THE FACTS = WHAT IS HAPPENING AT FSASOCCERPLUS?

As a club we are very proud of the progress that we have made in the last six years. We also recognize that we are at a crossroads. Like any fledgling organization we have learned some lessons along the way. To evolve you must evaluate and we have undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of our club and how we develop our players. We have solicited feedback from players, parents and coaches within our group. We talked with competitors within our state, and beyond. We have consulted with academy coaches from around the world including former and current US National Team coaches. We understand that with change, there are questions. The Q&A below should help you have a better understanding of the direction the club is heading towards and also addresses many of the questions that players and parents have asked in the last few weeks.

Is there another Club in the Farmington Sports Arena (FSA)?
Yes, the arena and their ownership have acquired what was West Hartford Premier Soccer Club and is now named FSA United. This new club will now be training and playing in the facility this winter.

Are we leaving the Arena (FSA)?
No, although there will be another club calling the Arena (FSA) their home, we will continue to train inside FSA in the winter months.

Are we changing our club name?
No, we are SoccerPlus and our home is the Farmington Sports Arena – our name will remain FSASoccerPlus.

Are we affiliated with the new club FSA United?
No, FSASoccerPlus is owned and operated by Tony DiCicco and Mick D'Arcy. The new Club FSA United is owned and operated by the Farmington Sports Arena. The two clubs are not affiliated.

How can both clubs train inside the Arena together?
The arena has made adjustments to some leagues and other offerings during the winter to allow both teams access to training hours. This is not uncommon at the youth or professional level. The La Galaxy, Chivas, LA Sol and the US National Teams all play out of Home Depot Center. The NY Giants and NY Jets share The Meadowlands. AC Milan and Inter Milan share the San Siro.

What changes can we expect to see in regards to player development?
Our end of year comprehensive evaluation has highlighted several area that need to be addressed.
● Yearly schedule:
We must look at a 12 month cycle for our players. We cannot expect our players to be able to compete at peak levels throughout the year. We must avoid “burnout” especially in the winter months. Five consecutive months of indoor training and games every weekend is too much. We need to build in a rest and recovery period but we also need to provide a rigorous preseason period to prepare our teams for the Spring season. Our focus for practices needs to shift throughout the winter and early Spring season with the culmination being peak performance in the late Spring.

● Technical Training:
Our FSASoccerPlus teams are generally recognized as having a strong awareness of team tactics. Our teams play a possession-orientated game and shift from a 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 easily. However, we need to place a stronger emphasis on technical skills, particularly our first touch.

● Physical Training:
The spectrum in levels of fitness on our teams is too great. We need to teach our players to accept responsibility for the various components of physical development; strength, stamina, agility, speed, coordination, balance, flexibility and concepts in injury prevention.

● Practice to Game Ratio:
Every major coaching organization in the world is recommending a policy of 3 practices to one game ratio. The game of soccer is a great teacher in itself but our players will develop most on the practice field.

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Without question the first six years of the club has been a big success. Our boys and girls teams have won Connecticut State Cups and our U-23 Women have won a National Championship. Our Mission Statement tells us that our goal is to be the best Club, not only in Connecticut, but also in the Region and beyond. Instead of resting on our laurels we have to find new ways to improve our club and get us closer to achieving our mission statement.

Going forward our club will be divided into four divisions:
● Developmental Academies for ages U9, U10
● Pre High School for ages U11 to U14 (some U14’s will be in HS)
● High School for ages U15 to U18
● Senior for ages U19 and up


● Our Developmental Academies will train outdoors once a week in the Fall and Spring. During the Winter months they will train twice a week and play on the weekends.

● Our Pre High School Division will start training in August and play outside until Thanksgiving. They will take a break in the month of December and start “preseason training” at the start of January. Preseason will consist on one night of team training at FSA, one night of 4 v 4 futsal at CCSU and one strength and conditioning training session with professional staff at CCSU.
Outdoor play will begin in March and continue through June.

● Our High School Division will start training in August prior to the start of High School training. Team training will reconvene on November 1st or at the end of each player’s high school season. Teams will prepare and compete in College showcases in November and December. Depending upon the timing of college showcases each team will rest for one month before starting “preseason” training. Preseason will consist of one night of team training at FSA, one night of 4 v 4 futsal at CCSU and one strength and conditioning training session with professional staff at CCSU.
Outdoor play will begin in March and continue through June.

● Our Senior Division will consist of our U19 teams and our U23 Reds. These teams will consist of collegiate players. They will train in December and January during college break and reconvene on May 1st when their college spring season ends.

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What is “Futsal”?
Futsal is played between two teams of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. It is the official recognized indoor game of FIFA and has it's own World Cup. Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regulation football. The rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.

What is the club doing for outdoor facilities?
To accomplish this level of training and games we have greatly increased our training and games facilities. Tunxis Mead in Farmington will continue to be our primary outdoor home game facility. We will continue to use most of our current outdoor training fields. We have added field turf facilities at CCSU, Loomis Chaffee and Trinity College to accommodate late fall and early spring training and games.

How will all of these extra fields and training times effect the FSASoccerPlus Tuition rates?
We are very aware of the financial concerns of our families in the current economic climate. Our tuition fee for full time players will be reduced by $145. We will be able to accomplish this next year by customizing our training throughout the season, and by making an adjustment to club uniform package. For the first time we will hold back on ordering a new backpack and new alternate jersey for this upcoming season. If a player from this past year needs a new grey jersey or backpack, he/she will be able to purchase a new replacement (so hold on to grey jersey and backpacks for next season).

Here is a full list of our fees:

What about payment options/plans?
This is obviously a major concern for our families. We will set 2 basic tuition payment plans for next season:
● Option 1: Pay in Full = Full tuition amount via cash, check or credit/debit card due upon signing commitment letter. No credit card processing fees apply if you are paying full tuition at the time of commitment.
● Option 2: Payment Plan = Submit your credit/debit card due upon signing commitment letter and FSASOCCERPLUS will automatically charge your card according to the amount and schedule for your team. Each card transaction will also be subject to a 5% processing fee. You can avoid the card processing fees by submitting cash or check that must be received at least 14 days prior to payment schedule dates listed above.

Coaching Changes?
We are always looking to improve our coaching staff. This year we have added Sam Lopes,
Jen Tietjen-Prozzo and Shaka Hislop to our team of coaches. For a complete list go to http://www.soccerpluscamps.com/FSASoccerPlus/staff.html

What’s happening with the SoccerPlus Education Center?
The Education Center is a unique program that allows for Outreach Initaitives within our community that our players and teams participate in as well as Education Seminars for our families. Of course the SoccerPlus Education Center will also continue to be available for our players at no additional cost.

What is the ECNL?
The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) is a Premier Girls’ League comprised of 40 of the top girls clubs in the country. FSASoccerPlus and CFC are the only 2 teams in the state who have been accepted into this elite national league. Sanctioned by US Club Soccer, the Inaugural season will begin in 2009-2010 at the U- 15, U-16 and U-17 divisions. Our team will play 10 games spread out over three tournaments (Disney, Las Vegas & PDA).

The Elite League is on the Girls side, what about the Boys side?
We are still in the application process for entrance into the US Soccer Academy. This is a much longer and detailed process than it was for the ECNL.

Anything to add in closing?
We are excited about our new player development model. We feel that our players will be challenged throughout the year and they will physically and mentally peak at the right times. Our technical ability and fitness levels will greatly improve. We feel that our coaching staff is the best. Nowhere in the state of Connecticut will you find a staff as qualified and diverse as ours. International, professional, collegiate, O.D.P., high school and club coaches. Our staff have the experience to help your child every step of the way. And of course, our commitment to the development of the “total child” will not change. Our College Referral Network ensures that our players are promoted to the colleges of their choice and facilitates the college recruitment process.

We want to thank you for your support over the years and especially in the last few weeks. Change can sometimes be perceived as weakness but we feel that these changes will make us stronger. We appreciate the faith and confidence you have placed in us to provide the best possible soccer experience for our players.