What is the Academy Philosophy?
The Youth Academy Program philosophy is to emphasize player development over team development and focus on the technical development of each child without the pressures of short-term wins/losses/results. In taking the pressure of winning away we feel that players will learn to enjoy and love the game for itself rather than just to win. Players will learn through guided discovery where the coach is the facilitator.
How old does my child have to be to be able to participate in the Academy system?
For the competitive year of 2024-2025, your son or daughter must be born in birth years of 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 to be eligible to register within the Red Star SC Academy system. If they are younger than this age they can play micro soccer.
How does my child get into the Youth Academy system?
Sign up!! There are no tryouts for the Academy system. Open Houses are in May/June. Once a player has accepted a position in the Youth Academy, they are committed to participate for the entire upcoming soccer year (August to June).
If your child played for Red Star SC last season, simply register, pay on-line and you are done.
If your child is new to the club, register and pay on-line. The club will have to verify the child’s age and will need a photo for their player pass. Families will receive an email from the club administrator on what date the information will be collected.
When does registration open?
Registration will open on May 1st. All registration is done online. Please visit our registration page for more information and links to our secure registration system.
When does registration close?
Registration will close on July 15. Registrations received after July 15 will be charged a $35 late fee if space is available. If all rosters are full, your child will be placed on a waiting list.
When will we know which team our child is placed on?
Your child will not be placed on a specific team initially. We will assess where your child will be best suited within the tiered structure of the Academy at the assessment camp in early August and in the first few weeks of training.
How is the weekly schedule structured?
Monday: Individual Training (optional)
Tuesday: Team Practice
Thursday: Team Practice
Theme/curriculum based pool training will be the focus of the first training session of the week. In the second session, players will be grouped with their coach. They will train with the Director or coach that will be coaching them on the weekends. In the third session players will put into a 4v4 environment putting together the skills they have worked on during the week.
Games will be on the weekend on either Saturday or Sunday. Tournaments will be held over a Saturday and Sunday one per season (fall and spring).
Is there much movement of players in this system? If so how is this communicated to the players and the parents?
The majority of the time players are placed in the correct team (or section in this system). This system does allow us to make adjustments throughout the season if players are either excelling at one level or on the other hand if they are struggling. If players are to be moved between tiers this will be communicated to the parents and the players ahead of time through the Academy Directors.
Who will Red Star SC Academy teams play?
Red Star SC teams will compete with Academy teams from other clubs in the SE Wisconsin area.
How far will we have to travel?
Travel is kept as local as possible, with most games within the SE Wisconsin area. We may travel for tournament/ festival games depending on where they are held. For the Academy, there is no overnight travel.
When will we know the schedule of games?
All game schedules are created by WYSA. Our goal is to have the full schedule of games for you by late August. The season will begin with the assessment camp in August. For the spring schedule of games by late March.
What format do age groups play?
7U and 8U will play 4v4 throughout the entire season.
9U and 10U will play 7v7 throughout the entire season.
Have all of the soccer clubs in Wisconsin adopted the “Academy” philosophy?
Most of the clubs at the 8U, 9U, and 10U ages have now adopted the Academy style philosophy. The great thing from our standpoint is that this will be our eighth year of having the Academy and we have made tremendous strides each year in many ways.
Why not keep leagues or standings?
Standings promote a win at all cost mentality! We feel that whenever we compete against another club the game will be competitive and both teams desire to win the game. We at Red Star SC strive to put the younger players in situations where fun and development is the primary focus.
Will teams enter tournaments throughout the season?
Red Star SC believes in playing in tournaments/festivals where teams are guaranteed a certain number of games regardless of results. This environment replaces the pressure of winning with the desire to have fun. We will play in 1 total tournament/festival in the fall and spring.
Where are practice held and what days and times?
This is another reason we are different from most clubs in the area because all our teams train at the same location. This assures the coaches can be observed and are following the curriculum, which creates a true club atmosphere.
Monday: Individual Training (optional)
5:00pm-6:00pm*
Tuesday: Team Practice
Academy (U7-U10) 5:00pm-6:15pm*
Competitive/High School (U11-U19) 6:15pm-7:30pm*
Thursday: Team Practice
Academy (U7-U10) 5:00pm-6:15pm*
Competitive/High School (U11-U19) 6:15pm-7:30pm*
*Dates and times will be adjusted because of daylight and could change because of coaches schedule.
When does the Red Star SC season start and finish?
The fall season begins with the pre-season camp the first week of August with a games on Saturdays begin at the beginning of September and will end at the beginning of November. Winter training is optional, but strongly encouraged, starts in November and ends in March. There is a winter break mid-December to mid-January. Spring training starts at the beginning of April. The last game/tournament/festival is usually mid-June.
What is the cost of the Red Star SC 7U - 10U Academy Program?
The Future Stars Program (7U & 8U) is $595, which covers Fall, Winter (optional), Spring training, 1 tournament, referee fees, field rentals, and coaching fees. The 9U & 10U academy program is $695, which covers Fall, Winter (optional) & Spring training, 1 tournament, referee fees, field rentals, and coaching fees.
What do my registration fees go toward?
Your registration covers coaching fees, tournament registration fees, administrative fees, fees to Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association (WYSA), field costs, soccer operations (field maintenance, lining, refereeing), ongoing operations (Insurance, non-coaching salaries, operations), and administration expenses for the season.
Are there any additional costs outside of those mentioned above?
The assessment camp at the beginning of August is an additional cost. This is not a mandatory event but is highly recommended as the coaching staff will kick off the season and begin assigning teams and having teams play games throughout the week. Uniforms and if teams chose to do more tournaments allocated in players fees will be additional cost.
Uniform Fees – Approximately $140 (uniforms are on two year cycles ex: 2023/2024 & 2024/2025)
What are my responsibilities as a parent?
You are responsible for getting your child to practices, games, and other team functions on time and picking up your child promptly afterwards. Also your player is required to abide by the Red Star SC General Policies and Code of Conduct
What is the club refund policy?
Given the financial obligations to the club, no refunds, credits or fee transfers will be available. If Red Star SC is unable to place your child on a team, a full refund will be issued. There will be no reimbursements granted for games cancelled due to weather, acts of God, or forfeits.
Who can I contact for more information?
Email: redstar.wi@gmail.com
Phone: (262)854-5107