The Academy style of training moves away from the traditional singular team formation method. Instead, there is a pool of players that train together and the focus is on learning the game and skill development. There are competitive environments in the form of "festivals" where academy teams compete against each other to gain the experience and lessons that competition instill. No score is kept, players can exchange positions freely and develop under less pressure to win games. Since all players at this age develop at different rates, both cognitively and physically, their development can be enhanced by playing and training with players of similar ability or adjusted to really challenge players by competing with better players.
Players in the Academy will be rostered to either the U10 Boys or U10 Girls Program. These pool players can travel together and mix and match festival game day rosters so they can play with different players in any given match which helps match player levels of other Academy clubs.
Academy players can only play in the Academy league and cannot dual roster to recreation or Challenge level teams. Academy teams may play friendlies against these other levels should the need present itself.
The Academy level is a fully sanctioned NCYSA entity and this allows our players to compete in festivals outside of North Carolina without added insurance costs.
Each spring NCYSA holds a statewide festival in Greensboro and our club sponsor, Adidas, also holds a similar event in either NC, SC, or GA on a rotating basis. Each sponsoring club must host a "festival" in order to be accepted into the NCYSA Academy Program.
The SCSC Academy level fees are $525 for a full year. This cost includes coaching fees, uniforms, referees, NCYSA fees, and the SCSC Player Development Program (PDP).