Rockland Soccer Academy to Offer Lessons in New City

Rockland Soccer Academy, a soccer program for young children, plans to offer fall soccer programs for children ages 3 through third grade in New City. The soccer program is lead by head coach Mike Girling.

Head coach Mike Girling (left) coaches players in soccer drills on the field.

Rockland Soccer Academy, a soccer program for children ages 3 through third grade, plans to open in September. The academy will teach kids the fundamentals of soccer through fun drills and game play. Players will learn skills such as passing, turning, controlling the ball, and communicating. Head coach Mike Girling’s goal is to get the kids “active and involved. Every kid will have a ball and be moving nonstop.”

Kids will be put into groups of approximately 16 to work with Coach Mike and his assistants from September to Thanksgiving, the typical fall soccer season. Children ages 3 through 4 will be in Mini Strikers, a program that will introduce the young children to soccer. Junior Strikers, children in kindergarten through third grade, learn the skills needed to play at a more competitive level.

“I have developed a program so that any kid with any ability can be a success,” says Girling, who has 15 years of coaching experience. “Our program is suitable for children of all ability so that when they leave, they’ll feel like they’ve been part of something on the soccer field.”

Each session will be filled with different soccer activities to get the kids’ blood pumping and heart rate going. Mini Strikers sessions will run 45 minutes and Junior Strikers sessions will run for an hour. Rockland Soccer Academy will be held at two locations: Camp Champions and Zukor Park.