MSC's Academy Mission

The Academy Program is sanctioned by the Georgia State Soccer Association and is designed to offer an opportunity for advanced development for boys and girls age 8-12. Players are surrounded by and compete with those players who have shown to have a gift in soccer and a commitment to improve. Players will have the opportunity to develop in a enjoyable and rewarding environment within a competitive arena, while emphasizing on player development, and not on winning and losing.

Our Academy Program objective is for players to enjoy the game, emphasize individual development, and motivate players to play. It is our goal for the players to have fun and enjoy playing the game of soccer so they can learn to love the “Beautiful Game”. We strive to make every aspect of our program enjoyable for all players. At the same time, we want players to take responsibility for their own development because we believe it is the key to their success.

Our Academy Program philosophy is to ensure that both players and parents understand that commitment leads to success. We believe that training is the most important ingredient on players’ development, and it should take priority over numbers of games. We believe that “winning” in Academy means that players’ gave their best, enjoyed their game, performed individual skills taught in training, and learned thru success and/or mistakes.

During their Academy experience, there are so many games played that each player will have the chance to experience different positions on the field and different formations. In order to maximize individual development as well as team development we will place players in a position that suits their strengths, place players in position to give the team success, place players in a position in order to teach the role of the position, and place players in a position according to the players on the team.

FAQs

• When are Tryouts? Tryouts for the seasonal year are in May and the season begins in August. Those who are invited to the Academy team from the May tryout will automatically be invited onto the Spring team. Tryouts for the Spring occur in January

• Who is eligible for the 2024-2025 seasonal year? Teams are based on birth year as follows:
• U9 - Birth year 2016&2017
• U10 - Birth year 2015
• U11 - Birth year 2014
• U12 - Birth year 2013

• When and where are training sessions?  All teams are trained by appropriately licensed, professional Club coaches to provide the players with the best possible foundation of skills and knowledge of the game.

• When and where are games?                  The Macon United teams will compete against other soccer clubs in Georgia who also field Academy teams in a non-results oriented format. Typically, an Academy team will play one or two matches on a weekend (mostly Saturdays), and have 9-10 game dates. The season wraps up in November. Spring season begins in February and ends in May. Academy teams may also attend Pre-season and Post-season tournaments depending on teams’ commitment. These tournaments will consist of a result oriented format.

• What is the difference between Recreation and Academy Soccer? Academy is a more competitive soccer program where the emphasis is on developing players to ultimately participate in Select programs or high school soccer programs. Academy teams practice twice per week and play multiple games each weekend. Half of all Academy games are away games, with players traveling as far as Savannah or Tifton. In contrast, our Recreational soccer program is focused on learning the basics of the game in a low pressure environment. Teams in this program are coached by parent volunteers.

• How can I help with my Academy Team?    Each Academy Team will have a parent volunteer that serves as a Team Manager. The team manager works closely with the teams’ trainer and the Academy Director. The team manager registers the team for tournaments, books hotel rooms, collects team fees, and facilitates a line of communication between trainer and parents. 

Season Fees

Academy  (U9-U12)

Total Cost per Season : $550

Academy Registration Payment Plan: 

The payment plan will consist of the following;

1. An initial acceptance fee of $50 due by June 30th
2. A 1st Installment for a total of $167 will be automatically charged to the credit card on file on July 31st.
3. A 2nd Installment for a total of $167 will be automatically charged to the credit card on file on September 15th.
4. A 3rd Installment for a total of $166 will be automatically charged to the credit card on file on October 31st.