UNDER 8 DEVELOPMENTAL ACADEMY




Each year, LMSC identifies a pool of Under 8 boys players and a pool of Under 8 girls players to train together during the fall and winter. The purpose of this program is to develop our top younger players for the Travel Team Program, starting the following fall season.

The players train together under the direction of the LMSC Under 8 Coaching Staff, which is comprised of experienced youth soccer coaches and high level soccer players, most of whom played at the college level. The coaching staff does NOT include parents of U-8 players. All coaches in the Under 8 Developmental Academy are non-parent coaches.


TO BE ELIGIBLE TO TRYOUT FOR THE 2012 / 2013 SEASON, PLAYERS MUST BE BORN BETWEEN AUGUST 1, 2004 AND July 31, 2005, NO EXCEPTIONS!!!



ABOUT THE COACHING STAFF

All coaches in the Under 8 Program are experienced soccer players and coaches. We do NOT have parent coaches involved in the program. Instead, all coaches used in the Under 8 Program have a very strong and extensive soccer background.

For the current 2011-2012 season, our Under 8 Academy Staff includes:

BOYS UNDER 8 COACHES
  • Biff Sturla: President of LMSC and a 30 year coaching veteran at LMSC. Biff has been a head coach at the high school level for 17 years. He is the head coach for the Harriton High School boys varsity (2006 AA District One Champions). Biff's club teams have won 19 state championships (11 outdoor, 8 indoor), 14 Delco League division one championships, three Region One championships and had one team finish second in the nation.

  • Grant Myers: A former semiprofessional player, Grant has been coaching for over 13 years. In 2009, Grant's Under 10 boys team, the LMSC Rat Pack, were crowned indoor state champions and outdoor state champions. The Rat Pack were also state finalists in 2008 and 2010. Grant has coached at the high school level for eight years. Grant is also a staff coach for the LMSC Training Programs and LMSC Camps.

  • Matt Cox: Matt played professionally in Switzerland, Holland, Jamaica and Malaysia. He has coached for seven years in the LMSC Travel Team Program. A physical education instructor in the Jenkintown school district, Matt is a staff coach for the LMSC Training Programs and LMSC Camps. Matt has also coached at the high school level.

GIRLS UNDER 8 COACHES
  • Nick Severini: Head coach for Lower Merion High School boys varsity, the 2010 District One Champions. Before coaching at LMHS, Nick was head coach for the Plymouth-Whitemarsh Boys Varsity. As a youth, Nick was on the Region One USA team and in the National team pool. In high school, Nick was voted the Central League Player Of The Year and was a high school regional All-American and All-State selection. Nick was a four year player at the University of Pennsylvania (Ivy League champions). Nick is also a head coach for the EPYSA Olympic Development Program.

  • Nikki Posillico: Nikki played division one college soccer at Villanova. As a youngster, Nikki's Under 16 team were crowned national champions. Nikki is the club treasurer and bookkeeper. She has been a head coach in the LMSC Travel Team Program for nine years.

  • Rasheed Epps: Rasheed has coached in LMSC for nine years. He is also the assistant coach for the Rosemont College Men's Varsity. Rasheed played for the Millersville University varsity for four years. He is currently the head coach for the LMSC Herricanes, our Under 9A girls travel team.



TRYOUTS AND PLAYER SELECTION



    Tryouts for the 2012 - 2013 season will be held right after Memorial Day (late May, early June). Dates and locations will be posted at this location in March.





ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to tryout for the 2012 / 2013 team, players MUST be born between August 1, 2004 and July 31, 2005, no exceptions. Underage and overage players will NOT be considered for this team. Per United States Soccer Federation policy, all players making a team will be required to submit a copy of their birth certificate to show they are of the proper age.




COMMITMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

While tryouts are held in the spring, the official Under 8 season will not start until the fall, after Labor Day.

FALL SEASON - Each pool of players trains twice a week during the fall (one weeknight practice and one Saturday practice) and plays one game a week (Sunday afternoons). The players also participate in a tournament in mid-November against other Under 8 teams in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

WINTER SEASON - Both Under 8 groups participate in indoor soccer leagues at a local indoor facility and train on occasion in local area school gymnasiums, pending gym availability. Both the indoor leagues and the training are run under the supervision of the LMSC U-8 Coaching staff. While we do not know the exact winter schedule, it is anticipated that the boys teams will have their league games on Mondays (late afternoon and early evening) while the girls teams will have their league games on either Fridays (late afternoon and early evening) or Sunday late afternoons

SPRING SEASON - The U-8s will play a limited amount of spring soccer outdoors, in advance of the Under 9 travel team tryouts which will be held in late April and early May. At that time, players move on to the regular Travel Team Program and will compete regularly against teams from other local area soccer clubs. Teams at the Under 9 and Under 10 travel team level consist of 11 - 13 players. LMSC will field up to four travel teams in each age group. All Under 8 program activities in the spring are informal and do not take precedent over any other sporting activities that the players have. Players are encouraged to play other sports in the spring season.

Please note that this program is geared towards our most talented and committed soccer players. All players in this program must have a high commitment to the game of soccer and to developing their skills. The program runs in the fall and the winter. This is a much more extensive program then our intramural programs. Players who would not be able to commit to training and playing in the fall and winter should instead play in the Fall Intramural Program. Again, this program is geared for players who wish to eventually move on to the LMSC Travel Team Program.


TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR YOUNGER PLAYERS

Players who are too young for our Under 8 Developmental Academy are welcome to sign up for our Under 6 Training Program or our Under 7 Training Program. These two programs will be offered several times a year and will be run by our LMSC Training Staff. Players wishing to sign up for these programs should go to the following link, depending on the season:


QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UNDER 8 PROGRAM?

People who want more information about the Under 8 Developmental Academy should e-mail LMSC President Biff Sturla at soccer@lmsc.net.




Web Page Designed And Maintained By: Biff Sturla