about our club

Our mission is to utilize soccer as a vehicle for growth, helping children develop confidence, resilience, teamwork, and leadership skills in a safe and inclusive environment. We believe in creating an environment that promotes sportsmanship, joy, and self-expression, both on the field and in everyday life.

players

Haas Park Soccer is open to players of all abilities, with no tryouts, no travel, and no pressure. All training sessions and games take place locally at Haas Park, making participation convenient and community driven with volunteer parent coaches being a key cog of the program.

GAME FORMAT

Players are introduced to age-appropriate formats such as 5v5, 7v7, and 9v9, which maximize touches on the ball and encourage creativity, teamwork, and learning in small-group environments. Each season includes weekend practices and games where players can put their learning into action.

training PHILOSOPHY

The Haas Park Soccer is centered on three key principles: Safety, Confidence, and Growth.

Safety: Every session is structured to ensure a secure environment where players feel supported, respected, and encouraged to take risks without fear of judgment.

Confidence: We focus on celebrating effort and progress, helping players believe in themselves while fostering a love for the game.

Growth: Soccer is more than a sport; it is an opportunity to develop teamwork, decision-making, and personal responsibility. We emphasize lessons that extend beyond the game.

Training sessions are designed to be fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. Each session begins with stretching and dynamic warmups to prepare the body and reduce the risk of injury. This is followed by technical skill work and movement activities to build ball control, agility, and coordination. Sessions finish with game-like scenarios that encourage decision-making and creativity in a realistic context.

Players are encouraged to explore their creativity, solve problems, and express themselves through soccer. Coaches are trained to guide with positivity and patience, ensuring that every child leaves the field feeling more confident than when they arrived.

Games

Game days at Haas Park Soccer are structured to give players the best balance of learning and playing. Each one-hour session begins with a warm-up and practice segment where players complete stretching, dynamic warmups, and technical movement activities led by their coaches. These routines build focus, coordination, and readiness for games.

The final portion of the session is dedicated to small-sided games. Formats progress with age and development

2–3 years: Skills classes that focus on familiarizing with the ball and field while working on motor function actions

4–5 years: 5v5, introducing goalkeepers and basic positional ideas.

3rd-4th grade: 7v7, expanding field size, roles, and tactical concepts such as width and depth.

5th-6th grade: 9v9, a step toward full-field soccer with larger tactical focus, team shape, and more defined positional play.

7th-8th grade: 9v9, continuing the focus on larger tactical concepts, team shape, and preparation for full-field play.

Scores are recorded, but the primary emphasis is on enjoyment, equal playing time, exercise, and effort. The goal is to create an environment where players can compete, learn, and improve while maintaining a love for the game.

learning goals

AGE

2 – 3 years

ROSTER/FORMAT

No rosters, play-based activities

SOCCER-SPECIFIC LEARNING GOALS

Exposure to the ball through dribbling, kicking, and chasing in a playful environment.

Basic body coordination: running, jumping, stopping, and starting.

Learning to share space and equipment with other children.

Joy and comfort being active with a soccer ball present.

4 – 5 years

A small roster allows every child to play often while rotating for rest breaks.

Ball Mastery: Dribbling with different parts of the foot—inside, outside, sole.

Basic Control: Stopping the ball, toe taps, tick-tocks.

Directional Awareness: Dribbling forward, turning away from pressure.

Game Concepts: Learning “my team vs. other team” and chasing the ball together.

Early Passing Exposure: Passing short distances to a nearby teammate.

1stGrade — 5v5, 10 players

Maintains frequent touches while introducing more structure to play.

First Touch Development: Using the inside of the foot to receive and control.

Passing & Receiving: Short passes with proper surface of the foot.

Basic Defending: Staying between the attacker and the goal.

Spatial Awareness: Beginning to spread out instead of bunching around the ball.

Dribbling Under Pressure: Keeping the ball close while a defender approaches.

2nd  Grade — 5v5, 10 players

Prepares players for slightly more structured games while ensuring equal time.

Dribbling Under Pressure: Keeping the ball close while a defender approaches.

Positioning Basics: Understanding roles of defender vs. attacker.

Support Play: Moving after passing (pass-and-move concept).

Combination Play: Short give-and-go introductions.

Transition Awareness: Shifting quickly between defense and attack when possession changes.

Finishing Basics: Shooting with the laces toward the target areas of the goal.

3rd/4th Grade — 6v6, 12 players

Larger rosters enable more structure and substitutions as stamina and game complexity increase, while maintaining the maximum number of touches.

Team Shape: Beginning to understand spreading across the width and length of the field.

Defensive Shape: Staying compact and marking space/players.

Off-the-Ball Movement: Checking into space, supporting teammates.

Passing Range: Expanding to medium-distance passes.

Decision Making: Recognizing when to dribble vs. pass.

Basic Goalkeeping Concepts: Positioning in the goal, using hands legally.

5th/6th,  7th/8th Grade — Larger Format,16 players

Rosters expand to prepare for 9v9 and eventually 11v11 formats, ensuring squad depth for substitutions and tactical rotations.

Tactical Understanding: Building team shape in attack—width, depth; and defense—compactness, pressure, cover-balance.

Combination Play: Give-and-go, overlaps, and switching the field.

Transition Play: Quick counterattacks and organized recovery defending.

Position-Specific Roles: Defenders, midfielders, forwards with clear responsibilities.

Advanced Finishing: Striking with accuracy and power using different surfaces.

Communication & Leadership: Using verbal cues and signals to organize teammates.