Arsenal Soccer Schools Player Development Programs in the USA
Arsenal Football Club is a top rated English football club in London playing in the Premier League. Coached by Arsène Wenger for the last twenty years, Arsenal FC is a legendary soccer club dating back to 1886. Arsenal currently ranks 3rd on the Barclays Premier League standings. With many famous players including Alexis Sánchez, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira all proud to be part of Arsenal’s success, this club is world renowned for developing players. The Arsenal Soccer Schools is Arsenal FC’s highly successful program in the USA focused on growing the game of soccer and developing youth players in the Arsenal way.
Youth Soccer News: Thirteen-time English league champions Arsenal FC offers a soccer summer camp program for a limited number if youth soccer players in the USA – Arsenal Soccer Schools. A unique opportunity for youth soccer players of all levels, this program can enhance the love of the beautiful game while developing skills in an authentic, English Premier League academy-style environment.
As Arsenal FC‘s legendary head coach Arsene Wenger said, “Our soccer school courses welcome children of all abilities, we just want everyone to have fun whilst learning to pay football the Arsenal way.”
LEARN TO PLAY THE ARSENAL WAY
Arsenal Soccer Schools offers a comprehensive summer camp session of technical and tactical player development to improve passing, speed of movement, technique and game understanding. Unlike many English Premier League (EPL) elite soccer programs, Arsenal Soccer Schools knows it is important to develop players from all levels and enhance a player’s love for soccer. “Our aim is that all children leave the camp with greater knowledge of the game and improved technical skills,” said Kieron Lewis, Head Coach of Arsenal Soccer Schools.
California Day Camp Details
June 13-17, Palo Alto
Palo Alto Mayfield Sports Complex
June 20-24, Los Angeles
Glendale Sports Complex
June 27 – July 1, San Diego
San Diego Jewish Academy
Diane Scavuzzo: What makes Arsenal Soccer Schools so special? Different from all the other elite soccer programs in the USA?
Kieron Lewis: Arsenal Soccer Schools is all about developmental football. We’re looking to develop players of all abilities and want to help enhance their footballing knowledge. The knowledge of how to play the game and their actual technical knowledge on the field.
We create an environment that allows players to enjoy playing soccer. We want the guys to not only fall in love with football, but also to fall in love with Arsenal as well. That’s what we’re here to do, we show our players how to play the Arsenal way. Our goal is to have our players fall in love with the game and with Arsenal.
Diane Scavuzzo: How does Arsenal Soccer Schools do this?
Kieron Lewis: First of all, we motivate the players. We know football is a dynamic game; this means even when we’re doing technical drills, we always ask the players to think and get involved in the decisions that happen on the field. This contextual understanding is important.
Diane Scavuzzo: How do you make the players think and get involved in the decisions that happen on the field?
Kieron Lewis: We always ask questions. And, we try to make it a game, if we can — which keeps the motivation up because all kids like some type of competition; whether it’s competition against other people or competition against themselves. I like players competing against themselves and working to be their best. Sometimes we use a scoring system where players build up their own points and each time they try to beat their own score. The next step in developing youth soccer players is often overlooked.
We believe it is important to understand the player more, there are more aspects to soccer than just technique.
Diane Scavuzzo: Are you developing professional players at this camp?
Kieron Lewis: We understand probably 0.001 percent of the players we coach are going to become professional football players or play at the highest level. If a phenomenal player comes to us, we can help them succeed to a professional level but what we focus on is teaching players life skills through football.
When we talk about holistic development, we are talking about differentiating ages. For our younger players, physically we’re working on their agility, balance, and coordination. The psychological focus is on helping the younger players concentrate — that’s a key skill. Can players focus in on sessions? Can they focus on assignments on and off the field?
There is a vast array of age appropriate psychological skills we incorporate within the planning of our soccer sessions. There is also the social element of the game, which I think is overlooked quite a lot.
Kids play soccer because it’s a social environment. Everything they do, they learn from their peers — as much as from the influences of their coaches.
Diane Scavuzzo: Can you describe the Arsenal way?
Kieron Lewis: We take a holistic approach for Arsenal’s style of football and we use an acronym for Arsenal.
A = Attitude
R = Respect
S = Skill
E = Energy
N = New Thinking
A = All-for-One
L = Learning
We build all these elements in every session — this goes into the planning as well as our conduct on and off the field. This is our core thinking. If we are talking about how we play soccer, if you watch Arsenal play it’s a very possession based game. Technically, our players are very efficient and are good on the ball. Arsenal style of soccer is to play attacking football that looks good. Although soccer is a team sport, we look at more the individual and how can we improve that individual.
The kids don’t come to the camp as a team; they come as an individual. So we focus on what can we do to improve that person, that one individual.
Diane Scavuzzo: How close is this to the actual Arsenal FC youth academy organization in England? Are the players that sign up for your program receiving the same instruction as at the professional club?
Kieron Lewis: Yes, this is the authentic Arsenal Soccer Schools. It is the Arsenal FC club’s values which have transformed into a soccer school environment. We’re a club that always likes to implement new things. Arsene Wenger is a manager who came and changed the face of English football by changing the ways football is played. We were one of the first teams to play a more European style of football in our passing and moving game. We’re always looking for new ways, we want to open up and make sure that the children understand that’s a mindset to have and we try and implement that. Arsenal FC believes it is important to reach around the globe and share the Arsenal way.
Diane Scavuzzo: Do you believe the players will get better attending the camp?
Kieron Lewis: Yes. I definitely do think youth soccer players will improve, but remember people improve differently. We’re talking about learning; we’re not talking about performance. What soccer parents expect is for their child to perform at a better level straight away. Learning is not linear. So what we teach them at camp may not immediately be visible in a players performance on the field the next day, it may happen later on. We get our players to learn how to play good soccer, not a short-term performance fix.
Diane Scavuzzo: What are the coaches like? Who’s doing the coaching?
Kieron Lewis: We have a large pool of mostly English coaches who have all trained in the Arsenal philosophy.
To ensure that every child who attends progresses during their time at the camp, the coaches will spend an initial period assessing and evaluating their performance to ensure that they are grouped with children of a similar level and age. The coaches then work with each group and child to improve skill levels. The aim is that all youth soccer players leave the camp with greater knowledge of the game and improved technical skills.
Join the youth coaches of Arsenal this summer for the ultimate soccer camp experience! With day and overnight camps for a limited number of youth soccer players, this is a really unique opportunity this summer.
The 2016 Youth Soccer and Goalie Training Program includes camps in California, NYC, Connecticut, New Jersey, DC, Maryland and Florida. Overnight Camps and Day Camps
AGES: Boys and Girls, 7-15, of all talent and experience levels are welcome.
DAILY SCHEDULE:
8:45 – 9:00 am: Arrival
9:00 – 10:30 am: Warm up, skills training session
10:30 – 11:00 am: Water break
11:00 – 12:30 pm: Tactical and technical training
12:30 – 1:30 pm: Lunch + rest
1:30 – 3:00 pm: Scrimmages, small-sided matches
3:00 pm: Departure
PRICE: $699 (Price includes official Arsenal Soccer Schools uniform, certificate, and Arsenal gift.)
REGISTER NOW – Arsenal Soccer Schools Brochure 2016
Arsenal Soccer Schools is introducing a new GOAL KEEPERS PROGRAM for 2016 which covers reading the game, communication, playing on and off the line plus proper diving techniques. Here is an insightful video on the GK program.
