| What
is a Center of Excellence?
A center of excellence
as we operate is much like a British football
center of development -- a training and playing
concept found extensively in the UK. Throughout
Britain, professional clubs set up centers
of development to draw players together from
various youth clubs to pursue training and
playing at a higher level. The centers do
not replace the players existing club commitments
but rather complement them. These centers
of development do not compete in area youth
league play and do not train as intensively
during youth club seasons. Only when the club
seasons end, does the training commitment
become more intensive. Actual game play occurs
in tournaments and in premier level league
play outside of the context of the leagues
in which the youth clubs play.
How Does the
Granite FC C.O.E. Organize its Center of Excellence?
The Granite FC C.O.E.
organizes its training and playing opportunities
around the age group designations set forth
by the New Hampshire Soccer Association. Currently,
the Granite FC C.O.E . is pursuing the development
of five distinct girls’ sides – U-10, U-11,
U-12, U-16 and U-17. Although one trainer/coach
is dedicated to working exclusively with each
side, every trainer/coach spends significant
time observing and working with each group.
Although the Granite FC C.O.E. will consider
the establishment of additional training and
playing sides, we will do so only if we are
convinced that we can maintain a real and
extensive connection between each training/playing
side and each and every trainer/coach.
Why Should
My Son or Daughter Consider the Granite FC
C.O.E.?
If your son or daughter
loves to play soccer and has shown a real
passion for improving as a player, then he
or she should consider the C.O.E. The C.O.E.
provides ongoing and intensive training and
game time coaching by professional UEFA licensed
trainers. The trainers/coaches will spend
many, many hours with your child over months
and years and will come to know him or her
very well as both a player and a person. It
is our experience that the development of
a sustained and strong connection between
our players and high level trainers is the
critical element that helps us raise a good
club player to the premier level of play.
Can My Daughter
Continue Playing with his or her Club?
Yes, we allow C.O.E.
members to retain their playing and training
ties with their clubs. After all, the clubs
are the setting in which they came to love
the sport. To keep alive each player’s love
of the game, it is often important for a player
to continue playing with old friends and schoolmates.
Further, we believe that it is important for
the development of young players that they
get a lot of touches in a diversity of settings.
Because there is no culture of “playground”
or “pickup” soccer in this country, multiple
play settings is all the more important. As
a result, we strive to minimize conflicts
between C.O.E. and club and try to apply a
rule of reason to resolving conflicts when
they do arise.
What is the
Time Commitment?
The Granite FC C.O.E.
operates approximately 10 months a year. During
the fall and spring club season, it is expected
that each member will train twice a week with
the C.O.E. There will also be six or seven
games played in either the Massachusetts Area
Premier League (“MAPLE”) or the Massachusetts
Soccer Conference (“MASC”) (premier leagues
in which New Hampshire clubs typically do
not play). In mid June through July, the training
becomes much more intensive. C.O.E. members
train four times a week and will play in two
or three tournaments in the northeast during
this time frame. In August, C.O.E training
resumes with an overnight mini camp and twice
a week training sessions. In late October
when many New Hampshire clubs stop playing
we continue training and play outdoors until
Thanksgiving. The C.O.E. goes quiet again
in December and January and picks up with
once a week indoor training that culminates
in tournament play in March someplace less
snowy and cold than New Hampshire.
How does my
Son or Daughter Join the Granite FC C.O.E.?
If you think that your
son or daughter might enjoy and benefit from
participation in the C.O.E., we urge you to
contact us to discuss your child’s playing
history and interest. We will then take the
time to observe your son or daughter in his
or her current playing situation. If what
we see in that setting suggests he or she
would enjoy and benefit from the C.O.E., we
will ask your son or daughter to join us for
a few training sessions just to assure that
everyone is happy with the decision. Although
this is a bit more involved than the typical
tryout process, we take the extra time to
assure that the C.O.E. is as positive a development
experience as possible.
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