Throw out all predisposed notions about soccer training. Open the door and throw them out. Chuck em’.
You can get rid of what you’ve been taught and embrace what is being taught at this very moment at Accelerate Sports Complex, in Whitestown.
That’s because Accelerate’s Director of Soccer, Craig Hollis of London, England. has put together a Summer High School Development Soccer League for boys and girls, that addresses every facet of player development. “The Accelerate Sports High School Summer Soccer League encompasses all facets of player development, from soccer skills, to player nutrition, to fitness training” Hollis told The Mid York Sports Report during a break in Tuesday night’s girls game between New Hartford and Sauquoit.
Sauquoit’s Paige Harris sends one down field during first half action.
The high school summer soccer leagues at Accelerate Sports have grown dramatically since their 2015 inception of 10 teams, to the 19 teams that are doing battle and making friends, this season. “What we’re trying to accomplish here is to have players get used to playing with and against kids that are not just from their own schools, some of which are very small, to expanding their horizons into playing with kids from other towns and even much larger schools and it is definitely working” Hollis explained.
Tonight on the expansive turf field at the Accelerate Complex, two of the top teams in the girls high school league, Sauquoit and New Hartford, both undefeated in the thirteen (13) team league so far, met for top honors. In the end it was Sauquoit which came out on top, by a score of 2-0, to keep its unblemished record in tact at (7-0). New Hartford dropped to (6-1). Both teams will qualify for the playoffs beginning on 8/8.
So far this Summer, Sauquoit has allowed just 2 goals against, largely due to the exceptional play of keeper Allison Moreau, a sophomore this coming fall, who has been a Varsity starter for two seasons already.
Allison Moreau (1) comes up with a huge save for Sauquoit late in the game.
While Craig Hollis, who began his career with England’s famed Chelsea Football Club, can be seen quite readily working the ins and outs of soccer with many of the players in both the boys and girls players on the pitch at Accelerate, he was quick to dish credit to his assistant coaches, Tyler Merriam and Rachid Lachgar for the great pace at which the Accelerate Soccer programs are growing. Hollis also credited Fitness Coordinator Halie Schoff with providing Accelerate’s players with state of the art fitness, nutrition and injury recovery techniques and education.
While the summer high school soccer leagues at Accelerate are competitive, to be sure, it is very obvious to soccer parents and casual observers alike, these leagues are much more than wins and losses. While games in both the boys and girls leagues are played two nights per week for 5 weeks in the Summer, players can also partake in two nights of personalized training and/or fitness and nutrition seminars. “Those seminars complete the total training package for athletes who are looking to reach the next level of soccer, whether it be making their high school teams or moving on to play at the collegiate level” an excited Craig Hollis told the Mid York Sports Report.
New Hartford and Sauquoit girls could very well end up in the Accelerate Summer League finals next week.
High School Summer Soccer continues through next week at Accelerate, with the boys and girls championship games taking place on Wednesday and Thursday.
For those interested in the Soccer Academy, or any other of the multiple sports offered at Accelerate, please visit www.accelerate-sports.com for more information.
