Pride Junior Academy

The Pride Junior Academy is a program for U9 and U10 players that is geared toward preparing players for the demands of the Competitive program. The goal is to develop competitive, confident, technically-sound players through a structured training environment, centered on individual player development. In addition, the Junior Academy program helps to instill positive training habits and life-long values.

The development of our players comes through age-specific curriculum which focuses on developing a technical foundation, introducing individual and small group tactics, instilling confidence on the ball, and developing a competitive mentality. This development is vital to the club’s continued and overall success. An individual’s growth as a player hinges on correct, proper, and relevant information at an early age.

Under the guidance of our Technical Director and our Directors’ of Coaching, exceptional Age Group Trainers, and Coaches, Pride teams are exposed to a wide array of soccer knowledge and experience. Our staff consists of coaches who have playing experience ranging from collegiate to international teams as well as coaching experience ranging from competitive to collegiate.

U9-U10 Boys and Girls – Fall and Spring Seasons (plus winter indoor training and futsal)

Teams will also compete in pre-season and/or post-season tournaments which can extend the season in terms of training and travel. Tryouts are typically held in the month of May.

League games are generally played on Saturdays with occasional games on Sundays. Home games are played either at the Pride Soccer Complex or El Pomar, while away games can take you to all corners of the state. Our Junior Academy teams compete in the CSA (Colorado Soccer Association) leagues and therefore travel to other clubs in the state is required. CSA determines divisional placement and handles the scheduling.

League games are generally played on Saturdays with occasional games on Sundays. Home games are played either at the Pride Soccer Complex or El Pomar, while away games can take you to all corners of the state. Our Junior Academy teams compete in the CSA (Colorado Soccer Association) leagues and therefore travel to other clubs in the state is required. CSA determines divisional placement and handles the scheduling.

Detailed fee disclosure forms are available at the Pride office for all levels of Junior Academy and Competitive teams, as well as prior to tryouts. Pride Soccer Club has always offered some of the most affordable competitive fees in the state. Tournament fees, field rental expenses, uniforms, and travel expenses are additional fees collected at team levels. Scholarships are available for those in financial need. Contact the office for details. 719.597.6700

Pride Soccer Club is proud to be sponsored by Adidas. Complete kits consist of one pair of socks, one pair of shorts, and two jerseys, and a training jersey. Warm-ups, bags and additional items are available for purchase.

We’ll do a combination of technical exercises, small-sided games, and full-field scrimmages in order to determine the technical ability of all of the players and suitability for the 7 v 7 format.

Players will be evaluated on their technical abilities, as well as, their decision making capabilities and physical attributes.

The players are divided into groups based on their current teams and ongoing evaluations throughout the year. There will be movement from group to group during the two day tryout based on each player’s individual performance level.

Ideally, yes. While we evaluate players as much as possible throughout the year, the coaches need to make comparisons in our own controlled environment. There are also a number of players new to the club who come to tryouts every year. Players will be selected on merit and not necessarily according to where they have played previously. If your child can only make it to one night or not at all, please contact the appropriate Director listed below.

While it is a two day tryout, we will form our rosters as soon as possible during the process so that everyone receives a phone call in a timely fashion. The second and third teams cannot be formed until the first team has been confirmed, so we will go in order and aim to complete the process by the end of the tryout week.

Offers are made based on what we deem to be the most appropriate environment for your player’s development in order to reach his/her full potential. You do not have to accept the offer, however, placement will then be made on a lower level team. If you need time to think things over, we invite you to do so though you may be given a time frame for an answer since other players’ notification could be pending on your decision.

Parents will be asked to sit away from the field during the tryouts. We will not have parents sit by the side of the field as we need to be able to communicate directly with the players without them being distracted.

Each age group has a hierarchy of teams ranging from Gold to Bronze level. Disclosure forms, which detail time and monetary commitment, will be available prior to tryouts.

Roster sizes differ from team to team as we seek to find the most appropriate spot for each player. Rosters sizes for U9 & U10 typically range from 8-11 players with some exceptions.

Yes!!! It is a popular myth that Pride players cannot have multiple commitments or play several sports. We have world class athletes on some of our older Predator teams at the moment. Those teams require great commitment, but we feel that well-rounded athletes can contribute significantly to our program. We will not discourage players from sampling what is out there. Players and parents, alike, should simply communicate with the coach ahead of time and work together to ensure a positive experience for all concerned.