Lumber River Football Club follows the US Soccer curriculum and player training philosophies .  We believe in player centered instruction that allows players to learn through the best teacher of the game, the game itself. 

Each different age group has a different focus in player development, and these are the specific areas that our coaches will be looking for in terms of success.  Success at each age level shouldn't be determined by win's or losses, but rather whether or not the players is able to master the concepts specific for their age group. 

Player development is at the forefront for LRFC, as well as keeping the game simple and fun for kids of all ages.  Please take the time to review the stages of development that we look to help our players master as we take them through the US Soccer curriculum and stages of development.

U6-U8 - Initial Stage (FUNdamentals)

At this stage, children do not have the same capacity as adults to analyze the environment.  Children are still gathering the experience necessary to interact with their surroundings and with others.  In order to help children build their own experience, many exercises will be individual (each player with a ball).  The tactical component of the game will be reduced to small-sided games with basic explanations about space distribution.  Training sessions will be treated more as physical education than specifically as soccer training.

Technique - 35%
Scrimmage - 35%
Tactical - 0%
Physical - 30%

U9-U12 - Basic Stage (Learning to Train)

At this stage, the structure (but not content) of the training sessions will be more similar to that of older players. The main component of the training session will be technical. It is sensible at this age to develop technique and basic tactical understanding. Children's capacity to solve problems increases significantly. Therefore, players will begin working on basic and dynamic tactical situations. At this stage, players are pre-pubescent and have important physical limitations in terms of strength and endurance.

Technique - 30%
Scrimmage - 30%
Tactical - 20%
Physical - 20%

U13-U14 - Intermediate Stage (Training to Train)

Players at this age develop a good understanding of the game. However, these players are limited by their physical size and the significant changes which arise with puberty. Safety should be the number one priority for the coach. The coach must be cautious to avoid overtraining and should focus more on tactical and technical elements of the game and less on the physical aspects. Tactical training plays an important role at this stage.

Technique - 20%
Scrimmage - 30%
Tactical - 25%
Physical - 25%

U15-U18 - Advanced Stage (Training to Compete)

Players at this age have completed most of their physical and mental development. All components of training can be combined and organized with the purpose of developing the highest potential of the player. The strength of the muscles helps to develop technique at high speed and this speed helps the player to react faster to tactical situations. This stage is crucial for combining all the components of soccer in order to increase the players' soccer knowledge.

Technique - 15%
Scrimmage - 30%
Tactical - 30%
Physical - 25%

What are the components of the game we teach to players?

Modified Playing Rules

LRFC also follows the rules of US Youth Soccer when it comes to modified rules of the game. Players that play in our programs can expect to use the following formats if participating in our programs.

Goal and Field Size Recommendations

US Youth Soccer and US Soccer recommend the following field sizes by age: