Soccer Academy

Programs

About the Academy

Adopting a skill-centred model for player development, the Soccer Academy is open to students of all skill levels. In welcoming student-athletes who are passionate about athletics and soccer, the academy provides an environment that encourages respect, enthusiasm, confidence, cooperation and independence.

The academy provides student-athletes with individual and small-group training along with a personalized development plan. For the younger ages, physical literacy is incorporated with the ball to develop each player's agility, balance and coordination. Along with soccer training, the academy introduces Futsal as a growing standalone game in our country and also a fantastic development tool for young soccer players. Student-athletes also work with top youth development coaches, and are introduced to multiple sports and activities.


On Field

Student-athletes in the academy are exposed to both individual ball mastery and small-group training based on principles of play. The benefits of small-group and small-pitch training include:

  • Many more touches on the ball over existing team training sessions.
  • Many more opportunities to make decisions.
  • Players develop technique while under pressure and in game realistic scenarios.
  • The game is replicated in training. Players will train in the four moments of the game (attacking organization, transition to defending, defending organization, transition to attacking).
  • Unlike team training, our focus will be the development of the individual while teaching the principles of play.

The benefit of an academy is that a student-athlete can focus on their individual skill development in order to enhance their growth as a soccer player so that they contribute to their club teams and their team’s coach.

Off Field

There is one off-field session per week, which exposes the students to multiple sports in the hopes that students recognize the benefits of training different aspects of the body and the correlation of skills in different sports to the game of soccer. Off-field training consists of: 

  • Multi-sport exposure (curling, badminton, basketball, football, volleyball, etc.).
  • Mental training: goal setting, relaxation, visualization, imagery, focusing, leadership and self-awareness.
  • Health/physical education: nutrition, team building, guest speakers, fitness/wellness, sports injuries, and other sports.

Our academy is led by Jeff Paulus, St. Albert Soccer’s technical director. Jeff is both
a division teacher and an experienced coach. He has coached at professional, collegiate, national and youth levels.

Our team also includes Alesha Weicker-Pasternak and Erika Vecchio, two of our region’s
top coaches and mentors. You won’t be able to find a better coaching team for your child!

The monthly fee is $150. A non-refundable deposit of $150 is required to hold your child's spot.

The monthly fee includes training kit, field rental, training equipment, field trips and busing to and from these venues.

Students in Grades 4-9 in the 2024-2025 school year may enroll in the academy. 

Growth into Grade 10 is expected the following year.

Registrations are processed based on date and time of submission and do not guarantee acceptance into the academy. Priority will be given to St. Albert residents. Successful applicants will receive an ‘Official Acceptance Letter’. Upon acceptance of the letter, details will be outlined about next steps in terms of apparel sizing and any fee information.

Register now

The academy is offered at Sir Alexander Mackenzie Elementary School for Grades 4-6 students, and at Lorne Akins Junior High School for Grades 7-9 students. 

Students in other school catchment areas are welcome to enroll. Yellow bus service will be offered from throughout the city (regular busing fees will apply). Expansion to select other division schools is anticipated in the coming years, based on demand.