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.
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.
Skills Institute Level Descriptions
AGES 5/6, 7/8, 9/10
8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO
AGES 5/6, 7/8, 9/10
BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO
AGES 5 – 7, 8 – 10
BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO
Skills Institute Level Descriptions
- AGES 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 YEARS
- 8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO
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.
- AGES 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 YEARS
- BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
- 8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO
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.
- AGES 5-7, 8-10 YEARS
- BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
- 8:1 CHILD-TO-COACH RATIO
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
We offer four sessions a year (fall, winter, spring, summer) that break down into approximately 10-13 week cycles.
Yes! We offer a sibling discount of $10.00 for each additional child registered as long as the children are registered at the same time.
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.
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.