SANTA FE SOCCER ACADEMY

Santa Fe Soccer Academy is also called the Santa Fe Red Wolves.

We decided to create an academy because we saw the need to develop players who also play in our recreation league (Alachua Soccer League). In other words, we now have a recreation league for those who want to play for fun, as well as an academy for those who are ready to grow and develop their love for the game. To be clear this is not competition, select, or club soccer. Consider this the in between level to get your player to the next level.

Below is a list of common questions to help give you a better understanding of what you may be invited to join.

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Q: How is this different from recreation?
A: In recreation, we often have teams with players who really want to become great players mixed with players who just want to stay active or have fun. This contrast can sometimes hold back the ones who wish to improve their skill. Academy is by invite only. This allows us evaluate players and create teams that are like minded and closely related in skill level. By doing this the coach can challenge the players a bit more for better overall development results.

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Q: What days are practices?
A: Practices will be held every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm (times may vary).

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Q: If the focus isn’t to compete, are there games?
A: Yes! Academy only works if we put all that training to work. We will have a game every Friday night starting in February at Legacy fields in Alachua. The season will follow the recreation schedule and end at the same time. These games are for development, so they will be small sided games such as 3v3, 5v5, and 7v7 depending on our total number of players. The field will be smaller, there will be no goalies, and shorter game durations. This type of game is much faster and will require endurance and quicker decision making. Your player will also get 3x to 5x as many touches on the ball than they would in a regular game.

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Q: Who do we play against?
A: We need to have a minimum of 16-24 players. Those players will be split into two teams for practices. After several practices and further evaluation, those two teams will be split up again into a total of four smaller teams for game purposes. The season consists of two, four weeklong “mini seasons”. Once players are assigned a team and a coach, they will remain on that team for four weeks or until they have competed against every other team one time. After the first mini season, teams will then be reevaluated and divided again for the next four weeks of play. A tournament will be held at the end of each mini season. Players should expect a minimum of 8 and as much as 12 games in total. So, in short, we play games within our own Academy.