlington School
Soccer Academy affect a players’ Georgia Youth
Soccer Association (GYSA) club team status?
Participants in the Soccer Academy will register
through U.S. Club Soccer and may remain a registered
GYSA and/or Super Y-League player.
TRAINING PROGRAM
Will Soccer Academy students train only after school?
No. Early morning sessions will be scheduled for
weight and speed training, and Soccer Academy
students will train as teams after school hours, from
3:45 to 6 p.m.
Players who are students at Darlington School will
train individually or in position-specific small groups
during their rotating “free period” when it is the first
or last school period. If a player’s free period adjoins
lunch, individual/small group training opportunities
can be scheduled with the staff at an additional expense.
Will the training process be different for Soccer
Academy students who are not Darlington School
students?
Since Soccer Academy players who are not Darlington
School students can compete with the Soccer Academy
and GYSA, while remaining eligible for their local high
school’s GHSA team, these players will not participate
in daytime training sessions. These players will pay an
adjusted training fee.
What type of year-round training can a Soccer
Academy student expect to receive?
Training with the Soccer Academy will start at the
beginning of the school year in August. From early
August through December, players will be training and
competing regularly under both U.S. Club Soccer and
with their individual GYSA teams (through Arsenal
Rome and the Atlanta Silverbacks).
Most of January will be spent in Darlington
School’s weight room, indoor pool, on the indoor
track and playing “futsol.” Participants will also be
given the opportunity to enroll in Georgia State Soccer
Association’s coaching education programs in January.
From the first of February to the end of April, players
will compete at tournaments, club friendlies and colleges
in the Southeast under their U.S. Club Soccer registration.
In May, opportunities for competition will exist with
GYSA team tournament play (state cup preparation)
and U.S. Club Soccer events as Soccer Academy teams.
Off-campus housing arrangements can be made for
players who need to stay for GYSA state cup competitions
and/or ODP Sub-Region events after the end of
the academic year.
During June and July, the Soccer Academy staff will
assist with top-level soccer camps and clinics to be held
at Darlington School.
What qualifies Director Chad Liddle to train
students in the Soccer Academy?
Director Chad A. Liddle is a member of the U.S. Soccer
National Instructor Staff, NSCAA National Staff Coach
and Region III ODP Staff. He holds a USSF “A” license
and is a member of many professional soccer organizations,
including the NSCAA, USYSA Region III ODP
Staff and the Georgia State Soccer Association ODP
and Coaching Course Instructor Staff. These associations
naturally bring a variety of organizations and
highly-regarded soccer professionals into contact with
Soccer Academy participants.
Who will be assisting Director Liddle in the Soccer
Academy training program?
Director Liddle will be assisted by nationally licensed
coaches and performance training specialists.
In addition, specialists such as Page Love from
Nutrilove will be used in sports nutrition education.
Periodically, the Soccer Academy will arrange for
top-level coaches/clinicians to visit and train students
or lecture on a variety of topics.
EVENT AND TOURNAMENT PARTICIPATION
Will Soccer Academy events conflict with GHSA events?
Darlington School Soccer Academy events will be
scheduled around the GHSA soccer schedule in the
spring so that both Darlington School students and students
from other schools can participate in tournaments
and events year round.
Will Soccer Academy students be required to
participate in every scheduled event?
Participation is voluntary for spring events that are
scheduled on long weekends or holidays; however, note
that these events are well attended by college coaches due
to the light collegiate schedule during that semester.
Will Darlington School Soccer Academy participate
in events and tournaments as a team?
Yes. The Soccer Academy will participate as a standalone
club team when the number and level of participants
fits a scheduled competition.
Will Soccer Academy students have the
opportunity to attend soccer summer camps?
Each summer will be filled with a variety of top camps and
clinics taking place on the Darlington School campus.
CLUB AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Will Darlington School Soccer Academy be a member of a soccer club?
The Soccer Academy is associated with two soccer clubs
— the Arsenal Rome and the Atlanta Silverbacks, a
Super Y-League–approved club. By belonging to these
two clubs, the Soccer Academy can offer a wide range
of competition/training options for all levels. If the
Arsenal Rome club does not offer the proper “fit” for
an individual player, the student will play on an Atlanta
Silverbacks team.
Dual club registration is allowed since the Soccer
Academy will associate with U.S. Club Soccer under the
U.S. Soccer Federation. These associations with GYSA
clubs also offer participants exposure to the Georgia’s
Olympic Development Program.
Is the Soccer Academy a member of any
professional soccer associations?
The Soccer Academy is a member of the U.S. Soccer
Federation through U.S. Club Soccer and will host both
U.S. Soccer and Georgia State Soccer Association events
and/or coaching schools.
Does the Soccer Academy have access to a
professional sports rehabilitation provider?
Darlington School Soccer Academy will have sport performance,
sport medicine and injury rehabilitation services
provided by Advance Sports Medicine.
SOCCER ACADEMY TUITION AND PROGRAM OPTIONS
When a student enrolls at Darlington School, does the School tuition include participation in Darlington Soccer Academy?
Darlington School Soccer Academy is a separate program
with its own tuition and fees. Soccer Academy
tuition, fees and payment plans are detailed in the
Summary of Programs and Fees brochure.
Does a Soccer Academy applicant have to commit
to an entire year of Soccer Academy participation?
Soccer Academy participants may enroll for one or both
fall/winter and winter/spring training seasons.
What are the various options for a player who is
interested in attending the Soccer Academy?
Darlington School Soccer Academy offers four program
choices. Three of these are available to Darlington
School students, and two are available to students
attending other schools.
All programs include a Nike equipment package as
well as U.S. Club Soccer registration.
Transportation to competitions and events where
the Soccer Academy competes as a team, located two
to four hours from campus, will be provided to Soccer
Academy students at no additional charge.
Darlington School Student Full Participation Program
This program is the most intense. Students train
in two to three performance training or small
group field training sessions per week during the
student’s academic free period, as well as before and
after school.
The cost of the Full Participation Program includes
speed training, weight training, nutrition education
and college recruiting assistance. Additional speed
training, individualized weight training, individual
skills training and individual nutrition counseling
can be arranged with local professionals at
additional cost.
Darlington School Student After School Participation Program
This program is designed for Darlington School students
who are only available for training after shool.
The cost of the After School Participation Program
includes daily training from 3:45 to 6 p.m., college
recruiting counseling, group seminars on nutrition
and other seminars and clinics. As with the Full
Participation Program, additional services can be
arranged at additional cost.
Non-Darlington Student After School Participation
This program is designed for high school players
attending schools other than Darlington School. These
players will train from 3:45 to 6 p.m. during the work
week. Evening educational seminars on college recruiting,
nutrition and sport psychology will be offered periodically
and will be open to these participants.
Middle School Student Junior Soccer Academy
This program is for middle school players from all
schools. The cost of the Middle School Student Junior
Soccer Academy includes intense group/team training
from 4 to 6 p.m. and seminars on college recruiting and
nutrition. Competition scheduling will work around the
GYSA club schedules so that students are able to play for
Arsenal Rome and other GYSA club teams, as well as the
U.S. Club Soccer registered Soccer Academy teams.
What expenses are not included in Soccer
Academy tuition?
Additional expenses could include team travel expenses,
tournament expenses, GYSA club registration fees,
coaching fees, uniform fees, additional individual/small
group training sessions during the school day’s lunch
period, individualized nutritional analysis and professionally
produced college recruiting videos.
What types of tournament and event expenses
could a Soccer Academy player incur?
Soccer Academy teams may participate in tournaments
and events that require additional fees for travel,
accommodation, meals and tournament entry fees. Each
Soccer Academy student will be required to open an
individual Tournament and Expense Account with a
minimum balance of $500. Funds will be extracted from
this account to cover the player’s expenses for a particular
event, and an account statement will be sent to the
player’s parents or guardians.
If an event requires more than the $500 minimum
balance, the Soccer Academy reserves the right to raise
the required balance for those individuals participating
in the specific event.
What types of transportation costs could a Soccer
Academy player incur?
A transportation fee could be added to the student’s
account for transportation to and from Arsenal Rome
or Silverbacks training and/or games in Atlanta.
For trips requiring longer driving times than
four hours, the players will travel via charter bus or
plane, which will be funded through the participant’s
Tournament and Expense Account.
|
