D-League Format
The purpose of this format is to increase player enjoyment, development, and retention.
The Youth Academy Format provides opportunity for participating clubs to play developmentally appropriate games–games that provide a relatively equal amount of challenge for both teams. All games are played within the city of Birmingham and the surrounding area.
In place of Tryouts, clubs hold Assessments/Evaluations before a season. After Assessments/Evaluations, an Academy Director places all players (U9-U12) within their age group into a Player Pool. Within the Pool, players train together in a child-centered environment following a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Coaches then place each player onto a developmentally appropriate team for each Playdate. Not having set “teams” gives coaches the opportunity to place each player based on their developmental needs for both training and games.