CAPERS ACADEMY U13AA GIRLS OPEN SESSIONS ANNOUNCED
CAPERS Academy have announced the next steps forward in the creation of a U13AA Girls program that will sustain the island at Tier One Nova Scotia Soccer League (NSSL) level for the next two years and beyond.
The U13AA Girls program is guided for the Summer 2025 season by CBU CAPERS Men's program USPORTS double National title-winning Head coach Deano Morley who has over two decades of experience in youth soccer on the island.
Deano has been developing the core of the next squads over the Fall/Winter block in collaboration with CAPERS Academy Technical Director Iain King and now the process to complete the season's preparations has been unveiled.
The goal here is to ensure all of the players have the chance to show their best and also to create an environment where we can keep as possible playing in the Academy set-up while also allowing them other training and game opportunities.
This will mean:
* The current registered girls will continue to train on their present Dome schedule until the end of March.
* On Saturday March 22 and Saturday March 29 from 10.30am-12noon we will be holding two Open Sessions for the current squad players and other interested players to ensure all of the girls on the island have an opportunity to test their skills against each other.
* After this process we will select TWO squads:
* The CAPERS Academy NSSL U13AA Girls with 16/18 invited players - training twice a week with weekend games
* The CAPERS Academy Prospects with 18/22 players born principally in 2013/14 training once a week with call-up rights and also able to register for a local club in the summer.
We are keeping the Prospects registration down to $150 for April to August - including the new Under Armour Training bundle - as this program is designed to keep the girls connected to the Academy ahead of NEXT year's U13s.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I WANT MY DAUGHTER - BORN 2012, 2013, 2104 - TO ATTEND THE OPEN SESSIONS?
ALL current players are expected to attend these FREE sessions and any other player, who may have been multi-sport in the Fall/Winter, taking a soccer break or is new to the island, should simply email our Admin Assist Lisa Lavery on admin@soccercapebreton.com and let us know your player will be attending.
The sessions will be in the CBU Dome so indoor turf shoes are required and suitable soccer training gear and a water bottle. The players will go through some technical training before being placed in blended 7 v 7 scrimmages.
PEI TOURNAMENT THIS SUMMER
CAPERS Academy U13AA Girls programs will be entering two teams in the Winsloe Charlottetown Tournament from July 18-20, one in the Premier flight and one in the Division One bracket and we will seek to firm that up when the squads are selected in the first week of April.
DEANO ON THE CAPERS ACADEMY U13AA GIRLS PHILOSOPHY
"We will be dedicated to developing young footballers through a person first approach showing care, understanding and enthusiasm towards their character development.
"As players we will focus on building confidence, competence and creativity by working to enhance technical skill, basic tactical understanding and personal growth within a structured team environment."
"We will focus on developing well-rounded, technically skilled and mentally strong players who embody the CAPERS Academy values. By emphasising technical ability, player creativity and a togetherness mindset we will prepare our young footballers for the next level while fostering a love for the game that lasts a lifetime."
IAIN ON THE DESIGN OF THE PROCESS
"With so many multi-sport athletes involved at this level we feel this is the most comprehensive way to ensure we have a robust process ahead of the Tier One girls gearing up for their first NSSL game on May 3 and the Prospects squad being formed for the start of Outdoor Training on Monday April 21.
"Last season through the stellar work of the playing squad and the dedication of our coaching staff of Tyler Kaupp, Krista Mills and Ashlyn Tierney our U13AA Girls Academy side went unbeaten and won the NSSL Provincial title.
"That squad had been developed through from the Skill Centre process started in 2022 and produced 11 Provincial Program players born in 2011 and 2012. Now the next challenge is keep producing players of that cailbre but also to futureproof he growth of the game to offer EVERY girl soccer player on the island the same development opportunities.
"Canada Soccer's national decision to scrap U13s Provincial squads meant the loss of the superb SNS U12 Showcases which were hugely popular with our players and were were fed by our Regional Training Centre (RTC) and Team Cape Breton projects at this age group.
"We have had to pivot quickly to those changes and Prospects is the way forward in that regard to ensure we have a pipeline of talent that can develop both at our local Soccer Cape Breton clubs and within the Academy once a week."
*OUR picture shows The Invincibles U13AA NSSL banner after they were crowned champions of Nova Scotia following an unbeaten season in 2024.
