Q. Where will the Academy Program take place?

A. The Spring 2010 Academy was held at Goshen Elementary School on Warfield Road. We hope to meet there again in the Fall but we won't know for certain until the county issues permits in August.

Q. When does it start – date and time?

A. Sessions will begin in early September.  There will be 2 sessions each day. The first will start at 9:00am(Pre-K), then 10:00am(Kindergarten).

Q. How will the players be divided in the sessions?

A. We will have a parent meeting on shortly before the season begins where we will have a list showing what field/time your child is scheduled for.  If you need your child to be in a specific class please request this at sign up or advise the Academy Director if a change is needed.

Q. How do I get my child's uniform?

A. If you ordered a uniform for your child, we should have the uniforms available at the parent meeting. If you are unable to attend or if they are unavailable to be distributed at the meeting we will bring the uniforms to the first Academy sessions.

Q. What are the objectives of the Academy Program?

A. The Academy Program is designed to have our players learn from professional coaches from the outset of their playing 'The beautiful game.' Our goal is to teach our players correct habits from the first time they set foot on the organized soccer playing field. We also want them to understand the playing field and its boundaries and get a start with some of the laws of the game. The program is run by Jonathan Frias. We have also hired several of our high level players who have a great ability to demonstrate and work with young children. We feel that the skill that it takes to play soccer is a long term goal. It will not come overnight or even in one entire season. It takes continuous practice, and patience. Our hope is that by the time these players reach the 3rd grade, they will have a very solid base of skill and knowledge of the game.

Q. How many coaches will be present at the sessions?

A. It is our goal to have a Head Coach and assistant coach on each grid, with approximately 8-10 players on each grid. The head coaches will be overseeing the entire session by walking around to each grid and making sure that things are running smoothly. They will also get in and demonstrate all of the skills, and they will pull players aside who need a bit of extra help. Our assistants are very capable with young children. You will see them at times working with a child individually – for instance, placing their hand on the child's cleat to show which part of the foot they should be using. We are very confident that the coaches will make this not only a learning experience, but also an enjoyable one.

Q. What are my general responsibilities as a parent?

A. As with anything we do in life, the more we do it, the better we become. The Academy sessions are available online for anyone who would like to use them as homework for your child. If further explanation is needed, just email one of the coaches. We also want to make sure that all of our players arrive a bit early for each session so they are ready to go on time.  Please allow 10 minutes between your arrival and start time of the session.

Your child should have adequate rest the night before. It is best that they come to each session with suitable footwear (cleats/sneakers), a size 3 ball and water. Cleats are not mandatory, but recommended, especially on days when the grass is wet or moist. Shin Guards are mandatory so all players need to come to the field wearing Shin Guards. First aid kits will be at the field in case of any minor injury.

While at the practice sessions, parents are encouraged to cheer on their child, but not coach. We also encourage parents who might be interested in coaching to enroll in a coaching course. For info on such courses, please speak to one of the head coaches.

Q. Hey, what if I really want to coach my child in the future?

A. The Academy Program is designed to build a strong foundation for our players. (Presently, we expect the Academy to continue through first grade.) Once this foundation is firmly established, our players will have the opportunity to join either a recreational team or a select (travel) team, depending on their abilities and interests.  Within our recreational program, we encourage (and depend on) parents to volunteer as coaches. Our hope is that the parents who want to coach will get started right away with their soccer education. DSC provides many opportunities through clinics and our in-house coaching certification to get you started. The Maryland State Youth Soccer Association (www.msysa.org) also runs the State F, E and D license courses during the year. Please, if you are interested in coaching, take some of these courses, so our players can continue to develop after they leave our Academy program.

DSC also has a library of soccer books and videos available - we will be publishing them to our website in the near future.

Q. What is the entire Fall schedule?

A. We don't have firm dates yet, but we will have eight sessions in total with the last two sessions to be used as a mini-tournament.  Each group of 8-10 players will play 4v4 or 5v5 games for the entire session. There will be very minimal coaching for these sessions. Instead we will concentrate on the joy of playing soccer. The schedule may be pushed back if weather interferes. We will have one rain date built into the schedule.  If we have to miss more than one week because of weather, then we will cancel one of the mini-tournament days.  The Photographer, Tom Estrin, will be at one of the earlier dates of the Academy and you can sign up for pictures at the session.


Q. How do we celebrate the end of the season?

A. In addition to participating in the tournament play, all Soccer Academy players will receive a medal/trophy from the Head Coaches to commemorate their completion of the program.

Q. What happens if we have bad weather?

A. Check the DSC website (www.damascussoccer.org) and also call the DSC hotline at 301-253-1473. We will attempt to have a cancellation notice posted by 7:30 on Saturday mornings.

Q. How do I contact the Academy Director?

A. Primary Contact:

Jonathan Frias – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Secondary Contacts:

Dave Kovack (DSC Director of Coaching) - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mike Holt (DSC VP of the Academy) – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it


And the Club can always be reach through This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it