Youth Sports International
Building Better
Soccer Players
Youth Soccer International families know that at YSI, their kids have grown in so many ways beyond soccer. Through the beautiful game and the Youth Soccer International culture of community, togetherness, and friendship, parents have seen their kids become happier and more confident on and off the field.
AT YOUTH SOCCER INTERNATIONAL, WE ARE ABLE TO DO THIS BY FOCUSING ON OUR CORE MISSION - WHICH IS TO PROVIDE A HIGH-QUALITY EXPERIENCE FOR EVERY PLAYER. A HIGH QUALITY EXPERIENCE IS ONE IN WHICH EVERY PLAYER:
Has fun playing the beautiful game;
Learns skills and strategies of the game and improves as a player;-
Learns sportsmanship, fair play, dedication, and the principles of teamwork;
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Feels valued regardless of how they perform;
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Receives encouraging and constructive coaching;
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Feels like they are a part of a tight-knit community of players, families and coaches; and
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Graduates from Youth Soccer International with a lifelong passion and love for the beautiful game of soccer.
Conveniently located in the heart of Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Old Town! We hope you will join the YSI Family!
Keeping it Fun
High pressure coaching and an emphasis on winning over the well-being of players are proven to be ineffective - and lead to kids feeling demoralized at an early age and early burnout. In fact, 70 percent of young athletes drop out of team sports by age 13, citing lack of fun as their main reason for quitting. For this reason, at Youth Soccer International, we strive to make our curriculums, above all else, fun and engaging. There is time for intense competition, but studies show that intense competition is not developmentally appropriate until the age of 13. By incorporating fun into how we teach our 5-12 year olds, we strive to spark in our kids a lifelong love of sports so that they will stay in the game long after they graduate from Youth Soccer International.
The YSI Family
At Youth Soccer International, there’s a distinct culture of community, togetherness, and friendship, among the players and families alike. There is something truly special and intangible about the YSI community that is hard to put into words. You can see it in the way that YSI kids play as a team together and the way they cheer each other on and celebrate victories together. There is so much friendship in the organization among the players and families alike, which is why it feels like a family and the reason we call ourselves "The YSI Family."
FOCUS ON PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
Too many youth soccer academies focus on winning results in poorly played soccer - a style of play and a tendency by coaches to exploit the raw physical abilities of early bloomers in the pursuit of club or team statistics. Clubs that have this mentality: 1) focus on the early bloomer players at the expense of other players, and 2) fail to provide the late bloomer players with advanced training and the right soccer environment to succeed later when their size and physical capabilities mature.
This is not the Youth Soccer International way. At Youth Soccer International, we aspire to provide a high-quality experience for every player as opposed to a select group of early bloomer players. We believe that providing our players the right environment and the right kind of high-quality coaching will help each of our players realize their potential on the field.
VALUES
At Youth Soccer International, we do not believe in early specialization in any one sport. Many believe that starting to focus on one sport early on will make kids more likely to get scholarships or reach dreams of “going pro.” The thought is that the earlier a child starts practicing a skill, the earlier they’ll become an expert at it.
The truth is, however, that “less than 1 percent of kids grow up to be pro athletes. The point in getting kids involved in sports isn’t to raise the next Serena or Lebron, says sport psychologist and parenting expert Jim Taylor, PhD. It’s to give them the mental tools to be healthy, happy and successful for the rest of their lives. The secret, he says, is creating positive athletic experiences and not buying into the “youth sports industrial complex.’”
Youth Soccer International’s instructional approach is modeled after these values - we believe in competition but not at the expense of our players’ emotional well-being and we encourage our young players to try out multiple sports. We want, more than anything, for our players to enjoy playing soccer and build their confidence on and off the field!
