The NDSC Jr. Lakers Academy of Excellence is designed to enhance the NDSC player pathway by providing additional development opportunities exclusively for players registered in the NDSC Development and Competitive Programs.

The Academy complements regular team training by providing players with additional focused training in a small-group environment. The program is designed to increase individual attention, touches on the ball, repetition and opportunities to make decisions in realistic game situations.

Our goal is to help players develop the technical ability, confidence, tactical understanding and decision-making skills required to progress within the NDSC player pathway.

Academy at a Glance

Players: NDSC Development & Competitive

AgesU9-U12 and U13-U17 (Players within these age categories may be further grouped according to age, technical ability and developmental needs).

Gender Boys & Girls

Training GroupsAge & Skill Specific

Group Size 6–8 Players

Program Type Additional Development Training

Training Environment Small Group

Primary Focus Individual Player Development

Key Areas Technical • 1v1 • Tactical • Decision-Making • Game Understanding

TRAIN MORE. IMPROVE FASTER. PLAY BETTER.

Small Group Training

Small Group Training is a key component of the NDSC Jr. Lakers Academy of Excellence.

Each training group will generally consist of 6–8 players, creating an environment that allows for more individual attention and coaching while maintaining the interaction, opposition and decision-making required for effective player development.

Smaller groups provide players with:

• More touches on the ball
• Increased repetition
• Greater individual coaching and feedback
• More opportunities for 1v1 situations
• Increased decision-making opportunities
• More involvement in each activity
• Game-realistic technical and tactical challenges

Player Development Focus

Academy sessions will focus on developing the individual player while helping them understand how their skills apply within the game.

Technical Development

Players will work on:

Ball Mastery

Developing comfort, control and confidence with the ball.

First Touch & Receiving

Receiving effectively under different types of pressure and preparing the next action.

Passing & Combination Play

Improving passing technique, timing, movement and combination play with teammates.

Dribbling & Running With the Ball

Developing confidence to carry the ball, change direction and attack space.

Finishing

• Developing different finishing techniques and making effective decisions around goal.

1v1 Development

1v1 Attacking

Players will develop their ability to:

• Take on and beat defenders
• Change speed and direction
• Protect the ball
• Recognize opportunities to attack
• Use creativity in possession
• Play confidently under pressure

1v1 Defending

Players will develop:

• Effective defensive approach
• Body positioning
• Patience and control
• Recognition of attacking cues
• Timing of challenges
• Ability to regain possession

Tactical Understanding & Decision-Making

Technical ability becomes more effective when players understand when, where and why to use their skills.

Academy activities will therefore progress into opposed and game-realistic situations that challenge players to:

Scan • Recognize • Decide • Execute

Players will develop greater awareness of:

• Space
• Pressure
• Teammates
• Opponents
• Positioning
• Movement
• Transition moments
• Appropriate technical solutions

Small-Sided & Game-Realistic Training

Small-sided activities will provide players with frequent opportunities to apply their individual skills against opposition.

Formats such as 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 can be incorporated depending on the objectives and number of players within each training group.

These activities create more involvement and repeated opportunities for players to solve problems, make decisions and execute skills under pressure.

Our Development Approach

The Academy of Excellence does not replace regular NDSC team training.

It provides an additional layer of individual player development within the NDSC pathway.

By working with groups of 6–8 players organized according to age and skill level, Academy coaches can better adjust the difficulty, intensity and complexity of activities to meet the developmental needs of each group.

The environment will encourage players to:

Be confident. Be creative. Make decisions. Take risks. Learn from mistakes. Compete.

Most importantly, players will be encouraged to develop a greater understanding of the game while building a strong technical foundation.