Welcome to the St. Mary's Soccer U6/U7/U8 Academy Program!

Spring 2024 registration is closed.

Click here for the Spring 2024 practice field grid. Find your team!

An updated game field layout and game schedules are coming soon. Please note we are adding CRRP field #1 for some games this season.

Please, no spectators between the "A" and "B" fields. Those spaces are reserved for players and coaches.

St. Mary's Soccer offers academy-style training to better focus on player development, so all players receive consistent skill training each week. Coaches are provided a curriculum that is developmentally appropriate. The U06/U07/U08 academies offer separate boys' and girls' divisions. Training is led by volunteer coaches with assistance from a site coordinator. Coaches are always needed and can register through the website.

Academy players may select Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night as their preferred training night. Games are typically held on Saturdays. There may be an occasional Friday evening game.

Age groups are determined by calendar year of birth. For the fall of 2023, U06 is 2018 birthdays, U07 is 2017 birthdays, and U08 is 2016 birthdays. Groups reset each fall season and run through the next spring. "Playing up" to an older age group is not allowed. Please keep these details in mind when expecting school classmates to be in the same age group. They often are not.

Academy training sessions are held in two locations to better serve our county. Chaptico Park (field #2) is the academy practice location for the north area of the county, and Chancellors Run Regional Park (field #2) is the academy practice location for the south/central area of the county.

When Will I Hear from a Coach?

Rest assured we work hard on rosters and get them to coaches as soon as possible. Coaches will then reach out to parents. The greatest source of delay is coaching shortages, which are a problem every season. Please consider volunteering to coach. We are a nearly 100% volunteer organization, and we depend on parent coaches.

In the unlikely event you don't hear from a coach before your first scheduled practice, please come to the field anyhow. We always have staff on hand who can direct you to your team.

Equipment Requirements for U06 to U08

Players in our academy programs must wear shin guards to practice and to play in games. Each player will receive one pair of soccer socks at their first practice, but it's a good idea to have more. Players use a size 3 ball, not size 4 (U10 and U12) or size 5 (U14 and U18). Each player should bring a water bottle marked with their name. Juices, sports drinks, and snacks are not permitted on artificial turf fields where practices are held.

Regarding footwear, cleats are ideal for both grass fields (games) and turf (practices).  Turf shoes also work on both surfaces. Sneakers can be worn, but keep in mind that players are more likely to slip and fall when not wearing cleats.

Spring 2024 Game and Practice Schedule

Recreation practices begin the week of Monday, March 25. Games begin the weekend of Friday, April 5. Thank you for your patience as we work to build schedules for the season. It takes some time, and we'll let everyone know when schedules are ready.

Information for Coaches

Spring 2024 coaches' training will be held on Saturday morning, March 16. More details to come.

Academy coaches do not need to bring any equipment. Players should bring their own soccer balls, and each practice area will already be set with a pair of small goals. A bunch of cones will also be placed in each area. At the end of each session, coaches should pack up their cones and goals (which usually have Velcro strips to keep them from popping open), then bring them to a common area. For example, at CRRP, all equipment can be placed by the gate nearest the Loffler Center building. Do not leave your equipment sitting on the field, as older teams use the fields after academy sessions are done.

Here are the rules of the game for U06-U08. (Side note: Do not take 5 minutes between quarters, except at halftime. Two minutes is plenty.)

Background Check for Coaches

The county requires all coaches to submit a background check once per calendar year (i.e., every spring season or every fall season, depending on your schedule).  Badges are then printed and can be picked up at Leonard Hall.  It takes a few weeks.  You might (or might not) get an email from the county letting you know your badge is ready.  Be sure to check your spam folder, as this has been a consistent issue.

Click here to submit your background check.

Academy Training Sessions and Field Grids

Click on these links to download zip files containing all the weekly training sessions. The T/W/R field grids for Chaptico and CRRP are also available below, so coaches and parents can find their team's exact location.

U06 Academy Sessions

U07 Academy Sessions

U08 Academy Sessions

T/W/R Field Grid for Spring 2024

MSYSA

MSYSA

USYS Logo

USYS Logo

US Club Soccer

US Club Soccer

United Soccer Coaches Logo

United Soccer Coaches Logo