Quick Links:
For players:
Arrival time:
Be on the field and ready to play as of practice start time. Coaches are usually at the fields 15 minutes ahead of time, so arriving early is totally OK! If you’re late for a session, we ask that you “hustle” to meet your Academy group. (But don’t run in the parking lot — that’s dangerous.) This shows coaches and teammates that you really want to be there!
Bring a ball:
Bring a ball to every session. The ball should be marked with your initials and/or uniform number. We use size 3 balls in the Junior Academy, size 4 balls in the U9-U12 Academy age groups. (It’s perfectly fine to bring a smaller ball, but we discourage larger balls.) If your ball needs air, get it pumped when you arrive – before you start warm-up. The coaches have air pumps and will be glad to help you with this. Link: soccer ball info
Bring water:
Bring an insulated water jug to every session (minimum half-gallon, labeled with your name or initials and uniform number) filled with ice and water or a sports drink such as Gatorade. During warm weather, the insulation factor makes a huge difference. It keeps the drink cold, so you’ll want to drink it. If you bring water or Gatorade in un-insulated bottles and it gets hot, you won’t drink it, your performance will suffer, and you increase the risk of heat injury. Link: hydration tips
Footwear:
If fields are closed and we move training indoors, wear “turf” shoes or sneakers for that session. If we move to a paved surface (like the Quest “puddle jumper court”, the Metro concourse or a parking lot), wear “flats” (sneakers) for that session. Link: soccer shoe info
Shoelaces:
our Caterpy Club
If your daughter has trouble keeping her shoes tied, consider one of these products: Caterpy laces (https://caterpy.us) or Lock Laces (www.locklaces.com).
They are available in lots of colors, are easy to use, and they work! (Coaches give the Caterpy laces a higher grade than Lock Laces.) They are available on-line direct or via Amazon. Running stores may also carry them. If you choose Caterpy laces, we recommend ordering the standard size. They are sized by number of lace eyelets, not size of the shoe.
Training uniform:
Players should wear standard practice attire, including their NTH practice jersey (gray shirts Monday or Tuesday, white shirts Wednesday or Thursday. If your daughter is new and has not yet received her practice jerseys, she should wear a light-colored shirt.
We recommend black shorts and socks, but you can use your own fashion sense. Wear soccer shorts, not jean shorts or cheerleader shorts. Our uniform supplier offers some inexpensive black shorts and socks that are good for training. Link: ordering uniforms and training gear. If you’re practicing as a guest or having an in-season tryout, just wear your usual soccer practice gear.
Shin guards:
Wear shin guards to every session. If you have strap-on shin guards, make sure your socks cover them completely. Link: about shin guards
Cold weather tips:
There will be some cold days when you may want to wear more than your usual practice gear.
Quest and Noonday weather effect: From late fall through early spring, temperatures at United Quest Park and Noonday Park tend to feel 5-10 degrees colder than the true temperature due to the close proximity to Noonday Creek.
Head:
- We recommend thermal headbands. (Ski-style hats tend to obscure vision or fall off too easily.)
Upper body:
- Go with layers, starting with a moisture-wicking first layer, followed by a fleece or thermal second layer (such as an Adidas “Climawarm” shirt or an Under Armour “cold gear” shirt), then a practice jersey and a jacket.
- We don’t recommend hoodies because the hood presents a potential danger to the player. Another player’s hand or foot could accidentally get caught in the hood and yank a player down or twist her neck.
Hands:
- Any soccer player can wear gloves (not just goalkeepers). We recommend gloves that have some “grippy” material on the fingers to help with throw-ins.
Lower body:
- Warm-up pants are fine, as are compression shorts, tights or leggings under the shorts.
Feet:
- When it gets really cold, you may want to add some extra foot protection. Most people are familiar with the “hand warmer” pouches you can put inside pockets or gloves. You can also get toe warmers. These are half-moon shaped with adhesive backing. You apply them to the bottom of your socks under the toe area. They work! And they’re very thin, so they don’t affect the fit of shoes. These are available at sporting goods and camping supply stores for $1-2 per pair.
Hair:
If you have long hair, wear a headband or “scrunchy” or something to keep your hair out of your eyes. (Pre-wrap makes an excellent quickie headband.)
The “no” list:
No hanging or climbing on goals or nets; no jewelry per rules from soccer’s governing body; link: rules about jewelry (see coach about exception for medical ID bracelets); no gum; no active electronic devices.
Effort:
Have fun! Soccer is a game, not a job. You’ll get better and have fun if you follow these three rules:
- Try hard! This is one of the keys to becoming a better soccer player. You’ll make mistakes at times. That’s OK — it’s how you react to mistakes that really matters. Treat a mistake as an opportunity to learn and improve!
- Be enthusiastic! Don’t get discouraged if things don’t always go your way.
- Show respect! Be respectful to yourself, your teammates and coaches, along with opponents, referees, equipment and fields.
Listening skills:
Coaches are there to help you become a better soccer player. When a coach is talking, pay attention and keep your body and eyes facing the coach. If you don’t understand what the coach is explaining or asking you to do, please ask questions.
End of training:
At the end of each session, stay with the Academy group until the coaches release you to your families.
Before you leave:
Track down your ball, water, equipment bag and any other personal items after each session.
Extra / make-up practices:
You’re welcome to attend practices at either Metro or Quest. If you want extra practice, we’ll be glad to have you join in with the girls at the other park. You don’t need to make a reservation; just show up and we’ll include you in the session. (And we’ll make sure you feel welcome!)
For parents:
Weather issues:
If there has been any significant rain in the previous 48 hours, or the weather forecast calls for rain or storms around practice time, please check our Junior Academy Girls Twitter feed for an update before you head to the fields: https://twitter.com/nasajracadg. (You don’t need a Twitter account of your own to check our feed, just an internet connection and your favorite web browser. Link: more about bad weather procedures for practice sessions and game days
Early arrivals:
Coaches are usually at the field 15 minutes early to get started with early-arriving players.
Practice drop-off / pick-up:
You’re welcome to stay and watch training sessions, or you can drop off your daughter and run errands during practice and pick her up at the end.
Post-practice pick-up:
We ask that parents come to the field to meet their daughters. This is a safety issue; we don’t want girls walking off by themselves, particularly in the late fall and early spring when the area around the fields is dark at the end of practice.
Viewing area:
You’re welcome to watch training sessions, but we ask that you watch from the end or side of the field away from the player area. This gives players a sense of freedom to play, express themselves, and learn at their own pace.
Early departures:
If there’s a day when your daughter will need to leave early, please have her notify one of the coaches prior to the start of training. We’ll set an alarm and release her to you at the appropriate time. We want to avoid the distraction of a parent walking onto the field to retrieve his/her daughter during the middle of a training session.
Schedule conflicts:
If your daughter has a schedule conflict with a training session, please notify her coach (e-mail is fine). If your daughter misses a session and would like to make it up, she’s welcome (but not required) to attend a training session for her age group at the other park. For example, a player from United Quest Park is welcome to attend a session at Metro North Park, and vice versa. You don’t need to make a reservation; just bring your daughter and we’ll include her in the session (and we’ll make sure she feels welcome!).