PRE-ACADEMY
A Stepping-Stone from Recreational to Competitive Soccer
Our Strikers Pre-Academy is the Charlotte area's most successful developmental program for young players ages 6–9, designed to bridge the gap between Recreational soccer and Competitive Club-level play. This program is ideal for families looking to give their children the foundational skills, tactical understanding, and confidence to eventually thrive at the Club level and beyond.
Many of our former Pre-Academy players have advanced to elite levels, including Division 1 College programs, MLS Next, and Charlotte FC’s Academy—after starting their journey with Strikers/Pre-Academy and continuing through our club teams.
Program Highlights
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Age Group: 6–9 years old
Separate league for Boys & Girls
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Tryouts: Held twice a year (Free to Tryout)
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Spring season runs from mid February until late April. Fall goes from late August until the beginning of November.
Game Format: 7v7 matches on our Big field
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Game Days: Saturdays or Sundays
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Focus: Individual player development, not just team results
Expert Coaching & Individual Attention
The program is led by Russell Steedman, a full-time, Youth Development Licensed Coach, who brings extensive experience in developing young players alongside ex-College player & licensed coach, Michael Nuguse. Coach Steedman & Nuguse:
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Personally assists with training sessions
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Oversee weekend games to assess player growth
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Evaluate each child individually throughout the season
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Provide guidance on next steps in their soccer journey
Development Over Winning
While teams are formed for game play, our core mission is to develop every player to their fullest potential—fostering a lifelong love of the game in a fun, challenging, and supportive environment.
In addition, opportunities will be offered to select players from our Under-8 age group to take part in our US Club Soccer Team (4 or 5 games taking place in Huntersville on Saturday mornings.) This is a great way for the players to get a taste of Club/travel soccer.