Development Teams | 7v7 & 9v9 Format

Our 7v7 & 9v9 Club Development teams are for players who are newer to the sport, looking for a level that is above our recreation program and includes an annual playing calendar with consistent weekly practices.

Club Development Teams are also ideal for players who participate in other sports or activities and only want to commit to soccer 2-3 times per week. These teams will compete in a NorCal regional league with games against other clubs which is an exciting format. They will usually play 8-10 games in Fall & again in Spring.

Our Development Teams may also enter tournaments & State Cup events depending on the commitment & desire of the team.

Fall Program: August - Early December

Spring Program: February - late May

Practices: Two per week

Games: 1-2 per week (depending on competition cycle)

Elite Teams | 11v11 Format

Our 11v11 Club Elite teams are a great place for players to continue their ongoing development & provide an opportunity to continue playing on a committed team. These teams are also for players who still have the potential or the desire to push for an Academy roster spot in the future but need to continue working on targeted areas of development.

Fall Program: August - Early December

Spring Program: February - Late May

Practices: Two or three times per week

Games: 1-2 per week (depending on competition cycle)

Calendar may be adjusted if your player participates in High School soccer

7v7 & 9v9 Soccer

At these age groups we usually have two or three teams for each birth year, this continues to grow as our program gains popularity. As part of this, we classify teams so players are on designated rosters for league competition. For our academy level teams, we will select rosters based on playing ability, athletic potential, current soccer experience, and positional balance of all teams.

This is not a perfect process, however it is an important part of forming teams that can play in the year-round soccer calendar.

Elite Team

Elite teams are formed with players who our coaching team believe have the potential to be pushing for a spot on an Academy level team when the age group transitions to 11v11 soccer (U13 & above). These players can also be ‘late developers’ compared to their peers who need time for growth & maturation to naturally occur before playing their best soccer.

Depending on overall playing numbers we may enter two teams at the Elite team level. If we select two teams at the Elite level they will be called Elite I & Elite II. The difference between the two teams will likely be a split of playing positions to allow for both teams to be competitive on the field.

Our Elite teams will play Norcal regional leagues on a year-round calendar, they will also enter tournaments & State Cup events as part of their ongoing development.

Elite teams will be part of our comprehensive academy practice program.

Fall Program: Mid July - Early December

Spring Program: February - Late May

Practices: Three per week (1 is optional for 7v7 teams)

Games: 1-2 per week (depending on competition cycle)

Premier Team

Our Premier Teams are our highest-level teams within our 7v7 & 9v9 Academy structure. Premier teams are formed with players who are performing to a high standard at this current time, this is sometimes due to early physical development which can lead to increased performances.

Our Premier teams will play Norcal regional leagues on a year-round calendar, they will also enter tournaments & State Cup events as part of their ongoing development. It is also possible we will have our Premier level teams play one year older in league play to push their development.

Premier teams will be part of our three-day per week practice program.

Fall Program: Mid July - Early December

Spring Program: February - Late May

Practices: 3 per week (1 is optional for 7v7 teams)

Games: 1-2 per week (depending on competition cycle)

11v11 Teams

Our 11v11 Academy teams are our highest-level of play in Napa United. These teams are made up of players who are committed to playing soccer at the highest level they can achieve. Players must attend all of their practices & commit to our annual calendar of league, tournaments, and showcases.

It is expected that players in our 11v11 Academy teams prioritize soccer as their main activity outside of school commitments. Across our Boys & Girls, we enter different playing platforms on an age & gender basis. For all academy 11v11 teams, you will be entered to the highest platform that is applicable.

For the Boys program this is MLS Next soccer & for the Girls program this will be dependent on previous season results in each age group.

Fall Program: Mid July - Mid December (break for high school if relevant)

Spring Program: Mid January - Late May

Practices: Three per week

Games: 1-2 per week (depending on competition cycle)

The roster spot you have been offered is for your primary team & you can expect to participate in all games for this team as long as you are physically fit, regularly attending practice & showing commitment.

Player movement is a natural part of our player development process & throughout the season your player may be asked to play across different teams. This could be for your individual development but also to help the needs of a different team who may have injuries or players who are not available. Please be aware this could mean playing up an age group or playing for a different level team within your age group.

Your Head Coach will discuss this with you on a case-by-case basis. This may also vary across the Boy’s & Girl’s program.

Napa United strongly believes that participation in multiple sports is an essential part of your overall development as an athlete and human being. For our 7v7 & 9v9 teams this means our coaching team will work with our families to find a suitable balance so our players can enjoy participating in all of their favorite activities.

This balance will start to shift as our players enter the 11v11 Academy program & as noted above our players will need to start selecting a primary sport so they can focus on their long-term development & push to achieve their ultimate goals.