Nashville United Soccer Academy is for the player who is ready to take their development in this sport to the next level. Led by a highly experienced, professional NUSA coaching staff, your player will experience an increased volume of soccer in a focused, goal-oriented, competitive environment.

Since NUSA was formed in 2015 many NUSA players have received soccer based scholarships to play in College or University (from Division 1 to NAIA across the country), signed with professional clubs and playing for the Youth National Team. A scaled and player focused approach to development has been key to this success.

Per TSSA rules the club may provide opportunities, though limited, in State League competition, for player movement between teams during the season. When it’s deemed beneficial for their development, players may be assessed and encouraged to train or play with older teams or older Academies on a consistent basis.

NUSA DOC Robbie Stewart states “our emphasis on constant player evaluation and putting the players first in every decision we make as an organization is key. It ensures that, while we don’t get it right each and every time, players in our Upper Academies are placed on teams which put them in a training environment where they will achieve both success and failure as they are learning. To much of one or the other is not conducive to long term player development, developing self thinking players, and most importantly is not fun.  Selected players in every age group will have the opportunity to train up weekly. Players can and will be moved up or down between teams throughout the year and excelling players will often play in older age groups. The players come first. Clubs putting all their players ‘on age’ will often lead to short term team success, however at NUSA we firmly believe that excelling players must be put in more challenging training environments for their continued development and this is more important than short term team success. When exceling players play up, the next tier of players on age get more playing time and opportunities to learn, grow and develop confidence. For what its worth our U18’S and U19’s have had a lot of on the field success as players who have been playing up now find themselves back on age. We have also found that players throughout the club on our lower division teams who are intrinsically motivated often do well when given opportunities to play in higher divisions. the training environment and consistent curriculum throughout the club are important and so is patience, support and trust in the process from parents”

In NUSA’s Upper Academies there are defined teams per TSSA rules.  NUSA will limits teams to 3 per age and gender at U13/14 and then to 2 teams per age and gender from U15-19.

Robbie further states “At NUSA we also limit the size of our academies throughout the club. This assures that we can maintain a standard of quality within our coaching staff throughout the organization. Coaches who are positive role models, good teachers of the game, have a growth mindset and are open to self reflection and learning. Coaches with attention to detail who create a positive and fun training environment which also challenges and empowers players to make their own decisions while playing.”

“To often clubs will have countless teams in an age group. Often players get lost and the quality and consistency of the coaching suffers. Limiting the size of the club allows us to focus on all players within the club equally and maintain a high level of quality within our coaching staff. Players and teams will greatly benefit from training in proximity to one another, with and against each other and under the guidance of the Age Group Directors. Limiting the size of the Upper Academies and teams also means that our Directors can get to all teams games during the season and know the players by name and their ability” says Robbie Stewart  “Training is where learning occurs and the games are where players get to apply what they are learning. In games we encourage both our coaches and parents to ‘let the kids play.’ It is no different to being in the classroom and then taking a test, the test is where players get to apply what they have being learning during class. This may sometimes involve limited guidance from a teacher but for the most part the children must take the tests themselves.”

NUSA’s Upper Academy Teams will compete in a variety of leagues and competition ranging from Tennessee State League (TSL), Regional Premier League (RPL), National League, College Showcases to local friendlies and ‘Super’ Friendlies.  NUSA avoids unnecessary travel and tournaments, particularly below U15. Our Academies below U15 will compete within the State of TN, in Regional Leagues and even Nationally when appropriate.

NUSA’s training environment will consistently challenge our players in many ways. To challenge players and teams when necessary, when can play games on age imposing various game challenges, or objectives or simply play against older teams to find the right competition. Our U19’s often play in the local adult league for this very reason. Avoiding unnecessary travel also keeps the game affordable and accessible while allowing families occasional weekends off!!

Some showcase events may certainly be deemed appropriate for our U16 and above teams, though we have already shown that our players will still receive recognition from Colleges and Universities as well as US Soccer Training Centers without excessive tournaments and travel. Many NUSA players have received soccer based scholarships to play in College or University since we formed in 2015 and many others are in professional academies.

Training is structured using the whole – part – whole method to teach NUSA’s principles of play. The emphasis is on using game based training to teach players technique, decision making, soccer awareness, and soccer IQ.  Each session will focus on a principle of play being taught during the session. NUSA’s curriculum and principles of play are implemented throughout the club from U9-U19 which results in consistency in player development and NUSA’s style of play.

NUSA believes that the Whole-Part-Whole learning model goes beyond a holistic, behavioristic ‘Whole-Part’ and ‘Part-Whole’ learning model. The Whole-Part-Whole learning model suggests that there is a natural Whole-Part-Whole rhythm to learning.

The Whole-Part-Whole learning model provides the player with a higher understanding of the content (Phases of Play/Game Principles) at various levels of performance and allows for higher order cognitive development to the levels of improvement and invention.

“Let us say that you and I coached two teams with kids that are 10, 11, and 12 years old and all about equally good. You try to teach them to play good soccer, a passing game with tactical basics while I tell mine to only play long balls and try to shoot. I can assure you that at first, I will always win against you, by using your mistakes. Intercept a bad pass and goal. If we, however, continue with the same training methods during a three-year period, your team will have learned how to play while mine hasn’t. That’s how easy it is.”

LAUREANO RUIZ

Nashville United Soccer Academy will primarily use the “Guided Discovery” method of teaching.

This method involves “guiding” players and letting them “discover” the learning objectives of a particular session. This style of teaching encourages the players to become more involved and take ownership and responsibility in understanding the reasons why they do certain things on the soccer pitch.

We want to develop “self-thinking players” capable of making their own decisions on the field with limited instruction from the coach.