Skills Institute

Skills Institute at North County Soccer Park

Skills Institute is where soccer takes center stage.  Rooted in child development theory, kids have a blast learning and improving technical and tactical soccer skills.  Players will walk away more confident, equipped for their next right step, and ready for life’s challenges on and off the field.  Players enjoy 30 minutes of age-appropriate instruction and 20 minutes of small-sided scrimmaging.

Classes meet weekly for 50 minutes.

Open Enrollment, Join Anytime!

  • Mask Expectations: Coaches will be wearing masks at all times. Players are not required to wear masks. All spectators are required to wear masks whether indoors or outdoors.
  • Thorough Sanitization Efforts: Dedicated staff use a child-safe, CDC recommended disinfectant to clean all equipment, commonly used areas and touched surfaces at the facility before, in between, and after classes. This ensure cleanliness and no possible COVID-19 contraction from any items or surfaces.
  • New Check-In Model: Parents will check-in players to their coach at a designated area on the grass field, and will be walked onto the field with their team to avoid bottlenecks and traffic jams.
  • Smaller Class Sizes: Class maximum is 8 children, down from 14 to create more space in class for play and distancing.
  • Spectator Limits: We ask that only 1 Parent per Child attend class to keep the amount of people at our facility at a minimum and allow for more space.
  • 10 Extra Minutes Between Classes: A 20 minute buffer between classes allow for us to completely clean the facility and have the previous class hour completely gone before the new class hour arrives. This will help minimize traffic and congestion, and allow for total cleanliness of grounds.
  • Modified Curriculum: Curriculum will have a new focus on personal space and hygiene to help children adjust to the new normal.
  • Parent/Child Classes on Grass Field: Parent/Child classes have moved from the Stadium to the outdoor grass area.  This leaves more space for play for Parent/Child classes which usually have more people on the field. It also frees up all classes on the Stadium field to each have their own quadrant and allow for more space.

Educate. Develop. Inspire.

Register Today

We have open enrollment so you can register any time using our convenient, online process.

Fall Session
September 7th – December 5th

Register for Classes in Poway

Fall Session
September 8th – December 5th

Register for Classes in Escondido
View Class Schedules

Our convenient class times provide families options to accommodate multiple children and busy schedules. Find a day and time that works for you!

View Poway Fall Class Schedules
View Escondido Fall Class Schedules
Try A Free Class

Wondering if Skills Institute is the right fit for you? Give us a try! New customers can sign up for a free 50-minute class to experience the program firsthand. We think you’re going to love it!

Schedule a Free Trial in Poway
Schedule a Free Trial in Escondido

Skills Institute Mobile App

To truly master a soccer skill, kids need to log additional time practicing in between classes or club practices. Our new app is a great resource to enable players to hone the skills they’re learning in classes through workouts they can do at home or at the park. The app is included with registration in Skills Institute and integrated into the broader program curriculum. Homework exercises that reinforce skills taught in class that week will be assigned through the app.

Learn more

Skills Institute Level Descriptions

Skills Institute Level 1

AGES 5/6, 7/8, 9/10
8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO

Try A free Skills Institute Level 1 class

Classes focus on the fundamentals of player development: dribbling, passing, shooting, trapping and how to use them effectively in a game. Level 1 will take players through weekly sessions of fundamental skill building and competitive drills/games to build confidence and competence.
Skills Institute Level 2

AGES 5/6, 7/8, 9/10
BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO

Try A free Skills Institute Level 2 class

Players well-suited for this class have level 1 or prior club experience. Classes focus on refining individual technique, positioning, strategy, speed and agility. Two things come together here; honing personal strengths and understanding how to use them to enhance team play. Coaches guide players towards mastering fundamentals, understanding correct field positioning and developing a strong Soccer IQ
Skills Institute Level 3

AGES 5 – 7, 8 – 10
BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO

Try A free Skills Institute Level 3 class

Find your place on the field. Whether you prefer a single position or want versatility, this challenging 50-minute class focuses on position-specific training. Players learn tactical insight and systems of play while building speed and agility. They will master fundamentals, position responsibilities, tactical approaches, and attacking/defending skills.

Skills Institute Level Descriptions

Skills Institute Level 1

  • AGES 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 YEARS
  • 8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO

Try A free Skills Institute Level 1Skills Institute App
Classes focus on the fundamentals of player development: dribbling, passing, shooting, trapping and how to use them effectively in a game. Level 1 will take players through weekly sessions of fundamental skill building and competitive drills/games to build confidence and competence.
Skills Institute Level 2

  • AGES 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 YEARS
  • BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
  • 8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO

Try A free Skills Institute Level 2Skills Institute App
Players well-suited for this class have level 1 or prior club experience. Classes focus on refining individual technique, positioning, strategy, speed and agility. Two things come together here; honing personal strengths and understanding how to use them to enhance team play. Coaches guide players towards mastering fundamentals, understanding correct field positioning and developing a strong Soccer IQ.
Skills Institute Level 3

  • AGES 5-7, 8-10 YEARS
  • BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
  • 8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO

Try A free Skills Institute Level 3Skills Institute App
Find your place on the field. Whether you prefer a single position or want versatility, this challenging 50-minute class focuses on position-specific training. Players learn tactical insight and systems of play while building speed and agility. They will master fundamentals, position responsibilities, tactical approaches, and attacking/defending skills.

Class Locations

Poway

14530 Espola Rd., Poway, CA 92064

Escondido

3315 Bear Valley Parkway, Escondido CA 92026

Skills Institute FAQ’s

Participants should wear comfortable clothes and athletic shoes (no outdoor cleats). Shinguards are recommended for Skills Institute classes. A Skills Institute jersey is given to first-time customers for free, and can thereafter be purchased at a low cost. Outfitting your child in Skills Institute garb is a fun way to make your child feel part of a team. Kids naturally appreciate looking like older uniformed kids and role models.

Each of our classes lasts 50 minutes with a water break halfway through. Between classes, there is a 10-minute break.

We offer four sessions a year (fall, winter, spring, summer) that break down into approximately 10-13 week cycles.

No, classes are 50 minutes and require a parent or guardian to be on-site at all times

Yes! We offer open enrollment so that you can join anytime and have your class fees prorated. This means that you pay only for the remaining class and not the full session fee.

The session needs to be paid in full at the time of registration to reserve your child’s spot. Please note that we offer open enrollment, we do prorate class fees.

You are able to make up any missed classes within the session in which you are enrolled.

Yes! We offer a sibling discount of $15.00 for each additional child registered as long as the children are registered at the same time.

No, in order to maintain class ratios and consistency within the program, we schedule children for specific times and days. When registering, be sure to first determine which day best suits your schedule. Of course there may be an occasion when a make-up class is needed. In that situation, you can schedule a make-up class for any day in which class space is available. If your schedule changes during the session, and you need to switch days, we will try to accommodate your needs to the best of our ability. However, changes cannot be guaranteed and are based on space availability.

To allow for quality instruction, Skills Institute provides a low player-to-coach ratio – 8:1.

Lil’ Kickers is a child development soccer program that teaches basic skills through fun, creative, and energetic games. Skills Institute also encourages age-appropriate child development and focuses on teaching more technical and tactical skills through various fast-paced, challenging and structured drills.

A higher level of specialized technical instruction is provided in Skills Institute classes, and the value of this instruction is priced accordingly.

New Skills Institute Mobile App

Our revolutionary new app is designed to help kids take their game to the next level through fun, skill-building exercises. Weekly homework exercises are assigned through the app that will help them hone the skills taught in class that week.

The app is integrated into the broader Skills Institute curriculum and weekly homework exercises will be assigned through the app that reinforce skills taught in class that week.

Learn More & Download The App

Lil’ Kickers has always been a great resource for family fun and we love the partnerships we have with our families. We want to further that partnership with our new “Beyond the Pitch” blog. This platform gives us a place to provide a wider range of parenting support and resources to our Lil’ Kickers and Skills Institute families. So check it out! We hope you find it helpful and enjoy the content.

Go To Beyond The Pitch