Tryouts are now complete (links: tryouts / tryout results). So it’s time for a well-earned summer break!
Many youth development experts encourage kids to take occasional 2-week breaks from adult-organized sports. This is an ideal time for a 2-week break. But that doesn’t mean we suggest becoming a summer couch potato!
Summer break sports options:
Does your daughter want to put her soccer ball away for a while but still stay active? Swimming, tennis, dance, gymnastics or martial arts are good options. They keep players in shape and help with overall athletic development. Summer is also vacation and nature camp time. So feel free to enjoy a break from organized soccer!
We won’t have any regularly scheduled Junior Academy Girls team training during June. But if there’s enough interest, we’ll reprise last summer’s optional (and free!) “Fridays / July Days” sessions. We’ll poll families in late June to gauge interest.
If your daughter is an independent self-starter who wants to practice skills on her own, or with a sibling, friend or parent as a training partner, check out our play at home activities. Our play at home site includes descriptions and demo videos of a bunch of different skill-building activities.
If your daughter wants to participate in large-group clinics, Tophat offers Girls Academy Summer Training sessions. Link to more info: https://www.nasatophat.com/competitive-camps; click Tophat Academy Girls Summer Training for details.
If your daughter is looking for individual or small group training, consider having her train with our long-time coaches Emily (“ET”) and Ally.
The budding entrepreneurs are high level players who have years of experience as guest coaches with our Junior Academy Girls program. They relate wonderfully to young kids. Plus they have a super-cool TOCA machine. You can reach them at 4(zero)4-9(three)8-3(five)44 or 6(seven)8-7(five)1-66(one)5.
Summer break for parents:
With tryouts complete, we now shift into administrative mode. There are three summer to-do tasks for parents: registration, orientation and uniform orders.
Register for Junior Academy (PlayMetrics):
Registration will open soon. NASA Tophat Registrar Stevi Nuss will e-mail a notice to families of players who have been invited to join or return to the Junior Academy Girls program. Once you receive this message (likely late May / early June), you’re clear to register.
Registration part 2 (GotSport):
There are two additional player eligibility requirements that need to be completed via a different system known as GotSport:
- upload your daughter’s photo into GotSport
- upload your daughter’s birth certificate into GotSport
Link to full details: https://www.nasaacademygirls.org/administrative-tasks/gotsport-eligibility-2023-2024/. NTH Registrar Stevi Nuss has asked everyone to complete this task by July 10.
Junior Academy orientation:
Before COVID became a thing, we had June in-person parent orientation meetings. The purpose was to review the Junior Academy program (schedules, procedures and philosophies), registration, uniforms and other related topics. We have moved away from the in-person meetings and have replaced them with an on-line orientation presentation.
Order uniforms:
NASA Tophat is entering the first year of a two year (four season) uniform cycle. All players — both new and returning — will need to order uniforms. Our uniform supplier (Soccer.com) will create an on-line NASA Tophat uniform store. The store opened Saturday, June 24, 2023.
Our supplier will contact all players’ families to let them know they are ready to process uniform orders. Until that happens, the only thing you need to do uniform-wise is to submit uniform number requests. Deadline: Friday, June 16, 2023.
When do we start our fall 2023 season?
- We start fall season prep with Academy Team Camp the week of July 31st.
- We start regular practices the week of August 7th following team camp.
- Junior Academy groups won’t play a pre-season tournament. (Fall season tournaments normally start at the under-9 age.)
- Weekly Academy play starts the weekend after Labor Day. We usually receive our fall season game day schedule in late August.