F.O.R.G.E
Fearless
•
Ownership
•
Relationships
•
Growth
•
Education
•
Fearless • Ownership • Relationships • Growth • Education •
All youth welcome.
Families are always rising and falling in America (Hawthorne). The same is true of youth soccer players. At Forge A.C., we get behind our member players in every way we can. We strive to inspire, challenge, support, both on the field and off. Soccer is the greatest sport in the world and we want to foster the development of players that go on to play at professional and collegiate levels. Soccer is not only for athletes that want to play for a living. Soccer is a gateway to learn the value of discipline, sacrifice, fitness, and effort; traits that matter in every higher level pursuit. Everyone of our member players are encouraged to pursue the gifts and talents they’re blessed with.
More than anything, though, we want the kids that have been told “no.”
Coaching matters.
Forge A.C. demands more from coaches than any other club in the country. Although coaching certifications are important, we put experience, dedication and temperament ahead of all else. We see coaching certifications as a naturally occurring consequence of great coaching, not a cause of it. Coaches with experience, dedication and proper temperament will often, and should, seek certifications. The certification process helps coaches stay updated, they give parents some peace of mind, they encourage the exchange of creative and effective ideas, and more. But certifications cannot create coaches with proper orientation, temperament and dedication. Those more highly valued characteristics are, most often, innate or borne from experience.
Forge A.C. coaches must own as much as possible within their sphere of control. For that reason, admittedly, Forge A.C. is a challenging environment for coaches. We expect coaches to develop enriching relationships with every player on an individual level. This goes beyond knowing their names. We expect coaches to know a player’s personal background, motivations, challenges, as well as their on-pitch tendencies, athletic ability, and playing competence. Forge A.C. believes this is what separates an average coach from an exceptional one.
Parents are an asset.
Every great soccer nation has its own identity that draws on the uniqueness of their respective culture. Soccer arose from western European roots with heavy individual dribbling focus, moving into short passing, then long passing then fully transformed into a creative and colorful aesthetic once the game hit the shores of South America. Every time the game started to evolve and take a different shape, there was criticism from the old guard. Forge A.C. believes that America has a unique and young soccer culture. America should embrace American culture within the game, rather than always tending toward knee jerk mimicking or automatically adopting the methods of development and play from other cultures. We do not have the same infrastructure, motivations, or resources as other countries – and they do not have ours.
We are rich in resources in America and parents are one of them. It is a mistake to malign parents for being unfamiliar with the game, being overbearing, or not acting a certain kind of way on the sidelines. Forge A.C. vies this as an opportunity, not a detriment. To be clear, Forge A.C. expects respect from all of its members and strictly adheres to notions of sportsmanship and fair play. However, Forge A.C. coaches are required to interact with parents and players alike through earnest relationship building. Forge A.C. recognizes that nobody loves a child more than a parent. Nobody pours into a child more than a parent. Nobody influences a child more than a parent. If a coach does not have buy-in from a parent, they will struggle to have or maintain buy-in from the player. It is not always possible to have buy-in, and Forge A.C. recognizes that, but in any instance of a lapse of buy-in, Forge A.C. starts by asking the coach what they have done to foster a relationship with the parent and player. It is not enough to have parents sign a policy manual and attend mandatory educational trainings. Ultimately, each and every coach must be able to shepherd the parent at least as much as the player. Parents that are bought in, motivate and encourage the player during hours that we do not get to share. Those hours matter as much or more than what we do on the pitch.
Pressure develops above and below.
Forge A.C. is committed to maintaining enriching playing environments for every level. For players that are not given an immediate opportunity on our top teams, there will be a level available for them, nonetheless. Forge A.C. believes in pressure from the bottom. Every top-tier player should understand that there are countless others chasing them down for a top spot. Top-tier players should feel and embrace that pressure.
