U9 In-House
| Program | Birth Year | Format | Tentative Days | Sessions per Week | Location | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U9 | 2019/ 2018 | Boys’ and Girls’ teams | Saturday and Wednesday | One practice and one game | Trileisure Centre | $425* |
* In addition to the program fee, we collect a $200 volunteer deposit per family. The deposit is returned once an adult completes a 4 hour general volunteer shift for SGSA or signs up as a team official.
U9 In-House Program
Season: Mid October – end of February
Weekly commitment: One practice (tentatively Saturday) and one game (week day in Spruce Grove)
The U9 In-House Program is designed in alignment with Canada Soccer’s Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) model, focusing on creating a fun, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate environment for young athletes. At this stage, players continue to build on their fundamental skills while being introduced to more advanced game concepts through small-sided games and engaging training sessions. Practice sessions led by technical staff at Total Football training academy.
The program prioritizes active participation, skill development, and enjoyment, all within a supportive, in-house league format that encourages confidence, teamwork, and a lifelong love for the game.
At the U9 level, our focus is on developing confident, creative, and responsible players by prioritizing individual skill, game understanding, and a love for soccer over results. Training emphasizes ball mastery, passing, shooting, defending, and small-sided tactics through game-like activities that maximize touches and decision-making.
Using a player-centered, game-skill-game approach, we encourage learning through guided discovery, repetition in varied contexts, and positive reinforcement. Physical literacy is built naturally through dynamic games, while teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship are fostered socially. The goal is for every child to grow technically, tactically, physically, and emotionally, while leaving each session smiling and excited to return.
U9 In House Grassroots Philosophy
Players will be placed on teams prior to start of season. Coaches will work with all players in a cohort environment, but will work with a specific group during season. Open roster rules will be in play, which means players will be moved around to other teams throughout the season to maintain balanced teams by season’s end. At this age, the goal is player development and not results. Season will consist of one coach-led session and one game in our In-House league each week. Games will take place on a half field at the Tri Leisure Centre. Half field games are recommended for players at this age to develop tactical thinking and team work.
Canada Soccer Grassroots Standards
Newly introduced and officially coming into effect in 2026, these standards encourage a growth mindset over a winning culture. These standards are child-focused and aim to promote foundational skills and more importantly, fun and love of the game.
Key points from the standards that SGSA is incorporating at this time:
● Open training
● Festival format
● Smaller rosters
● Small-sided games
● Smaller play area
Resources
For more information on the foundations that guide our program development, check out the links below: