Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Emerald City Football Club (ECFC) Players and Parents
- Development Program – 2016-2017
“When I saw my 8 year old son begin to find joy in soccer, I wanted to find the right way for that
joy to develop and grow. We gave the Emerald City development program a try. It's one thing to
articulate a coaching philosophy on a website; it's another thing altogether to live it every week
at practice. At ECFC, I found the right philosophy and the right people. They know that
motivated, young players should feel appropriately challenged, confident, unafraid to experiment
and make mistakes, and overall a great joy and excitement in playing and especially in playing at
a high level. Isn't that why we play games in the first place?” - Ryan S., Emerald City FC Parent
1. What is the Emerald City FC Development Program (Dev Program)?
2. What is the Emerald City FCʼs vision for the Development Program?
3. What is Emerald City FC's philosophy for Player Development?
4. What differentiates Emerald City FC from other soccer clubs?
5. How does Emerald City FC incorporate the principles of child psychology into player
development?
6. When and where do teams practice?
7. When and where are games?
8. Does Emerald City FC assist with identifying carpool options?
9. What type of tryout and player selection process does Emerald City FC use?
10.How many teams are formed at each age group?
11.What if my child participates in other activities that may conflict with soccer?
12.What happens after the fall or spring season ends? When can we sign up for the next season?
13.Why does it take many years to master the game and reach peak performance?
14.When do players do most of their learning? When is “learning time” and when is
“showing/performing time”?
15.What role do Emerald City FC parents have in supporting ECFC players?
16.Resources recommended by Emerald City FC.
1. What is the Emerald City FC Development Program (Dev Program)?
ECFC provides an opportunity for curious, passionate, and ambitious young players to
enhance their skills, play with like-minded players, and enjoy the game of soccer throughout
most of the year. ECFC's Development Program starts with ages 7-10 (U8-U10 age groups).
Bobby Howe, our Director of Coaching Emeritus and Former US Soccer Federation Director
of Coaching calls this the Golden Age of Learning. At this stage of development, young
players start their foundational skill building and begin to develop passions for their preferred
activities. They are socially expanding and laying the groundwork for positive habits. Quality
time devoted to skill building at these younger ages leads to more effective results during the
middle and high school years.
2. What is the Emerald City FC vision for the Development Program?
ECFC uses soccer as a vehicle to develop confident, well-rounded young people who want to
pursue excellence in all aspects of their lives. ECFC provides continuous mentoring and
positive role models for its players within the team environment and overall club culture.
3. What is Emerald City FCʼs philosophy for Player Development?
We believe in developing the whole person, not just the soccer player. Our highly
experienced, professional coaches understand the appropriate application of technical,
tactical, physical, and psychological training for athletes as well as the stages and attributes
of child development and how they play into the process of building sports skills. Life
lessons gained through participation in competitive team sports can serve a child for the rest
of his or her life. We train young people to be successful both on and off the soccer field.
4. What differentiates Emerald City FC from other soccer clubs?
All of our staff coaches are licensed by the primary national youth soccer organizations in the
US. All members of our coaching staff regularly participate in continuing education to
further their own professional development. They are familiar with and apply the most
current techniques and best practices in both soccer player and child development. In
addition, a number of our coaches are licensed instructors for both diploma programs for the
National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) and US Soccer coaching courses. Jurgen
Klinsmann, former US National Team coach, has said, “Youth soccer in America is in a
ʻchronic state of under-development,’ because the value of winning at the young ages is so
strongly over-emphasized that it inhibits our young playersʼ development.” Many clubs talk
about player development, though the ʻOld Schoolʼ mentality of ʻwin at all costsʼ is still
prevalent in their decision making, despite their claims. Itʼs really about action, not words.
While ECFC coaches have the desire to win every game, we take a big picture viewpoint that
focuses on the goal of helping our players develop and become enthusiastic and passionate
about the game. ECFC uses age-specific developmental goals that enable our players to
mature and learn the abilities needed to better handle the stronger emphasis on winning at
older ages.
5. How does Emerald City FC incorporate the principles of child psychology into
player development?
ECFC tailors its training program to serve its players at every stage of psychological and
cognitive development. Through research in child psychology and human development, we
know that children mature and grow differently from one another, but in predictable patterns.
We use this understanding to tailor our curriculum and training techniques to maximize
learning at every age. For example, at the youngest ages, we emphasize technical training
where every player has a ball and activities demand creativity and fun while developing new
skills. Small-sided games are used to maximize the number of touches on the ball and
involvement in the game. As players mature, there is increasing focus on teaching them to
apply their skills in larger group settings.
6. When and where do teams practice?
All development program players train on Monday’s and Wednesday’s. Training takes place
at various schools and parks around Seattle. Development teams practice at the same time
and same location whenever possible. Older teams in the club train immediately following
the younger teams, which allows the younger players to meet and watch the older players.
This helps us develop a strong sense of club community.
7. When and where are games? How many players are on the team?
Games are generally played at the Starfire soccer complex in Tukwila on fields speciallysized for younger players. All of our “dev” teams currently play 7 vs 7. Matches can be
played on a Saturday or Sunday. Emerald City Football Club teams play in the competitive
Puget Sound Premier League (PSPL). Information on the PSPL can be found at
www.pugetsoundpremierleague.com . Each ECFC Dev team will roster between 10-11
players.
8. Can Emerald City FC assist with identifying carpool options?
Yes. Because of our centralized training schedule and locations, we can connect you with
other ECFC parents that live near you, including ones with other ECFC teams. This is
another important benefit of being part of ECFC.
9. What type of tryout and player selection process does Emerald City FC use?
At the developmental ages, ECFC has a no-cut policy. We want each player to have an
opportunity to learn and develop a love for the game of soccer. Over the course of time,
players tend to gravitate to the skill and competitive level that best fits them. Children
develop at different speeds physically, mentally, socially, and in their soccer skills. We work
with all our players to help them be successful regardless of their developmental pace. At
younger ages, there is no reliable way of predicting who the future best players will be, so we
do not limit participation in our Development Program.
10. How many teams are formed at each age group?
Emerald City FCʼs goal is to have two to three teams in each age group. This ensures we
usually have space for players and parents interested in joining ECFC. We invite parents to
introduce friends to the program, as well as participating in parent volunteer roles.
11. What if my child participates in other activities that may conflict with soccer?
We realize kids will choose to participate in activities in addition to soccer. Our club believes
in a well-rounded education for children; therefore, ECFC is supportive of these experiences.
We simply ask parents to communicate any conflicts in advance. Having your child
connected to our program season after season while missing a few practices or games here
and there is much better than stopping playing and then trying to play catch up after a long
break. Players can lose their hard-earned skills and momentum of learning due to sitting out a
season. Staying in the program allows continuity that supports greater growth, success, and
enjoyment. ECFC caps the amount of organized soccer activities for its youngest players.
They play approximately seven (7) months of the year. For those wanting more activities,
ECFC also offers additional options like futsal and the occasional tournament.
12. What happens after the fall or spring season ends? When can we sign up for the
next season?
Emerald City FC has a first-come, first-served roster filling policy for our Development
Program. Spaces fill quickly and registration will usually close a month in advance of the
upcoming season. Because the Development Program has three seasons – Mid-May/June
season, Fall season (August-November) and Spring (February-May) – ECFC offers two
registration options. The full-year option includes a discount. There is also a per-season
signup option. Registration information is posted on our web site. We highly encourage
players to take a multi-year perspective as the continuity is a major confidence builder in
player development, especially during adolescence.
13. Why does it take many years to master the game and reach peak performance?
Soccer is simple in principle and complex in execution. Unlike many other popular sports
where play is highly scripted or lower in activity, soccer is a free-flowing game of infinite
choices played in a large area with many players. Soccer is a playersʼ game! Because most
players do not hit their peak potential until their mid- to late- 20s, ECFC focuses on
appropriate training for each playerʼs ability level so that our players build the right
foundation to mature in the game and reach their highest potential level of success.
14. When do players do most of their learning?
When is “learning time” and when is “showing/performing time”? Players work on the skills
and techniques of soccer at practice. Game days provide the opportunity for players to
express themselves in a supportive environment and feel free to try what they have learned.
Some of our coaching staff recently travelled to FC Barcelona in Spain, where they observed
the famous youth training program in action. Players at FC Barcelona are encouraged to push
their limits and try new skills, but are made to feel comfortable and confident that making
mistakes is considered a positive growth opportunity. This is a part of the ECFC
Development Program philosophy. We work to ensure that players receive consistently
positive and encouraging words from adults – both coaches and parents – because players
want to show those people close to them what they have learned in order to make them
proud.
15. What role do Emerald City FC parents have in supporting ECFC players?
Parents and coaches play a large role in supporting the playersʼ soccer experience. At ECFC,
we promote a cooperative effort between coaches and parents in support of our players. We
have club guidelines and provide soccer-parent education as part of our curriculum.
16. Resources recommended by Emerald City FC:
 On Soccer Parenting: http://www.soccernation.com/the-courage-to-be-patient-cms2693
 The Car Ride Home - Michael Bergstrom http://www.amazon.com/The-Ride-HomeMike-Bergstrom/dp/0578003996
 Coaching Outside The Box - Changing the Mindset in Youth Soccer by Paul Mairs
and Richard Shaw http://www.amazon.com/Coaching-Outside-Box-ChangingMindset/dp/ 0615700128
 On Player Success: Youtube Video – Former US National Team Coach Jurgen
Klinsmann on traits of successful youth players - http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=0_afAhV9fRo
 Jurgen Klinsmann - The Talent Code - 10,000 hours to master an activity - How to
motivate kids to do more..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?
NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=W7JrkN5O6Eg
 Humorous Video Spoof - ʻSoccer Parent - Some Friendly Adviceʼ:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gETP14z515Q
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US Soccer Best Practices: Best Practices (.pdf) The Laws of The Game Made Easy:
http://www.calsouth.com/data/Downloads/Referees/ LawsoftheGameMadeEasy.pdf
13 Things to Teach Children: http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2012/11/29/13things-to-teach-yourchildren/? utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=email-201211-29&utm_medium= email
Inspiration for Players Ronaldino playing futsal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=6180cMhkWJA