Young players more than any others need to have access to the highest standards of coaching within a structured and professional development environment to ensure that they have the opportunity to fulfill their talent and potential.
The Ottawa Fury Academy is a key component of the Ottawa Fury S.C. Player Development Program. The Fury Academy provides young soccer players between the ages of 10 and 13, residing in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, with player development programming that is of the highest standard and quality.
The Ottawa Fury's approach to player development relies on the same model used in leading soccer nations, which in recent years is also being adopted by progressive North American clubs - the model is based on providing a player development pyramid internal to a club that includes youth, reserve and senior teams playing in national and/or continental leagues.
Within the Ottawa Fury S.C., the Fury Academy acts as a preparatory and feeder program for the Fury's Super Y-League teams (age 14 and older) but not to the exclusion of other potential players.
Academy Programs: The Fury Method
The Fury Academy offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to player development. All Academy players benefit from training and instruction that ensures development across all four elements of soccer performance - technical, tactical, physical, and psychological - and in a manner that is informed by outcomes. Players also benefit from age appropriate training and instruction that provide the necessary foundations for continued, and often accelerated, development in subsequent years.
The Fury Academy also fosters, and relies on, an environment that supports the social and emotional needs of the young children participating in the Academy. This includes encouraging positive attitudes toward learning, friendship and fair play as well as helping engender inner discipline and self-esteem within each player.
In offering a high quality learning environment, the Fury Academy provides players with access to quality facilities and unique training aids that help facilitate development.
Led by Technical Director, Frank Lofranco, the Fury Academy is staffed with knowledgeable and specialized coaches.As is the case at all levels within the Ottawa Fury S.C., the ongoing education of staff coaches is vital to ensuring player development programs are refreshed to keep pace with international advances in coaching methods and standards (link to Staff).
Academy Teams and Selection
- 4 boys teams and 4 girls teams
- U10 to U13 players are eligible (link).
- Open-tryouts take place in September/October
- Individual tryouts are ongoing.
The Annual Program and Commitment Level
- Average of three to four sessions/games per week
- Games scheduled through indoor league play/outdoor competitive games (local).
- Tournaments are mix of local and out-of-town tournaments (e.g. US National Cup)
- Specialist Training for Goalkeepers
- 2 day weekend camp (May)
- 1 week summer camp (July)
Please note that, unlike the School of Excellence, where players may remain with their community youth clubs, the Academy program has a team-based competitive component.
The group of Fury Academy players had an amazing experience this past weekend as part of the Spurs Residential Camp. On Saturday afternoon the Boys traveled to White Hart Lane as Tottenham Hotspur hosted Blackburn Rovers. The Fury players were made part of the pre-game ceremony as they carried a 'Support England World Cup Bid' flag across the field in front of 35,000+ fans. The Boys then moved up to some special box-seats that the Spurs had provide for the Fury to take in the game that saw Tottenham prevail 3-1 - for many of the boys this was the first professional game that they have attended. 
After an overnight flight from Ottawa, the Fury group of U11, U12 and U13 players have checked into their home for the next week - the brand new Peter Harrison Lodge at Gilwell Park near Chingford, London. Despite some jet lag, the Boys had a quick lunch and were soon enthusiastically on their way to their first practice with Spurs Academy coaches. The Boys will sleep well tonight! The week, designed to have the boys experience what it is like to be a Spurs Academy player, will continue tomorrow with a visit to the Tottenham Hotspur v. Blackburn Rovers game at White Hart Lane. 
The Ottawa Fury U12 Boys (Red) captured the 2010 Coliseum Indoor U13 Boys Title on Wednesday night after posting a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Inukshuks. The Fury Boys (Red) posted a remarkable 13-0-2 record (W-L-D) for an undefeated regular season and top spot in the standings. The boys then posted playoff victories over the Storm (5-4), Capital United (5-1) and the Inukshuks (4-3) to take home the championship. Not only did the boys play some impressive soccer throughout the course of the season, but they finished the regular season with a goal difference of +61.
The Ottawa Fury U11 Girls led by Head Coach Keith Mahoney and assistants Jennifer Hill and Aidan Mahoney were victorious in the Coliseum League U12 Girls Division for 2010. Their season began with a loss, but the team would only build on the season-opening defeat finishing the season with an impressive 15-3 record posting 11 shutouts and allowing only 12 goals throughout the 18-game campaign. 
