By Ashley Ferraro
Springs Soccer Club, the official travel soccer program in Coral Springs, offers comprehensive player development both on and off the field with the help of a professional coaching staff. After its inaugural season took off last year, the program is rapidly growing to deliver extensive skills training, younger player development, and competitive teams for local children, emphasizing the individual and their potential both on and off the field.
The official season runs for ten months, from August to May. During the summer months, players stay busy participating in development clinics. Although travel has been limited due to Covid-19 precautions, the teams were able to make it to cities as far as Jupiter, Naples, and Kendall to safely compete.
Although the pandemic had the Springs Soccer Club off to a slow start, the organizers were able to get it running in full swing thanks to the cooperation of the kids and parents, as well as safety protocols put in place by the city and county. Especially during times of uncertainty, the program acts as an outlet for youth to develop their passion for the game while reaping the benefits of playing on a team.
Laurie Thomas, Executive Director of the Springs Soccer Club, adds, “The kids are super excited to come out to the field because some of them are still doing online school, so they love to come out and interact with their teammates and play and have fun in that environment we create for them.”
Something unique to the Springs Soccer Club is its advanced development programs in which children can seek guidance from professional coaches, the perfect starting point for those looking to go on a pathway to a competitive team. It also acts as a supplemental training program to those playing recreational, since all players are granted access to this resource. Not to mention, there are three female coaches in the program.
“One of the things we really emphasize is not just the player development on the field, but also developing the kids as people and instilling values into our program, and recognizing kids that exhibit these values,” says Laurie. “We build a lot of character into our training because that’s a really big piece of how we develop the players. Coincidentally, whenever you spend that time building these core values, you can create competitors.”
She mentions that if a player is found demonstrating a critical quality like sportsmanship, cooperation, or honesty, they will get recognized. In addition to honing in on technique and athletics, this is just one way that the program strives to be a positive influence on character building beyond competitive soccer.
The development training program invites all Coral Springs boys and girls to either try out for their competitive teams or play recreationally. For those interested in getting a taste of what the Springs Soccer Club is all about, they can stop by for a Friday pickup session at Cypress Park, which is free for all children in the community.
To learn more about the program, please visit www.springssoccerclub.com
