PLAYER PATHWAYS

Responsibility for Player Development

South Tahoe Futbol Club offers the youth athlete in the South Lake Tahoe area a range of opportunities to learn the sport, receive quality instruction, tryout for a team, and advance their athletic career through soccer. As a Club, it is our duty to have the correct structures in place to instruct and nurture our players in every way possible.

A Coach must teach to the player as well as to the team, delivering a positive learning environment for both, and always maintaining a sense of fairness towards the players. At team training the players learn together, and the Coach strives to incrementally develop each individual while still teaching to the group.

A Parent plays a positive role in their player’s development by centering on encouragement and reinforcing player dedication. Ultimately, the duties of a parent/family are to effectively communicate with their child’s team and coach, and fulfill club and team commitments for attendance and punctuality.

The Player is at the center of their own development and must take the most responsibility for their own growth!  A player’s progress never falls solely on their coach. Without question, a player’s attitude at team training has a major impact on their learning capacity. The proper attitude is focused, intense, ready to learn, and eager to get better, while always being a good teammate.  Whether alone, with family or friends, a self-motivated Player can train, play, watch, read, think, and talk soccer almost anywhere — instantly improving their abilities, experience, and knowledge.

In our mountain-town soccer-community, excellence begins with a player, a ball, and a little bit of space to train.

Age Groups

Every human being is undoubtedly unique and brings to the soccer field a wide array of factors that contribute to how they will develop in soccer, including age, gender, experience, influences, and passion. Every age group has different guidelines for the players.

The table below is in accordance with the US Soccer Player Development Initiative

Performance Factors

Performance factors are the pillars of player development. Creating foundational proficiency in these areas enables the individual player to have success in the future, the long-term goal of STFC. 

Optimizing player development requires growth and proficiency in the four performance factors that determine player success.   

• Physical preparedness

• Technique under pressure

• Tactical awareness

• Desire to win

Principles of Play

Every player and coach at STFC ought to continually practice the following:

1. Maximum effort in everything

2. Attacking mentality

3. Desire to win  

4. Positional play

5. Progressive possession

6. Overloading the middle without losing the big field

7. Pressing the ball in transition

8. Compact team defending

9. Willingness to leverage our players’ strengths

10. Believing in yourself always