Oakville Soccer Club

About Youth House League

The OSC House League program is where the majority of our players are introduced to the game of soccer and where the majority of our players will play throughout their careers. Advancing Every Player applies equally to our House League participants as it does to Rep. As such, we format the House League curriculum this way:

Intro and Fun (U4 – U7)

In this initial, entry-level stage, young children are introduced to the game and receive limited in-depth technical development or instruction. The focus at this stage is to enroll young players in the program and ensure that they enjoy soccer and want to continue to play. Mini Kickers, Micro Soccer and Mini Soccer are the game formats employed at this level.

Coaches at these age groups are selected for their ability to work with very young children, foster fun and teach the basics of the game. At this early stage, no child is formally assessed in terms of their development potential or ability.

Teach Them To Play (U8-U12)

These age groups are core development years and are very important in a child’s ability to develop to their full potential. At these age groups, a great emphasis is placed on learning the basic core skills of the game – passing, receiving, dribbling, shooting, ball mastery, etc. The emphasis is still kept firmly off winning and losing in games and heavily on individual player development in supportive, learning environments. For the large part, Mini Soccer is employed as game format at this stage. House League players remain as important to the club as players who may have potential to play competitively.

To ensure late emerging talent is not lost, the House League is divided into Red and White divisions. The Red division continues to focus on development, with practice sessions accompanying the House League match schedule. Late emerging talent may move onto a path towards more competitive soccer if appropriate and desired. The White division focuses purely on recreational fun and ensures all kids have a place to play that suits their ability and interest levels.

Teach Them To Compete U13-U16

As the club’s young players head into adolescent years, the development focus advances to introduce competitive elements of the sport and more structured competitive match play. Whilst the emphasis remains on skills development, players in these years are building on the core skills that are already in place and learning more in depth components of the game, including teamwork and tactics. By the end of this development phase (U16), the vast majority of players will be effectively in recreational or recreationally competitive.

Long Term Player Development - FAQ

Please follow the link below to read the Ontario Soccer Association's Long Term Player Development Frequently Asked Questions document for parents.

 LTPD Parent's FAQ's,  (PDF)