FC BRAVES SAN ANTONIO
WHY US?
Hi, my name is Andrii Petrenko. I am a former professional soccer player from Ukraine! I have coached kids for over 17 years and I have a European UEFA-C coaching license. I am passionate about helping kids grow and develop holistically using soccer as a tool. I am a Christian, husband, and father to two young kids. On our social media and text below you will find more information about my coaching method.
It's not a secret that Soccer is not the most popular sport in the USA. Usually, coaches have good programs. But very often you see that franchises or big clubs have inexperienced coaches or volunteers who just run a program and don’t really coach your child. You would not see proper demonstrations, corrections, and progression. You would hear only “good job” and “well done”, but it is very possible you will see no or little progress in your child’s capabilities. Parents might be frustrated after spending time, energy, and money to see very little progress in their child. The rule should be if your child is active and loves the game, can listen, loves to compete, and gives 100% of their efforts they should grow and develop in soccer and in their motor skills. I, Andrii, saw children after several years of working with developmental programs who could not perform basic technical skills properly and didn’t have the most basic motor skills.
Very often programs concentrate on ball skills only. It could be damaging to their development if the child doesn't have many other physical activities during the week where they learn motor skills and develop their strength and speed.
We could hinder a young player’s development if we do not balance the technical and physical characteristics. For example, if a player has all the runs done with the ball and their head is lowered to follow the ball, the player will not develop the speed of reaction. Their sprints will be limited, and as a result, they will not develop maximal speed. The player’s spatial awareness suffers, they develop incorrect posture, and many other weaknesses become prevalent. Therefore, the task of any coach or parent to help a child develop holistically and correctly is to provide an opportunity to develop all the physical aspects of the game. Children must learn foundational motor skills which will allow them to competently master technical skills well and progress faster than others who experienced an unbalanced foundational platform.
I came from a part of the world where kids practice 3-6 times per week and they only focus on one sport. Good coaches have to know how to develop the physical side as well as specific soccer skills and coordination. We use Incremental learning where every progression in physical and technical development is thought through. We believe that incremental learning is crucial for the proper growth and progress of the young player.
The program is designed so that 30-40% of the time we develop physical capabilities like motor skills, basic strength, speed, and coordination. The remaining time is focused on soccer-specific development through a game-based method, which is both fun and effective.
I have more than 17 years of experience in coaching and have mentored coaches and clubs in Ukraine for the last 9 years. I’ve received specific soccer licenses, and a university education in coaching, I worked as a head coach of the football academy UCSA in Ukraine from 2018-2021. All this gives me confidence that I would be able to help your child to be the best possible version of themselves at their age. We would like to start to build a club here in San Antonio, and we invite you to join us!
We provide a quality soccer program and we emphasize character development. We believe that the Bible reveals all needed moral and character traits that people need to practice to have a life of harmony and success. The Bible has the message of salvation and hope in a time of uncertainty and crisis in the world. We will devote ten minutes of our practice time to learning Bible stories that will train a child in the way he should go.
In the 2024-2025 season, we will provide monthly options for practices in different locations. We start with young kids ages 4-5 and 6-7 so we will be able to grow together. We invite you to try and see if your child will make progress during this month with us.
Locations
1) Lutheran High School, 18104 Babcock Rd, San Antonio, TX 78255 (Leon Springs)
Days: Monday and Wednesday
Time: 5:30 Pm - 6:30 PM (4-8 years)*
2) Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 NW Military Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78230
Days: Wednesday, Friday
Time: 8:00 Am - 9:00 Am U-8 team (4--8 years)*
3) Robert F. McDermott Elementary School, 5111 USAA Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78240
Days: Tuesday
Time: 6:00 Pm - 7:00 PM U-8 teams (5-8 years)*
* In the first stages, we will aim for the individual development of the player. It is like individual practice in a group environment. The child will be able to develop soccer techniques, coordination, endurance, speed, and strength and will have more energy even after the first 10 practices. In the first year of the program, we have kids from 4 to 9 years old in each location and it will not be a problem for children of different ages to work together, as we prioritize individual over team development.
Programs
We provide 1 or 2 practices per week for kids
Ages 4-5 and 6-8
Cost for 1 child per month:
4 practices per month $100
8 practices per month $160
Cost for 2 siblings per month:
4 practices per month $150
8 practices per month $240
Training Dates: September 1, 2024 - May 31, 2025.
First practice FREE!! See if your child likes it.
If you want your child to join our practices but do not have the financial capacity to afford it, you can still fill out the application. We can place your child on a waiting list and we will let you know if we have available scholarships each month.
