GRASSROOTS ACADEMY
Every Grassroots session this season, plus Sunday training and footskills indoors once we move inside. 48 sessions, September through May. $400 for the year.
Grassroots Academy is our full-season program for players ages 4 to 8. One registration covers 48 sessions from September through May, outdoors at Parma Town Park in the fall and indoors at Glacier Ridge Sports Park through the winter and spring. It is the same welcoming introduction to soccer, with a lot more of it.
The program is led by Ryan Borcyk, Hilton Heat’s Technical Director, and supported by parent volunteers who coach within the club.
Academy players go further:
- Season-long development instead of a single five week block
- More repetition, which is what turns new skills into habits
- Footskills every other Thursday on top of regular Grassroots sessions
- Real comfort on the ball that carries into team play
What Makes the Academy Different
- Every session, all season. One registration covers 48 sessions, outdoors in the fall and indoors at Glacier Ridge through the winter and spring, with no signing up again each time.
- Footskills every other Thursday. A focused technical session on what a player can do with the ball at their feet, 5:00 to 6:00 PM at Glacier Ridge.
- Coached by Ryan Borcyk, our Technical Director, who holds a UEFA A License.
- Technique that sticks. How a four year old learns to strike a ball becomes the habit they carry at fourteen.
Grassroots Academy - $400/Season
Grassroots Academy gives your player full access to 48 sessions during the 2026-27 year: Mondays and Wednesdays at Parma Town Park, 5:30 to 6:45 PM, through mid-October, then 26 Sundays and 13 Thursday footskills sessions indoors at Glacier Ridge Sports Park through early May. Sunday times rotate between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. For ages 4 to 8. Registered families receive the full session calendar with dates and times.
Schedule
This includes our first block of outdoor practices
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| Monday, September 14 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
| Wednesday, September 16 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
| Monday, September 21 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
| Wednesday, September 23 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
| Monday, September 28 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
| Wednesday, September 30 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
| Monday, October 5 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
| Wednesday, October 7 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
| Monday, October 12 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
| Wednesday, October 14 @ 5:30 - 6:45PM | Parma Park Field 7 |
What to Bring
- A soccer ball
- Cleats or sneakers
- Shin guards
- A water bottle
- Warm layers for outdoor fall sessions
Background and Further Reading
Developing soccer skills early helps players feel confident and comfortable on the ball, and that makes playing with and against their peers a lot more enjoyable.
That is not just our opinion. U.S. Soccer builds its standards for young age groups around getting players more touches on the ball and keeping them involved in play. And when researchers ask what keeps kids in a sport, the answer that comes back is enjoyment. Kids who have fun keep playing.
Sources:
U.S. Soccer: How Small-Sided Standards Will Change Youth Soccer
U.S. Soccer: Player Development Initiatives
American Academy of Pediatrics: From Motor Skills to Sports Skills
