The Ottawa Fury's School of Excellence Program provides local players with an opportunity to further develop and enhance the technical and tactics components of their game through a two-phase 20-week program led by Ottawa Fury staff coaches. First offered in the Fall and Winter of 2007, this program has become an intergral component in the Fury's comprehensive Player Development Program. The School of Excellence Program is caters to players aged 8-12 years of age and is the second element in the Fury's offering of developmental programming following the First Touch Program (for ages 4-7). While players will engage in various skill training activities and small-sided games the program will not have a competitive team or league component and all players will remain with their club teams while participating in this program.

The 20-week program is comprised of a 5-week outdoor session in the fall and a 15-week indoor session throughout the winter months with all training running out of the Algonquin College Soccer Complex. Please note that the fall session is not a prerequisite for the winter program.

Program Coaches (subject to change):
- Jimmy Zito (Program Coordinator)
- Greg Parsons
- Nic Horne
- Christian Hoefler
- Jasmine Phillips
- Jennifer Hill
- Alex Valerio

Winter Program Schedule:
Please Review Dates and Times Below. All 15 Weeks are Scheduled in the Same Time Window

Program Location: Algonquin College Soccer Complex (MAP)

Winter Program (15 Weeks): $300+HST

Program Registration: CLICK HERE

 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Why a School of Excellence for 8-12 year olds?                            

Between the ages of 8 to 10, soccer should be a time for developing an individual relationship with the ball. Whilst many young players will be involved in soccer as a team sport at these age groups it is generally believed that the most important aspect of their soccer development is to encourage them to be creative and to increase their level of confidence and comfort with the ball. Players 11 to 12 years old must continue to develop their individual ball control, but also start to learn to evaluate and take responsibility for individual and small group decisions on the field. The program is designed to complement club programs and to offer a program geared to the most promising young soccer players in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. 

Why join the Ottawa Fury School of Excellence?                          

To learn more about the Ottawa Fury, its programs and player-centric philosophy, please go to About The Fury. To see how the various Fury programs fit together and form a comprehensive player development path see Player Development Path and to view the profiles of the Fury administration and coaching staff visit Fury Staff . 

The main goal of the program and it's staff is to teach the technical skill requirements of the game. There will be a large "touch on the ball" focus! Gone are the days of players standing in line watching one player with one ball ... this program will be ball focused and include training sessions touching on all the individual skills required to play the game at the highest level.

2011-12 Program Dates and Structure:                                         

The 2011-12 School of Excellence will operate from Late Summer to Spring! The program is comprised of two phases - Phase 1 is a 5-week outdoor program while Phase 2 is a 15-week indoor program. Each week players will participate in 1-hour sessions focusing on a handful of skill sets that will build on each other from week-to-week. The hour program will be comprised of a 5 minute warm-up, 35 minutes skills training and close out with a 20 minute scrimmage or small-sided game.

Players attending all sessions with commitment and focus will see very noticeable improvement in their skills, comfort with the ball, and knowledge of technical components of the game.

What is the commitment level and required standards for entry?

With any high level program, there will be expectations. Our expectation from a participating player is that they will attend with the dedication and commitment required to raise their skills and overall level of play. This program is not aimed at beginners to the sport.

Players participating in this program should have experience in the ERSL Regional or Premier Divisions or have a few years experience playing at a competitive level.

Those with playing experience in House League Soccer and have questions or concerns about the skill requirements please contact the Fury Office at 613.235.3879