President’s Note

Good luck to all of our girls starting their spring season!

We are also starting our Spring Academy this month. Terra Bigelow will be leading ages 5 through 7. For this group our program targets age appropriate skill development, with an emphasis on balance, basic skills, and fun. Soccer-oriented games in this group are designed to connect the brain, feet, and body to the ball. Craig Naylor will be leading age 8, where we focus on the basic language of soccer and ball fluency. And we introduce our girls to the fundamental tactics of the Chicas Way, giving them the opportunity to solve problems, take chances, and learn from mistakes - keys to gaining long-lasting confidence and resilience.

I am very proud of our 2006s playing in the Girls Academy this spring. They are playing against the best teams in the Northwest and doing great. Currently, they are ranked 5th in the Northwest league and 15th nationally. Go Chicas!

Also, I’d like to introduce some new names.

Ashley Irvin is joining the 2010s. Ashley is a former NCAA Div. I collegiate player and holds a USSF D license.
Delaney Johnston is joining the 2010s. Delaney has a distinguished high school career and is a former NCAA Div. 1 collegiate player.
Allie Shaffer is joining the 2014s. Allie is former NCAA Div. 1 collegiate player.
Aiyana “AJ” Moore is helping out the 2012’s. She has a distinguished high school career and is a former NCAA Div. 2 collegiate player.
Melanie Hopkins is coming on as a Goalkeeper coach. She is a former NAIA collegiate player and is currently the goalkeeping coach at Owyhee High School.

Academy Schedule

2013s March 14 through May 13, 2022. Mondays and Wednesdays 6:30 PM to 7:30 at the Indie Chicas Field.
2014s March 28 through May 13, 2022. Monday and Wednesday, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM, at the Indie Chicas Fields. Games on Saturday.
2015-16s March 28 through May 13, 2022. Monday practice and Friday games 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM at the Indie Chicas Fields.

The Chicas Way

Guiding Principle #3

Working together as a team to accomplish our goals and uphold the mission of the club.

What does that mean for your soccer player? As a club, our coaches are committed to making sure we live the mission of the club in all our interactions with your child. Producing empowered, confident, skilled girls is a task we embrace and intentionally plan our approach upon. We also believe that following our age appropriate soccer curriculum is critical for the continued success and development of your daughter.

Training Focus

The Technical 10.

Each of our teams will spend the first 10 minutes of every session focusing on their individual technical skill. This will be done in 3 areas: ball mastery, dribbling for speed & accuracy, and 1v1 take on moves. The Technical 10 improves our players' technical skills, builds confidence, and allows for better possession as a team.

Confidence Club

February’s confidence club was a huge success. We focused the week on a big topic: taking risks. Our players talked together about risk-taking on and off the field, and how important they are to making meaningful decisions in their lives.

Taking risks and learning from your experiences can be scary - and our players discussed how they can build themselves up and be confident in their risk taking. Public speaking, trying a new food, and decisions on the field were all fair game. Everyone made an “encouragement bumper sticker” of ways they can encourage themselves when they’re not sure and need a little confidence in themselves.

The Development Phase

Ages 9 to 11

This spring, we have been redesigning our program to address the unique demands of the development phase. The rate of girls’ physical and mental development can vary widely during the development ages 9 to 11 years old. Girls will experience rapid growth spurts, and it may take some time for them to grow into their new bodies. Movements that were second nature may suddenly be difficult or frustrating. Once their bodies adjust, they will experience rapid development of their coordination and fine motor skills. And they will show improvements in strength and speed.

Some girls will start their growth spurts earlier than others, and this may give them a temporary advantage on the field. (It may also give opposing teams a temporary advantage.) However, by the age of 13, most girls will have experienced their growth spurts, and player sizes on teams will begin averaging out. Then, a player’s skill will be the critical factor in a player’s success.

During the development phase, we are standardizing our practice sessions to ensure that every player continues to develop fundamental skills, confidence, and the Chicas Way of play, so that they will be prepared to explore their individual peak performances by ages 14 to 15.

Her Goals Soccer Camp

We are announcing Her Goals Soccer Camp. These half-day camps are for any young female soccer player who wants to have fun, improve her game, and play with confidence.

Foundations Camp (Ages 5 to 10) is for girls of all skill levels. These sessions are built on fun, game-oriented activities designed to enrich each player’s technical skills and confidence with the ball — skills she will need as she develops her game.

Performance Camp (Ages 11 to 14) is for girls eager to improve their confidence on the ball and their decision making on the field. She will be challenged to increase her speed of play, apply her skills and creativity, and learn fresh perspectives on her capabilities. Infused in each session are lessons on building confidence and leadership — skills that will help her make a difference in her coming club or high school season.

June 13-16 and July 18-21. Learn more here.

Making TeamSnap Schedule Work for You

Are you constantly checking your TeamSnap Schedule to see upcoming club and team events? Did you know you can easily sync your TeamSnap Schedule to show up on your favorite Google or Apple calendar? Click to this page and select your operating system for instructions: Syncing TeamSnap Schedules to Calendars.

CHICA CHATTER