Our vision...
We want kids to love the game as much as we do. We want kids to dream about the game and look forward with anticipation to each training session. We want them to salivate for their next match. We want them to stargaze upon their heroes at the professional level and marvel at their abilities in hopes that they can achieve the same one day. This sort of passion for the game inspires kids to go above and beyond the norm to achieve greatness.
We want kids to develop individually in order to take our soccer nation forward collectively. We want our clients to look back with the fondness when their playing days are over and know they had a direct impact on raising the level of play in the United States.
The mission of SJSS is simple. Develop players to the peak of their potentials in training environments that are fun, stimulating, and challenging. Inspire our players to work on their own to master the technical aspects of the game. And, through our organization donate a portion of the revenue generated to help make the world a better place. Soccer is the world's game. It has the ability to empower those in poverty and inspire change. It also has the power to change the lives of our own children, to show them what is possible through hard work, dedication, and a devotion to a goal; whether that be on the soccer field, in the classroom, or in their careers. At SJSS we look to instill life lessons along with teaching the game of soccer to help create well rounded individuals and excellent players.
We want kids to develop individually in order to take our soccer nation forward collectively. We want our clients to look back with the fondness when their playing days are over and know they had a direct impact on raising the level of play in the United States.
The mission of SJSS is simple. Develop players to the peak of their potentials in training environments that are fun, stimulating, and challenging. Inspire our players to work on their own to master the technical aspects of the game. And, through our organization donate a portion of the revenue generated to help make the world a better place. Soccer is the world's game. It has the ability to empower those in poverty and inspire change. It also has the power to change the lives of our own children, to show them what is possible through hard work, dedication, and a devotion to a goal; whether that be on the soccer field, in the classroom, or in their careers. At SJSS we look to instill life lessons along with teaching the game of soccer to help create well rounded individuals and excellent players.
Training philosophy and methodology
Dedication and preparation are the keys to what sets SJSS apart from other training services. Much planning and thought go into each session plan we put together (yes, a prepared plan is devised for each training session no matter the size of the group; from individual to small group to team training.) These session plans are similar to the lesson plans teachers put together for their classes. Our session plans are tailored to the particular needs of the clients we are training and focus on progressions to continually challenge and stimulate our players as they grow and develop as players. We have developed curriculums for what we believe is age appropriate training. However, we are prepared to deviate, when necessary, to provide the desired level of difficulty for the player and group. This ensures that we are taking our players down an appropriate developmental path, rather than haphazardly jumping from training topic to training topic using the shotgun model hoping to hit our target. As Bob Gansler, former US Men's National Team Coach, has said, "Coaches are teachers in short pants."
It is also important to us that the sessions are enjoyable for the players. After all, if soccer is not fun, why would a player insist on playing it? We strive to run sessions where the time flies by and the players can't wait for the next session to get here. We utilize fun training games that supplement our technical work that incorporate the skills we've been focusing on improving. This way, the players get to implement these skills under competitive conditions that also bring about tons of smiles and laughter. Competition is also a key component of our methodology. Soccer is a competition and not played in a vacuum. As such, we work to develop players that can perform under pressure. We introduce pressure in a variety of ways; time pressure to complete a task, peer pressure to see who can complete the most tasks in a given time, individual pressure to see if one can beat a personal best, and of course opponent pressure which is the most important of all. Players that have technical mastery under pressure from opponents are the most successful in matches.
As teachers, we feel it is vitally important to instruct why we want our players to do things a certain way. Too many times trainers tell their players what to do but do not inform them why it should be done a certain way. Rather than lecture our players, at SJSS we encourage questions and dialogue. We believe this increases the learning and understanding of the game. Our players become vested in what we do as they have had an opportunity to question our methods rather than just be told what to do. We utilize the "Guided Discovery" method of teaching where we ask our players a series of questions to lead them down the path of learning rather than just telling them what it is we want them to know. This engages their minds and aids in the retention of the information.
Lastly, and most importantly, we care about our players. We get to know them and find out what other interests they have outside of the game. We know this to be important. We believe in the saying,"players will not care what you know, until they know that you care." Our players are committed to us because they know what we stand for. We take much pride as we watch our players grow and develop. Like proud parents we send them off to play collegiately and follow their careers knowing our guidance and instruction helped them along the way.
It is also important to us that the sessions are enjoyable for the players. After all, if soccer is not fun, why would a player insist on playing it? We strive to run sessions where the time flies by and the players can't wait for the next session to get here. We utilize fun training games that supplement our technical work that incorporate the skills we've been focusing on improving. This way, the players get to implement these skills under competitive conditions that also bring about tons of smiles and laughter. Competition is also a key component of our methodology. Soccer is a competition and not played in a vacuum. As such, we work to develop players that can perform under pressure. We introduce pressure in a variety of ways; time pressure to complete a task, peer pressure to see who can complete the most tasks in a given time, individual pressure to see if one can beat a personal best, and of course opponent pressure which is the most important of all. Players that have technical mastery under pressure from opponents are the most successful in matches.
As teachers, we feel it is vitally important to instruct why we want our players to do things a certain way. Too many times trainers tell their players what to do but do not inform them why it should be done a certain way. Rather than lecture our players, at SJSS we encourage questions and dialogue. We believe this increases the learning and understanding of the game. Our players become vested in what we do as they have had an opportunity to question our methods rather than just be told what to do. We utilize the "Guided Discovery" method of teaching where we ask our players a series of questions to lead them down the path of learning rather than just telling them what it is we want them to know. This engages their minds and aids in the retention of the information.
Lastly, and most importantly, we care about our players. We get to know them and find out what other interests they have outside of the game. We know this to be important. We believe in the saying,"players will not care what you know, until they know that you care." Our players are committed to us because they know what we stand for. We take much pride as we watch our players grow and develop. Like proud parents we send them off to play collegiately and follow their careers knowing our guidance and instruction helped them along the way.
"Vision is the art of seeing the invisible."
- Jonathan Swift, Author
