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Grassroots Explained

“Grassroots is the most important part of the player pathway. This is where we give children their first experience in soccer.
Ensuring that this experience is fun and enjoyable and revolves around child-friendly soccer (LTPD) is essential.
The coaching objective here is simple: have them fall in love with the game.”
 


2019 Outdoor U4 Program

The Goals of Grassroots Soccer

  • To ensure this first experience is fun and enjoyable and revolves around child-friendly soccer. Most of all, it is to have them fall in love with the game.
  • To provide an opportunity for players to use their imaginations, be creative and learn through trial and error. Mistakes are OK.
  • To offer age and stage appropriate development activities with improved playing formats such as 5v5, 7v7 and 9v9 with ball, goal and field size appropriate to physical and cognitive stage development.
  • To educate coaches so they will make the soccer experience a challenging, positive and nurturing one for all young players regardless of ability, that leads to Soccer for Life.

A Community Guide to Long-Term Player Development


2019 Outdoor U5 Program

WHAT IS LTPD?

LTPD is a model of athlete development that parallels what doctors and psychologists have long used to better understand human development: as a series of distinct stages, which take us from infancy through adulthood. A person’s abilities, behaviour and emotions, as well as their understanding of the world around them, varies from stage to stage.

Sport science experts have identified seven stages of development—each with its own physical and psychological characteristics—that form the basis for LTPD. When young soccer players are able to train and compete in an environment that’s appropriate to their stage of development, they not only perform at their best, they also have more fun. 

LTPD is designed to give players an optimal soccer experience at every stage by putting their needs front and centre.

 

The First Three Stages of LTPD

The first three LTPD stages, which guide development  up to age 12, are built around small-sided games.
There  are no league standings for these age groups; the focus is on learning and fun.
 

STAGE ONE:
ACTIVE START

(U-4/U-6 M/F)
Gives the youngest players the opportunity  to develop basic movement skills like running, jumping, landing, kicking, throwing, and catching in a fun setting built around informal play and positive reinforcement. 


2019 Outdoor U6 Mixed Program

STAGE TWO:
FUNDAMENTALS

(U-6/U-8 F, U-6/U10 M)
Allows children to develop their movement ABCs— agility, balance, coordination, and speed—and learn the basics of the game while emphasizing fun, cooperation, and maximum time on  the ball. 


2019 Outdoor U8 Girls Program

STAGE THREE:
LEARNING TO TRAIN

(U-8/U-11 F, U-9/U-12 M)
As children become  more able to reflect on their actions and learn from mistakes, the focus is on learning by doing, building a larger repertoire of soccer movements and teaching the basic principles of play in a fun and challenging environment.


2019 Outdoor U10 Boys Program

PROGRESSING INTO COMPETITION

As children move into adolescence, official league standings are introduced and the game becomes more competitive, with more emphasis on strategy and tactics. With a steady increase in training time over the next three LTPD stages (4-6), a move to larger-sided games and year-round play, the most advanced players are given opportunities for further development with the Canada Soccer Pathway’s EXCEL program. Others may decide to continue playing recreationally, moving straight to LTPD stage 7. 

VIsit KNSC's Competitive Program Pages for Details.


Get in Touch

Clubhouse  Address:
10415 Islington Avenue
(beside the Kleinburg Public School)     

Phone: 905-893-3388      

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 358 
Kleinburg, On  L0J 1C0

Email: info@knsc.ca      

Clubhouse Hours
Monday - Thursday: 
10 am - 6 pm
Friday: 10 am - 2 pm
Saturday & Sunday: closed
(Closed long weekends & Holidays)