President’s Note

What a great spring season! I am so proud of our girls!

Here are just a few highlights from the last month.

2005/6 JS is the Boise Performance Cup U17 Finalists!
2005/6 JS is the Coeur d’Alene Hot Shots Tournament U17 Finalists!
2006 AG is crushing it in Girls Academy! They are ranked 4th in the Northwest League and 10th in the National League standings!
2008 TN is the Boise Performance Cup U15 Champions!
2008 TN is the Coeur d’Alene Hot Shots Tournament U12 Champions!
2010 BG is the Twin Falls Canyon Rim Classic U12 Finalists!
2010 BG/KS is the Coeur d’Alene Hot Shots Tournament U12 Champions!
2010 KS is the Reno Player’s Cup U12 Champions!
2011 is the Coeur d’Alene Hot Shots Tournament U12 Semi-Finalists!
2012 is continuing to develop and reminding us that having fun is the reason we do this.

We have a lot going on in May.

We have our Spring Season Celebration May 14th. Learn more here.
Our Spring Scramble 3v3 Tournament. Make sure you register by Weds, here.
Early Registration for Development Phase (2011-2013). Make sure you register by May 22, here.
And Tryouts coming up June 6-7 (2010-2004). Make sure to register, here.

For next year, we are announcing:

2022-23 Coaching Roster.
Our Girls Academy Discovery Pathway.
A new collaboration with D1 Boise.

But first, I want to talk a little bit about the Chicas Way.

The Chicas Way

Last spring, we started rethinking our style of play and our programming. We call it the Chicas Way. We tested our theories with the 2006s and the results exceeded our expectations. Last fall, we started working on a training system to fulfill the potential of the Chicas Way — a deliberate, consistent, long-term program that develops the required skills for girls to reach peak performance by the time they are around 14 years of age. Our goal this year has been to figure out how to scale the system consistently and appropriately throughout the entire program. There have been challenges, and we have learned a lot.

Program Structure

The program is divided into three phases: Academy for ages 8 and under, Development for ages 9-11, and Competitive for ages 12 and up. These divisions are based primarily on girls’ mental and physiological development rates, which can be highly variable, and will average out by the ages of 13-14. This is why in the Academy and Development phases our primary focus is on individual skill development, so that by the time everyone catches up mentally and physically, they are all strong, confident players, who can make significant contributions to their teams.

For these reasons, we have introduced early registration for Development Phase. We don’t feel that a tryout day can accurately reflect a player’s potential at these ages, because they are changing so fast. With early registration, we want you to know that you are a part of the club’s future, and we are committed to continue to develop your daughter’s potential. If you register early, you are automatically a member of the club for next year. Your daughter still needs to attend tryouts for team assignments, so we can put her in the appropriate level of competition and training.

Program Consistency

The Chicas Way requires a deliberate, long-term development program with consistent delivery on the practice field. That is a huge challenge, and one we are up for. We have learned a lot this year. We have tried ideas, made some mistakes, learned, and adjusted — just like we ask our players to do. Some of those adjustments include cohorts training to the same core set of skills, scrimmaging together, and organizing cohorts to allow more fluidity between teams as girls develop. Different cohorts are also training together to teach leadership skills and deeper technical understandings for the older girls and to inspire younger girls to reach for their potential. And coaches are training toward a common culture consistent with our mission and the Chicas Way. We are eager to continue building and improving the program next year, and to expand the system into the early years of the Development phase.

Style of Coaching

The Chicas Way is more than a style of play, it is also an approach to coaching. We have put in significant time and effort to design a program that is consistent with our mission: to empower young women. We don’t view a player as a coach’s pawn on a chess board. We want players who can think for themselves, play creatively with teammates, and have the courage to make things happen. The fundamentals of the Chicas Way are designed to promote risk-taking, creative problem solving, and dynamic decision making and coordination. A key element in delivering this program is mentoring our coaching staff to interact with players to facilitate these skills. It requires a unique, collaborative style of coaching, and we are working hard to make it the core of our coaching culture. When we say we coach to empower, we mean it.

2022-23 Coaching Roster

We have set our cohort coaching roster for the fall 2022-23 season. Our coaching staff is one of the most experienced in Idaho, and we are so lucky to have such a wonderful mix of talent, passion, and enthusiasm. You can find their bios here.

05/06 - Ashley Irvin, Jen Keasal
06 - Allison Gibson
07 - Allison Gibson
08 - Tracy Nelson, Tristen Spooner
09 - Tristen Spooner, Tracy Nelson
10 - Tristen Spooner, Ashley Irvin, Kristy Smith
11 - Craig Naylor, Bill Gilbert, Allison Gibson
12 - AJ Moore, Delaney Johnston, Tristen Spooner
13 - Tom Park, Brandon Gallegos

GA Discovery Pathway

We are proud to announce our new Girls Academy Discovery Pathway. The Girls Academy League is the leading youth soccer development platform for the best female soccer players in the United States. Our Discovery Pathway allows our younger players the opportunity to experience higher levels of competition, and gives our older players an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to a wide audience of college recruiters. The Discovery Pathway is through our special relationship with Bridge City Soccer Academy and offers discovery player and team opportunities for ages 12-18.

May-June Calendar

Spring Season Celebration

We are really looking forward to celebrating the 2022 Spring Season with you on May 14, 3-6 pm at the Indie Chicas Field. There will be food trucks, a silent auction, pick up games for the younger ones, and the Spring Scramble 3v3 tournament. A great big shout out to Adrian Amo, Stacey Castro, Sarah Edmunds, and all the team managers for helping us put this event together — they have done an amazing job. We hope to see you and your family there. You can learn more about the event here.

Spring Scramble 3v3 Tourney

Indie Chicas 2013 and older are invited to the Spring Scramble 3v3 during the Spring Season Celebration on May 14, 3-6 pm at the Indie Chicas Field. We will randomly assign you to a team and announce it on May 12. Register your name by May 11. Sign up here.

Early Registration for 2011-2013s

All Indie Chicas with birth years 2011 to 2013 are eligible for early registration until May 22. Early registration guarantees your place in the club next season. You are still required to attend tryouts for team assignments. Early Registration closes on May 22. Register here.

Tryouts for 2010-2004s

Don’t forget to register for tryouts. If you are a 2010 or older, you must tryout for next season. Tryouts are on June 6-7. Register here.

Her Goals Soccer Camp

We are offering Her Goals Soccer Camp for the weeks of June 13-16 and July 18-21 for ages 5 to 14. Learn more and register here.

D1 Boise

We are pleased to announce our new collaboration with D1 Boise to establish a cross-training program designed for the Chicas Way. This program will be part of our new Elite Plan for girls who want additional cross-training over the winter season. But wait. There’s more. If you participate in the Elite Plan, your entire family will be eligible for reduced “Indie Chicas” rates at D1. So, while your daughter is training, you can fulfill that New Year’s resolution at the same time. For more information, see the Elite Plan for Development Phase (ages 9-11) or Competitive Phase (ages 12 and up).

CHICA CHATTER