D-League Soccer is a level of soccer that exposes players, aged 9 through to 12 years old, to an environment that focuses on individual skill development, basic rules and game strategies, all within a team environment. This program is not simply for players who demonstrate a high level of skill or talent, but is intended for those players who have a passion for the game, are committed to practicing, and want to play in an environment that fosters skill development and achievement. Other characteristics for placement onto a team will be an athlete’s willingness to learn, drive, determination, and their commitment to always try their best for their team and for their personal development In order to be placed on a Developmental team potential players must register for the Indoor program in August and the Outdoor program in February.
After registration, new players will attend an assessment, which is the vehicle that WPFC uses to form balanced teams at each gender and age group. Registration timelines and details will be posted on the WPFC website, www.phoenixsoccer.ca, as information becomes available. The time commitment for D-League soccer is greater than what would be expected for recreational soccer players. D-League players can expect to practice at least twice a week and play a game a week. This is a requirement of the Club. They will also be expected to participate in local tournaments as well as out-of-Province tournaments.
A high level of commitment is expected from D-league players. The One season for d-league players will run from the first week of April (practices will begin in early February) through to the first week of July when they will break for two weeks. The season continues with Club Skills training in late July and early August with games starting mid August through to the first week of November. In relation to playing time, WPFC supports fair play guidelines. This being conditional on a player’s participation in all team scheduled events. i.e.: you practice-you play In the D-League program we see Club Skills training participation as a necessary part of every player’s development. Not only will it place them in front of our Technical Staff on a regular basis, but it will also allow each player to be grouped accordingly and thereby work with players of a like skill set. To that end, we thereby incorporate our “Club Skills Training” fees into the registration cost of our D-League registration fees.