U7 TIMBITS BOYS

U7 TIMBITS: OUTDOOR 2023

For players born in 2016.

The program will operate on gender specific play unless there are not enough registrations in either boys or girls programs to run sufficiently.

Philosophy - "Me and My Ball"

To give players the opportunity to develop basic movement skills in a FUN setting, built around informal play and positive reinforcement.

At this stage of development, the emphasis is on physical literacy where players learn body control and develop the ABCs of movement (agility, balance, coordination & speed).

Ball mastery: players begin to develop an understanding of how to manipulate the ball. The ball is their friend!

Fun activities: fosters a love for the game.

Children at this age love to use their imagination when they play, so games are designed with this in mind. (There should aim to be no activities where players wait in lines to perform a pre-determined movement or required action.)

Coaching 

One weekly session will be led by a Technical Coach from the SPDSA Technical Department along with Jr. Coaches. The other weekly session will be run by Jr. Coaches and/or Activity Leaders (session plans will be provided). Parent/Volunteer Activity Leaders will be appointed for the season and will need to submit a valid Criminal Record Check (current within three years) and provide a team information sheet for their assigned team.

All activity leaders are required to complete Respect in Sports training (current within five years). SPDSA covers the cost of the course for those required to complete it.  

The best qualities of an activity leader for this age player are: 

• Patience 
• Good Humor 
• A willingness to see the world through a child’s eyes and speak their language. 
• The ability to accept that children's play may not look much like soccer.

Program Structure 

The program is structured following the Canada Soccer and FIFA Preferred Training Model. In this approach, each training session is built around 4 activity station's that the players move through at regular intervals.

The 4 stations focus on, Fundamental Movement/Coordination, Soccer Technique, 1v1 games, and Small Sided Games. Addressing all 4 of these at each session will help develop well-rounded young players with a foundation in physical literacy, solid soccer skills and, ideally, an enduring love for the game. 

Field Set Up 

Two teams set their 20x30 yard fields up next to each other. They go through the first three activities then play the other team in the 3v3 game (half of the players from each team play on each field against half of the players from the other team).

Each session is 60 minutes in length, with three activities of 10 minutes each (Fundamental Movement/Coordination, Soccer Technique, and 1v1 games) in one area of the field, followed by a 25-minute 3v3 game against another team. 

The Season 

Two (2) x 60-minute sessions per week. 

Season Length: nine (9) weeks starting the week of April 24, 2023, and ending the week of June 26, 2023. Week 1 is weather dependent and will not be rescheduled. Remaining games that need to be rescheduled will be done so in accordance with the SPDSA rescheduling policy. 

Timbits Soccer Festival: June 10 and 11, 2023. 

Days/Nights of Play 

Choice of Monday and Wednesday evenings or Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 5:30pm & 6:30pm start times. (Times will rotate as much as possible. There is no option to choose a start time.)

*Game days and start times may be subject to change, pending field availability.   

Games will be played in Sherwood Park. Field location to be determined.  

Registration and Fees 

$230 early registration rate until March 3, 2023. Regular rate is $255 until March 24, 2023.

Fee includes shorts, socks, and jersey (players are required to provide shin pads and footwear).