What is YDA?
The Youth Development Academy (YDA) is our developmental program for U9/U10 boys and girls. YDA began in 2006-2007. Our first year saw 150 kids participate in the program while our second year pushed the 200 player mark. For 2009-2010, we will once again be over the 200 player mark.
The YDA Program
The program is designed to teach our players the technical aspects of the game of soccer (dribbling, passing, receiving, etc.). Although we do teach our players some simple tactical aspects (1vs1, 2vs2, etc.), our focus is on the player and the ball. Every session we spend the first 50 minutes on technical training with the last 25-30 minutes on ’free play" (no coaching, just the players playing 1 vs. 1 up through 4 vs. 4).
How does a player join YDA?
Teams are formed through our tryout process every May. There are supplemental tryouts throughout the year that allows players to join the program mid-stream. The teams are balanced for every age group and gender, so that when teams within the league play one another, games are competitive. However, one team in the U10 boys and one team in the U10 girls are formed with the top players from that age group that competes in our U11 division.
Where do YDA teams play games?
For the 2007-2008 season, we created the North Carolina Champions League (NCCL) to provide local weekly competition for our YDA teams. The league started with Triangle United and FC Cary and now has added Franklin FC, Holly Springs, and CASL. Through this league, the teams will compete weekly with quality local competition. All league schedules and information can be found at www.ncchampionsleague.com
If you would like further information or have questions regarding YDA, please email yda@triangleunited.org.
What if my child is not selected for YDA? What other options do I have?
Players not selected for the YDA program at tryouts have the option of signing up for ADP (Advanced Development Program) through Triangle United at Woodcroft (Durham) or Rainbow Soccer (Chapel Hill) if they are looking for something more than traditional recreational soccer. The "Woodcroft" link at the top left, and the Rainbow Soccer link on the left provide more information about these options.
