Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Kristi Crain

Franklinton Soccer Club Secretary

The Franklinton Soccer Club was established in Franklinton in 2019.

In this article, I asked the Club President and Coach, Jason Smith, to explain the Academy Model that we use to teach our players.

“We started the Franklinton Soccer Club to help kids learn the game of soccer. Too often, youth sports leagues get focused on the competition aspect of sport by having multiple teams in the same age group. The problem that creates is that kids are matched against each other in an adversarial way and there is always that risk of the ‘stacked’ team beating the ‘leftover’ team every week.

“We adopted an academy model from the start. Each age group has one team with one coach. That coach divides the team evenly each week for game days so that each player has the best chance for success. The team breakdown changes every week so that no one gets bored, everyone gets used to playing different positions, the games are competitive, and each player learns something. The games are played on smaller fields with fewer players a side in order to increase each player’s involvement in the game. The games are fun and fast paced and since everyone is on the same team, the focus is on playing instead of winning.”

“If you’ve never played soccer before, now is the time to give it a try. Come see why it’s the world’s most popular sport. We make it easy for players to learn. Our coaches are certified and trained through the Louisiana Soccer Association and are committed to making the game fun. If you have any questions please visit our webpage at www.Franklintonsoccerclub.com or our Franklinton Soccer Club Facebook page.”