The Soccer academy began the Minikicker program in 1987 as a prelude to competitive, organized youth soccer. The program, for boys and girls ages 3 to 7 is dedicated to instill a love of the sport in all players; and at the same time, help to develop the basic ball skills of soccer. Our Minikickers are all young aspirants who learn to play the game for fun and recreation, building the basis for future, competitive levels.

The Academy sponsors four seasons of Minikicker: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The Winter and Summer programs are strictly games on Saturdays or Sundays depending on the number of children that enroll. The Spring and Fall seasons include one weekly practice, on Monday or Tuesday Afternoon; all games are played on Saturdays. At the end of each season, all Minikicker teams are scheduled into a mini-tournament, in which a championship team is crowned. Yet every player will go home that day with our Minikicker medallion.

Our Minikickers teams are reorganized each season, allowing our players to play and interact with new friends each season. Most parental requests are honored, though, to allow family, school and neighborhood friends to play together. Building "power" teams from season to season is not allowed. Players are placed into age groups, determined by their age at the beginning of each season:

Under 6: 3, 4 & 5 years old

Under 8: 5, 6 & 7 years old

From time to time, we will allow players in the under 6 age group who exhibit a rapid understanding of the game and required skills to play "up" in the under 8 group.

The Academy employs a variety of coaches, male & female, who train and direct our players. Each coach is a current soccer player; an important requirement, because demonstrating skill is a key to our players’ development. Our High School, College and Adult staff combine a love of soccer and a love of children as our other coaching requirements.

During Spring and Fall season, the weekly training session focuses on the ball skills of soccer. Players work in their age groups, not in their teams, practicing the various techniques that are taught by our coaches. The sessions on Saturdays are actual games; our coaches are on the field assisting Minikickers with positional responsibilities. Finally, as the season progresses, the on-the-field coaching on Saturdays is minimized, allowing our Minikickers to learn soccer from the ultimate teacher, the game itself.

Our registration for each season begins during the current one. We do have a deadline for registration, but we will take latecomers on a space available basis. We do not limit our registration to a total number; but we do limit each team to 10 players to provide maximum playing time for each Minikicker.

Our Minikicker program is designed as a developmental step toward competitive soccer for the beginning and improving soccer player. Our training is structured to teach the basic soccer skills in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. No standings or scores are recorded, and each child is given plenty of playing time during the actual games. Our goal is to help young athletes develop a true love of soccer and a lasting appreciation for the game through our program.