Despite being less than a year old, the Cinnaminson Soccer Academy has already made a name for itself in the township. Created by township resident Chris Updike, the program teaches the youngest soccer players in town the skills needed to play the game of soccer.
“I want to give back to the community I live in, I want to improve soccer in Cinnaminson and I want to be able to provide all the kids in Cinnaminson the best opportunities,” Updike, who is the Director of Coaching, said.
“I would like to build this so that when my kids have families of their own, Cinnaminson Soccer Academy is a choice for my grandkids to play. I have a long-term goal for future generations.”
The program operates as part of the Burlington County Soccer Academy (BCSA). Coaching is provided by professional trainers from the BCSA and volunteers from Cinnaminson.
“Burlington Soccer Academy does training for Edgewater Park Soccer Club and Pemberton Soccer Club as well as our own training,” Updike explained. “We’ve got a network of trainers we use. As we expand, we’ve got the manpower behind us to expand when we do.”
The program is free of charge to residents of Cinnaminson.
Cinnaminson Soccer Academy started with the spring season of 2015 (April) and continued into the summer with another instruction session. The current fall session is the first for the program and runs until the middle of November after getting underway in September.
“I think it’s important for coaches to continue our education as coaches,” Updike said. “I’ve been coaching soccer since my son was five and now he’s a junior in high school. It’s just a lot of fun. As long as you keep things in perspective and you put the kids first and make their enjoyment the most important part of it, then everything else works.”
There are various levels of age groups within the program, with the youngest group being the U3/U4 and the oldest being the U7/U8 level.
“The parental support has been great,” Updike said. “Without that, it doesn’t work. From the mommy and me’s to our oldest age group, the U8’s, all the parents come out and support us. They’re all more than happy to come out and either help us coach, setup, cleanup, help with fundraising. The main thing that has made it work is the parental support, which has been great.”
Updike explained his goals for the kids for each season.
“Just comfort with the ball at these ages. We’re dealing with players from two-years-old to seven-years-old. So, if we can get those players comfortable with the ball, they’re going to want the ball in a competitive situation. Those are the players you want. If the player wants the ball, they’re going to be aggressive and more apt to improve.”
Check out the Cinnaminson Soccer Academy website and like the program on Facebook for various updates about the program including scheduling, events, opportunities to volunteer, signup dates for future sessions, ways to support the program and much more.
