With the season rapidly coming to a close, I wanted to share some information about off-season training options. Here is some information, and if you want more, reach out to me at TSzewczyk@isd271.org.
CLUB SOCCER
Lots of players have asked about club soccer. You have several options, depending on what works best for you and your family. Here’s a bit of information for nearby clubs, in no particular order.
Bloomington United
- This is the local club that feeds a lot of players to both Jefferson and Kennedy HS.
- As a non-profit, community-based club, their emphasis is on “grassroots” players and teams.
- They participate in the Twin Cities Soccer League (TCSL) and have teams at the Cities, State, and Regional level. They may have NPL teams in the near future.
- The levels mean the approximate distance your team is willing to travel for tournament play
- Cities = all tournaments would be in the Twin Cities
- State = tournaments could be anywhere in Minnesota
- Regional = tournaments could be anywhere in the Midwest
- They offer winter training, with 17 sessions (mainly weekends) from November to March.
- They offer extra training (at an additional fee) that focuses on strength and conditioning, technical skills, and futsal play.
- I have already talked to their Directors and if there are enough players interested, there will be a team to play on.
- For families that need financial aid, they have a great system. Just reach out to the club and ask about it!
Eden Prairie
- Similar to Bloomington United, it’s a non-profit, community based club.
- EP has teams at similar levels as Bloomington United, as well as some National Premier League (NPL) teams.
- I have connected players in the past to their club to help them get on a team. Their older teams are always accepting players.
Eagan
- I have connected players in the past to their club to help them get on a team. I have a good connection with their Director of Coaching.
- They have teams at the same level as Bloomington United and Eden Prairie.
BVU (Burnsville, Apple Valley United)
- Also a non-profit, community club.
- They have less options for teams but may be able to accept some players if there is a fit.
This list is not all-inclusive. There are additional clubs in the area, but the fee structure may get more pricey for some of them. If you’re not interested in these clubs and want something else, let me know and I’ll give you more options.
WINTER SOCCER
I want to encourage players to find ways to get together and play competitively with teammates during the winter, whether or not you play club soccer. If you can manage to do it, getting a team together to play at TOCA in Burnsville or in any of the futsal leagues around the metro area would be a huge help. These facilities and games are designed to improve your speed of play. To really increase your ability to play at a higher level, this is going to become more and more important – can you play successfully at high speeds? These leagues really help with that development. It’s not a requirement to do it, but if you can swing it, it does help development. Also, it’s SUPER fun! It’s a different game because of walls and other changes.
SUMMER TRAINING
Starting in June, the coaches and I will be available to work with players. I’ll be setting up a schedule as we get closer to the summer that covers days, times, locations, and what we’re working on. Similar to all of the other things I have listed, this is not mandatory. If you aren’t playing club soccer, this gives you a chance to train. If you want to learn more about soccer and tactics, improve your technical skills, and improve your physical conditioning, this would be a great opportunity to do all of these things for free.
If you do play club soccer, then I would encourage you to come to the summer training but I’ll work with you to modify what you’re doing each day. That will depend on your club schedule and workload, and it’ll help with preventing overtraining injuries.