Little Metros Newsletter

U-10 Program Registration

EMFC now offers a year round U10 program.

For more information regarding the U10 program, visit www.emfc.org

Little Metros Summer Skills Academy

EMFC will hold its Summer Skills Academy beginning May 19th and ending June 19th. EMFC Staff coaches will provide twice weekly instructional sessions focusing on individual player development. Players will have the option to participate in the Academy alone or to also participate in the Kid Sports Memorial Day Tournament in Springfield on May 24-25.

Program Emphasis will be on: Individual Skill Development, Functional Movement Training and Small Sided Excercises and Games.

Summer Skills Academy Registration Form

Academy Details

Individual Technical Sessions (Tue 4:30-5:30 pm starting May 20) Monroe MS West Field

EMFC staff coaches will focus on individual footwrok with and without the ball, speed, agility, ball handling and moves. These training sessions will make the young player more comfortable on and off the ball and develop movement patterns and ball mastery.

Group Technical Sessions (Thurs 4:30-5:45 pm starting May 22) Amazon Soccer Field (behind Roosevelt MS)

Instructed by EMFC Staff coaches using small group excercises and games to model, break down, and develop the following technical skills: receiving, passing, finishing, and defending.

This training session will introduce and develop skills required for successful individual and team play.

Academy Cost

Option #1

Little Metros Academy Sessions Only
Registration (Postmarked before May 5th): $110.00

Option #2

Little Metros Academy and Memorial Day Tournament
Registration (Postmarked before May 5th): $155.00*

Full and partial scholarships are available, please contact Mac Wilson or call Mac at 953-2344.

If you have any questions or would like to express your interest in the EMFC Little Metro Program, please e-mail Mac Wilson at macw@comcast.netor info@eugenemetrofc.org.

Little Metros Spring Academy

&

Spring League

EMFC will hold its Spring Skills Academy & League beginning April 1st and continuing through May 9th. The Little Metros spring program is for 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade boys and girls of all skill levels.

Players can either join our twice/week Skills Academy alone or both our Skills Academy and League. Our Skills Academy will provide organized, age specific coaching of movement patterns, ball handling, and technical skills twice a week focusing on footwork with and without the ball, speed, agility, ball handling, ball moves, receiving, passing, defending, and finishing.

The EMFC Little Metros League will take place on Friday afternoons and evenings. Each team will consist of 7-9 players and will play other EMFC teams in small-sided 5-v-5 games in order to maximize every players touches on the ball and involvement in the game. Parent coaches will coach at league games. After two sessions of evaluation, we will form teams to be coached in games by EMFC Parent Volunteer Coaches. Teams will be formed based on parent requests, skills, and other factors.

The Friday League Schedule and Team Assignments can be found here.

Friday League and Team Assignments

Academy Details

Technical Sessions (Tuesdays 4:45-5:45 pm Monroe MS (West Field))

Instructed by EMFC Staff coaches focusing on; individual footwork with and without the ball, speed, agility, ball handling and moves.

This training will make the young player more comfortable on and off the ball and develop movement and ball mastery.

Group Sessions (Wed 4:45-6 pm Graham Fields - 22nd & Polk)

Instructed by EMFC Staff coaches using small group excercises and games to model, break down, and develop the following technical skills: receiving, passing, finishing, and defending.

This training session will introduce and develop skills required for successful individual and team play.

Spring League (Friday 4:00 pm-dark Graham Fields - 22nd & Polk)

Back by popular demand, our league will take place on Friday afternoons/evenings with the first games starting on April 11th! Each EMFC team of 7-9 players will compete in one or two 50-minute games/week. Our Parent Volunteer Coaches will instruct from the sidelines using the knowledge they gained at our Little Metro Coaching Clinics. For 5 weeks, teams will play 5 vs. 5 on small-sided fields.

This format ensures multiple touches on the ball and will force our Little Metros to be creative with and without the ball.

Academy Cost

Option #1

Little Metros Academy Sessions Only
Early Bird Registration (Before March 7th): $90.00
Regular Registration (After March 7th): $110.00

Option #2

Little Metros Academy and Friday League Play
Early Bird Registration (Before March 7th): $120.00
Regular Registration (After March 7th): $140.00

Full and partial scholarships are available, please contact Mac Wilson or call Mac at 953-2344.

If you have any questions or would like to express your interest in the EMFC Little Metro Program, please e-mail Mac Wilson at macw@comcast.netor info@eugenemetrofc.org.

Program sign-up sheet is available here.

Program Philosophy

The soccer ball is the center of the Eugene Metro Fútbol Club Developmental Program.

All Developmental Program training sessions focus on introducing and improving the ball handling skills needed to become a successful young soccer player. At this young age, players will work on touching the ball as often as possible in order to learn the motor skills necessary to move with the ball in all possible directions. Players are encouraged to work with the ball, experiment with the ball, and become accustomed to handling the ball in all situations.

At training sessions, EMFC coaches will set up small group environments in which individuals can work on specific foot skills that will teach a young soccer play how to touch and move the ball with all surfaces of his/her feet. Players will learn how to juggle with their feet, thighs, and head, as well as juggling with a combination of these body parts. Players are taught a variety of soccer moves and are encouraged to be creative in using these moves during small sided game play.

In addition to ball handling skills, players will start to learn basic passing and receiving skills. Players will be taught to receive the ball with a 'positive touch' and quickly pass the ball using a variety of techniques. Players will again learn these skills in a small group environment to maximize instruction time.

The EMFC DevelopmentalProgram training sessions make use of 'small sided' games of 3v3 or 4v4. These games allow every player to get a maximum number of touches on the ball and allow each player to apply their newly learned soccer skills in a fun game environment.

The EMFC Developmental Program is designed to allow players of all levels to participate. We recognize that most children from age 6 to 10 play multiple sports and have other social activities. We offer programs throughout the year that allow maximum flexibility for participating families. By instructing in small groups, we can group individuals according to age, but more importantly, by skill level. This allows us to provide more individualized training for all players who participate in our programs. Some of our programs, such as EMFC Little Metros, are linked to forming recreational teams in either indoor or KidSports leagues.

All our programs are staffed by qualified EMFC coaches and are under the direction of the EMFC Director of Coaching. Lesson plans are developed in advanced and are designed by our most experienced coaches. All EMFC staff coaches live and work in our community and have been part of the soccer community for a number of years.

The Eugene Metro Futbol Club's Developmental Program was created and designed with the purpose of creating a fun and positive learning environment for young soccer players. We have priced the offerings or our Developmental Program to be affordable. EMFC offers additional savings for group team signup and early registration. In addition, we offer fee waivers and scholarships for players and families that need assistance.

For more information, e-mail EMFC at info@eugenemetrofc.org or call us at 541.343.5100.

Program Details & Costs

EMFC offers our Little Metros Youth Development program to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders in the Lane County area.

Four events are offered over the course of the year:

Spring Program and League Play - March/May
Summer Skills Academy - May/June
Fall Program and League Play - September/October
Winter Foot Skills - December/January

Technical skill development at a young age is one of the main objectives of the Little Metros Program. Our coaches will dedicate a significant amount of time during each training session teaching technical skill development. Our skills academies will provide organized, age specific coaching of movement patterns, ball handling, and technical skills twice a week focusing on footwork with and without the ball, speed, agility, ball handling, ball moves, receiving, passing, defending, and finishing. EMFC will always provide high quality lesson plans and trained staff coaches to implement those plans. Parent coaches will sometimes be used to assist staff coaches.

During the fall and spring modules, EMFC will form a league where all teams will participate and play games.

Spring Program and League Play

mid-March - early May Cost: $140.00

Our Spring Little Metros program offers 6 weeks of twice/week training for a total of 12 training session. All training sessions are conducted by EMFC staff coaches. Sessions are 75 minutes in length. In addition, EMFC will form teams within the program to compete in an EMFC organized league on Friday afternoons.

Spring Break Camp

During Spring Break EMFC offers a 3-day camp for all boys and girls between 6 and 14. EMFC coaches provide quality training in small group environments that focus on technical skills, passing and receiving, shooting, and small sided games. Players are grouped according to skill and age to make sure that all players are challenged and instructed according to their abilities. The camp will end with a fun World Cup tournament.

Summer Skills Academy

mid-May - Mid June Cost: $110.00

Our Summer Skills Academy is a 5 week program that offers 2 trainings per week for a total of 10 sessions. The sessions are 75 minutes in length. In addition, participants will receive their OYSA player card which will allow them to participate in at least one summer tournament. We will most likely participate in the Kids Sports Memorial Day Tournament at Thurston EMFC offers a Summer Academy that is open to all boys and girls age 6 to 14. Training sessions are held twice a week where quality EMFC coaches teach individual skills in a small group environment. Beginning with footskills, juggling, passing and recieving, players will utilize their newly learned skills in small-sided games.

If possible, EMFC will form age appropriate teams to participate in local summer tournaments. Participation in the tournaments will be an additional cost.

Fall Program and League Play

September - mid-October Cost: $140.00

The Fall program is very similar to the Spring Program. The program offers 6 weeks fo twice/week training for a total of 12 training session that are 75 minutes in length. All sessions are conducted by EMFC staff coaches. In addition, EMFC will form teams within the program to compete in an EMFC organized league on Friday afternoons.

Winter Footskills

December - January Cost: $80.00

In December and January, EMFC offers indoor footskill sessions that focus specifically on individual footskills for all players from 6-14. In these sessions, players will learn and improve their ability to handle the ball with all surfaces of their feet. They will learn how to juggle with their feet, thighs, and head. EMFC coaches instruct players to learn different moves. Ball handling and balance are key components of this training program.

We also offer participation in the Kick City Indoor League. Teams are formed with volunteer coaches and there are no practice sessions required for participation. There is an additional cost for participation in the league that will be determined by the size of the team formed.

In addition to our organized training programs, EMFC will offer the following during some of the 'down times' throughout the year:

Fútsal Games

In December and January, EMFC offers weekly drop-in Fútsal games. Fútsal is a high paced game played with a smaller and heavier ball that encourages the use of individual skills. The Fútsal games are played indoor in a fun non-instructive environment. EMFC coaches are there to supervise but the game will be the teacher.

Drop-in Pick Up Games

In December and January, EMFC organizes pickup games on Saturday mornings in which all players, parents, and siblings are invited to join. EMFC coaches will warm up all players and organize a number of games. Players will compete against different players of various age, gender, and skill. The game itself is the teacher. While EMFC coaches organize the games, these pickup games instill desire among players to go out on their own and play the game they all love.

Friday Little Metros League

The Little Metros Friday league begins play on April 11th. All games will be played at Graham Field located at Polk St. and 22nd Ave in Eugene.

League Schedule

Friday Little Metros Team Assignments

All Little Metros participants are put on teams that will compete in the Friday Little Metros League. Each team is lead by an EMFC staff coach.

Team Listing

Little Metros Coaching

Name: Mac Wilson
Assignment: U6-U10 Technical Dir./Head Coaching Trainer
License: USSF National 'A' License

The Program Director for the EMFC Little Metros is Mac Wilson. Mac is founder of Eugene Metro Fútbol Club and, along with a core group of coaches and board members, has directed the growth of the club from 3-16+ teams in just 3 years. Mac has extensive experience coaching Youth Soccer. During the 2006/2007 season, he served as the Head Coach of the EMFC U13 girls Spirit team. Mac was honored to receive the Oregon Youth Soccer Association (OYSA) Girls Coach of the Year award in 2006. Mac has also served as a team and staff coach for the Oregon Olympic Development Program (ODP) since 2004. He was the Head Coach during the 2005/2006 season for the Oregon '92 boys and Assistant Head Coach for the Oregon '93 boys in the 2006/2007 season. Mac is also the Director of the Lane County Top Soccer Program.

Prior to assuming the DOC position with EMFC, Mac served two years as the Eugene Director of Youth Development for Oregon United Soccer Academy (OUSA). In 1998 - 2001, he spent three years as Director of Coaching for the Irish Football Club. Mac also held the position of Head Men's Soccer Coach at Sheldon High School for 8 years (1997 - 2004) where his team won the OSAA class 4A state title in 2002. Mac was named the Oregon Scholastic Athletic Association (OSAA) State Coach of the Year in 2002 as well. During his tenure at Sheldon, he was also named Midwestern League Men?s Soccer Coach of the year 5 times. Mac coached and mentored over seventeen players at Sheldon who went on to enjoy great academic and soccer success at the NCAA Division I, II, and NAIA levels.

Prior to settling in Eugene, Mac played college soccer for four years at the University of Tampa, where he was a 4-year starter and a captain under Tom Fitzgerald from 1988 - 1991. Mac's UT teams made the NCAA Division II National Tournament each year and reached the elite eight his final year.

Mac has a M.S. Degree in Special Education and has been teaching in the Eugene area for 12 years. He is currently a teacher at Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School.

Mac currently holds his USSF National "A" license.

Little Metros Lead Coaches

Bear Goodman - Bear has been a member of the EMFC staff and a Little Metros coach for the last two years. Bear holds his USSF "D" coaching license. Bear is the founder and owner of Creative Minds alternative school in Eugene.

Third/Fourth Grade Boys coaches

Alex Vidal - Alex is the current Men's Varsity Head Soccer Coach at Sheldon High School. Alex is also the U13 boys Head Coach for EMFC. He holds his "D" license.

Billy Meenan - Billy has been a staff coach in the EMFC Little Metros program for the last year. Billy played high school and club soccer in Colorado before moving to Eugene.

Josh Carillo - Josh grew up playing high school and club soccer in southern California. He has been an EMFC Little Metros staff coach for the last two years. Josh is also the owner of Island Juice in Eugene.

Robin Bostwick - Robin grew up in Portland and played for the Lake Oswego Soccer Club and West Linn High School. Robin is a current education major at the UO.

Third/Fourth Grade Girls coaches

Dylann Tharp - Dylann joins the EMFC staff after a stellar career with the UO Women's Soccer program. Dylann was a four year starter and the leader of the Duck defense.

Jenn Hughes - Jenn joins the EMFC staff after growing up in Salem playing club and high school soccer in that area. Jenn is a current UO student.

Teresa Bowns - Teresa is entering her junior year with the UO Women's Soccer program where she was a starter during her sophomore year. Teresa grew up playing in Seattle.

First/ Second Grade coaches

Caitlin Tilby - Caitlin has been the goalkeeper for the EMFC U14 Spirit team for the last four years and will be attending Sheldon in the fall.

Dean Smith - Dean is the Head Coach for the LCC Women's Soccer program for the last two years. He is also the Head Coach for EMFC's U16 girls. Dean has his USSF "C" license.

Jes Smith - Jes has been the assistant for his father Dean's girls teams the last three years. Jes also coaches in the EMFC TOPSoccer program.

Kent Decker - Kent joins the EMFC staff after serving for the last two years as the Churchill High School Boys JV Coach.

Toby Thompsen - Toby grew up playing club and high school soccer in Eugene where he played on the Sheldon High Boys state championship team in 2002 under Mac Wilson.