Competitive Soccer Program (Travel) is both a time and financial commitment. When accepted in a competitive team, it must be understood that you are committed to participate in all team functions which include practices, league games, tournaments and Club fundraisers. Many tournaments are scheduled over Holiday weekends.

Academic performance

In order to perform well on the field, you must concentrate on performing well in the classroom. It has been proven that players who do well in the classroom do well on the field. Always choose studying/homework over anything else.

To ensure that our players develop their optimum potential, we will enforce the following rules a general standard for the Club.

Competitive Soccer Training Program

Overview

Soccer (or "Football" as it is called in the rest of the world) is a beautiful game when played with skill, passion, and intelligence. At the Miami Strike Force (the “club”) we are committed to creating an environment where our club members can develop these qualities and experience all the joy that soccer has to offer them.

Our club mission statement is to provide instructional and competitive soccer playing opportunities through specific programming designed for the individual development of our players regardless of their level of play.

In order to accomplish our overall mission, the Miami Strike Force offers a variety of soccer programs, each with specific objectives and philosophies. The programs have been organized within a “pyramid” of player development. This “pyramid” model serves to illustrate the complete integration of our programs, all of which share the common goal of helping players to excel at any given level of play, as well as to make successful transitions from one level to the next.

Our Competitive Soccer Program offers the highest level of coaching and training within the club's “pyramid” of player development. The coaching staff for this program consists strictly of independent (non-parent), professional, nationally licensed coaches, many of whom are former pro level.

This Overview summarizes the goals, objectives, philosophy, and expectations for players and parents participating in the Competitive Soccer Program both on and off the field.

Players and parents need to know what will be expected of them as members of the program.

Philosophy

Values: We feel that the values of respect, discipline, commitment, effort, pride, trust, unity, and developing a true love of the game are vital to the long-term success of our players and our club. The Miami Strike Force is committed to developing all of these qualities in our young players. We strive to develop not only brilliant young footballers on the field but responsible young people on and off the field.

Approach - Club Based versus Team Based: The Miami Strike Force is designed and structured to be a true professionally run youth football club. Our club model is similar to top youth football clubs from all over the world and very unlike most youth sports organizations in the United States . We place a strong emphasis on club unity and this theme is reflected in the entire club programming. In our Competitive Soccer Program in particular, we do not operate as a group of loosely connected teams following separate and individual agendas.

Instead, we believe in adhering to a single, club-wide playing philosophy and style, which is defined by the Director of Coaching and Player Development, and rigorously implemented by all members of the club coaching staff. This helps to create a consistent learning environment throughout the program for all our players. We feel there are great advantages in developing individual players within a true “club” environment. Our emphasis on club unity will be evident in everything we do, including:

• Consistent use of our club logo and colors, gold, black, and white

• Uniform appearance of all players and staff at training sessions and games

• Players are considered members of our “club” and not any particular “team”

• Players are trained collectively by age group with movement of players from group to group

• We are one club, one club name, one family

Our Approach to Competitive Player Development: We do not believe that players should be placed on a “static” team roster for one year at a time, as is the case with most youth clubs in the United States . We feel that players develop at varying rates, sometimes unevenly, and often unpredictably. Therefore, some of our players may be moved from group to group based on how fast they develop and how their growth compares to other club members at any particular time during the year.

We believe that competitive challenges are healthy for players and enable them to grow.

We can and will challenge our players by allowing them the opportunity to move from group to group, and also between different age groups, when warranted by their play.

Our goal is to create an environment that will stimulate the continued growth of our players by providing each of them with the opportunity to get to the next level of play within the club at any time.

All such movement of players will be done at the sole discretion of the club's Director of Coaching and Player Development and the club's professional coaching staff.

We will focus our training and evaluation of our players on the four major components that make up a complete footballer:

•  Technical: A player's individual technique and comfort level on the ball under conditions of limited time, space, and increased pressure.

•  Tactical: A player's ability to make proper decisions with and without the ball, based on an understanding of basic attacking and defensive principles; a player's ability to “read” the game properly.

•  Physical: A player's coordination, mobility, balance, speed, endurance, and strength.

•  Psychological: A player's mindset and motivation; how a player faces problems/pressures encountered both on and off the field of play and how the player chooses to deal with those problems/pressures.

Player Development versus Winning: While we demand that our players strive to perform/win every time they take the field for training or a game, winning is NOT the primary objective for the club coaching staff. Our primary objective is centered around, and driven by, our goal of developing individual high-level players in a competitive environment. To achieve this objective, we must allow players to make mistakes even if we lose games in doing so. This is the only way the coaching staff can analyze those mistakes, help our players correct them, and ask them to try again the next time. In short, if our players are not allowed to make mistakes then they are not allowed to develop.

We believe that winning games will ultimately be a byproduct of our ability to develop well-rounded footballers. Therefore, winning every game is not our primary objective and will NOT be how we measure our success as a club. However, there are times when winning a particular game may be beneficial for a particular age group/team or the club in general. The club coaching staff will determine which games, if any, will take on this importance and may, at their sole discretion, field what they determine to be the most effective team in certain games (league playoffs, certain tournament games, etc.) where a positive result could help push the entire age group/team or the club to another level of play. Every effort will be made to balance the good of the individual player versus the good of the entire age group/team and the club in general.

Playing Time: In Competitive Soccer, we ask our players to compete for everything including playing time in games. The club coaching staff fully understands the importance of players getting the opportunity to play in games and we will structure our annual game schedule to allow ample opportunities for players to play in games.

However, it is important for parents and players to understand that a player's development takes place over the course of many months of practices, training AND games -- not in any one particular game. Unlike our Recreational program, which is only 4 months long and playing time in all games is guaranteed, the Competitive Soccer Program runs year-round, with the objective of establishing a comprehensive game AND training schedule that will provide each player with plenty of playing time. Our goal of developing individual high-level players is not dependent on playing in EVERY game, but rather on playing in MANY games.

Although each player will get to play in most games, playing time is NOT guaranteed in every game. The coaching staff is instructed to manage the playing time of each player over the course of the entire program year.

Tournaments

It is the Club's recommendation that each team play in at least 2-3 local tournaments, 1-2 State and 1 not mandatory, only recommended out of State tournament for teams U13 and up. The club will also have teams participating in 3 vs. 3, 4 vs. 4 and 5 vs. 5 small sided tournaments with a selected group of players and coaches.

Below are some suggestions; please make sure to confirm availability with each tournament. (Some tournament dates may vary from one year to the next)

Local tournaments

• January: Coral Springs New Years Fling, Wellington Soccer Shoot-Out, Kelme Fl. Cup
• February: Weston Cup     
• May: Naples Spring Classic   
• April: Miami Lakes Spring Shootout
• O ctober: West Pines Kick Off Classic         
• November: Plantation Thanksgiving Classic
• December: Orange Classic International Girls Soccer Tournament

State tournaments   

• February: Disney's Presidents Day Soccer Festival, Score at the Shore, President's Cup , Cocoa Expo
• May: Disney's Memorial Day Soccer Shootout     
• June: Disney's Summer Soccer Jamboree
• July: Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament   
• August: Disney's Soccer Showcase Qualifier
• November: Disney's Junior Soccer Showcase     
• December: Tampa Bay Sunbowl, Cocoa Expo College Soccer Showcase Cup

Coaches' tournament expenses: The team is to pay the coach's reasonable travel expenses including air fare, as appropriate, accommodations (share rooms when possible), ground transportation @ $ 0.35 per mile and $35.00 per day for meals

Dress Code & Equipment: In order to protect and promote the reputation of our Club and team, players are expected to wear the correct Club soccer gear when attending all practices, games (this includes the warm-up session before games), as well as Club/team functions. If you are not dressed in the appropriate Club soccer gear as instructed/required, you will be dismissed immediately. Any dismissal due to inappropriate dress or equipment will be regarded as an unexcused absence.

Fundraising: Players/parents must participate in fund-raising efforts. A minimum of 10 volunteer hours per family is required or buy out at $ 100 ($10 per hour) so that the club can hire labor to replace the volunteer work.

Reason: Our club depends solely on parent volunteers for all of its events/functions. If we don't have volunteers, our children don't have event/functions. Our club cannot exist on competitive player fees alone. We need fundraising event/functions to help support our club's financial responsibilities. There are at least 20 volunteer roles/jobs that need to be filled each soccer year.

Field Space: Field space will be provided for practice purposes and games. However, each team must be represented at all Club and Board meetings in order for field space to be allocated. Non-attendance at Club/Board/Soccer meetings could result in team forfeiting field space rights. Not fulfilling Volunteer hour requirements may result in loss of field space privileges. Priority will be given to teams training for play in Early or Regular Season play, Tournament, Regional and State Cup. Scrimmages are allowed only when field space allows.