To sign up for the NASA/River City Rangers Academy program, please follow the instructions for online registration , or fill out and send in the Academy registration form .

The River City Rangers' Academy program is designed for U9 and U10 recreational players, boys and girls, who have an exceptional desire to improve their skills and their understanding of the game. Since its inception in 2004, the Academy program has been a cooperative venture of the River City Rangers and the North Austin Soccer Alliance (NASA). The program is accredited as a recreational program, and all U9/U10 recreational players are eligible to join. If at all possible, every applicant is placed on a team – there are no tryouts – and all teams and players are registered through NASA. But all coaches in the Academy program are experienced, dedicated professionals – members of the River City Rangers coaching staff – rather than parent volunteers. The expectation is that players who join the Academy program will look forward to trying out for a team in a select club when they reach U11, and the program prepares committed recreational players to advance to a select level of play.

Curriculum and Training

A key feature of the Rangers Academy program is that all teams in a given age group generally train together under one or two Rangers coaches, following a graduated curriculum that emphasizes the development of confident ball control and effective, independent decision-making under pressure.

All Academy practice sessions are held on week nights (Monday through Thursday), 5:30 – 7:00 PM, and each team attends two practice sessions per week, on a regular schedule to be determined sometime in August 2010, after teams have been formed. Practice sessions typically are held at St. Louis Church or another Rangers practice field. As with practice times, practice locations will be determined only after teams have formed.

Games

Academy teams typically play one or two games per weekend. Home games probably will be played at Cook Elementary School, or at an alternate NASA or Rangers field. The location of an away game depends on the location of the opposing team's (club's) field. Often, away games will be played somewhere in the Austin or Round Rock areas, but an Academy team might be expected to travel as far away as Georgetown, Pflugerville, Bastrop, or even Temple. Most Academy teams will have the opportunity to participate in the same tournaments as River City Rangers select teams, which could entail travel to San Antonio, Waco, or similar distances.

Cost and Registration

The cost to participate in the Rangers Academy program for the Fall 2010 season is $315.00 per player, which includes the player's uniform (jersey, shorts, socks). The registration deadline for the Fall 2010 season is August 6. Registration forms will be accepted after August 6 but placement on a team is less assured after that date. The Academy registration form is available for download at this link, or you may register for the Academy program online by following the instructions provided on the NASA website. For answers to questions about the River City Rangers Academy program, please contact Mike Brow (m.brow@netzero.net, 512-426-1344); Darrell Best (everything0312@yahoo.com, 512-925-4456); or Frank Allcorn (fallcorn@austin.rr.com, 512-657-5133).