Piedmont Youth Academy (PYA)
The goal of the Piedmont Youth Academy program at the individual level is to develop skills in a fun and competitive environment where all coaches encourage individual creativity and foster technical ability. PYA players will learn to play freely without fear of failure in all positions on the pitch.
The goal of PYA from at the wholistic level is to develop a player base for future PYSL Travel Squads. All players who have a spot in the Academy have earned it with a tryout.
Coaching Staff
Coaching for PYA in Fall of 2022 and Spring of 2023 will be overseen by the PYA Academy Coach.
Player Selection
All Piedmont Youth Academy teams within the PYSL will be formed after an evaluation by the PYA coaching staff and the PYSL Director of Coaching. Players who wish to tryout can register with the club by emailing Logan Jones at [email protected]. Any players who don’t register by email will have to register on the day of the evaluation. Players must attend evaluation to be selected on any of the PYA teams.
Rules
A copy of the rules for the Academy League are posted underneath. The rules follow much of the same rules found in Rec, but with a few differences that pertain to the development of the soccer player.
southern va academy league rules.docx
Training/Matches
Training will take place twice per week, normally Monday and Wednesday. Once selected to an Academy level team, all training sessions are mandatory. Players who do not train may lose playing time in matches. If missing a training session is unavoidable, the player must let his/her coach know in advance so that the coach can plan his/her practice plans accordingly.
The PYA teams will play in the Academy League, consisting of Danville, Southside, and Halifax, along with festivals in the Roanoke area. Competitions will take place on the weekends, with a possible case of a weekday game. In addition, PYA teams will be eligible to play in some outside tournaments. If missing a match is unavoidable, the player must let his/her coach know at least 5 calendar days in advance so that the coach can plan that particular weekend’s squads accordingly, as teams will be mixed up throughout the season.
Fall and Spring Costs
$130 per season*
Cost Includes: Coaching, Team Practice Equipment, Insurance, Administration, Field set-up, Facilities (Smith River Sports Complex for Practices and Games)
*Players are encouraged to participate in both seasons for greater development.