Elite Academy

QUALITIES/CHARACTERISTICS WE SEEK

DC XI believes that players must have the desire to play the game in order to be successful.

For this reason, we are looking for players with these  attributes:

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Age 5 to 7 

 (at this age, we scout and start to invite players to get a feel for what the elite commitment is like)​

• Respect; for parents, teammates, coaches and officials.

• Coachable; willingness to learn.

• Desire; love and curiosity for the game.

• Attention; good listening skills.

• Competitive; drive to compete across all disciplines.

 

Age 8 and above

• all 5 to 7 qualities

• Decision-making; acute decision making on and off the ball. 

• Dribbling opportunity; willingness to dribble opponents. 

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PLAYER AND PARENT COMMITMENT

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Player:  

I understand that in deciding to participate, I am making a year-long commitment to myself, my coach, and my teammates, and I affirm that I will ….  

• Always give my best effort during practices and games; 

• Come ready to play, and demonstrate good sportsmanship on the field; 

• Respect my teammates, my coaches, the referees, and opposing teams; 

• Make my first commitment to my team and my coaches – that is, if I decide to play another sport and there are conflicts between that sport and soccer for practices and games, I will choose to participate with my team in soccer first; 

• Talk to my coach if I have a problem or a question; 

• Practice my skills at home; 

• Work hard in school; and 

• Respect my parents, whose efforts make my participation on the Team possible.  

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Parents: I/we understand that the commitment is a year-long commitment, and I/we will:  

• Encourage my child to give his/her best effort on the field;  

• Encourage my child to develop good sportsmanship, by demonstrating good sportsmanship; 

• Encourage my child to work on his/her skills at home; 

• Help my child remember that his/her commitment is to the team, and if he/she decides to play another sport and there are conflicts between that sport and soccer for practices and games, will prioritize soccer first; 

• Encourage my child to show respect for his/her teammates, coaches, game officials, and opposing teams, by demonstrating the same; 

• Let the coach do his job and will not be a side-line coach during practices or games; 

• Ensure that my child arrives on time to practices and to games; 

• Communicate with the Team Manager or Coach to let them know if my child will be late to practice, or cannot attend a practice or a game; 

• Communicate openly with the Coach and Team Manager over any issues; 

• Provide all necessary documentation to register my child and; 

 

Further, I/we will fulfill all financial obligations in a timely manner (according to the payment schedule established at the beginning of the season). 

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FOCUS

We focus heavily on technical development; ball mastery, and tactical execution and decision-making. When players are quick to grasp the material and physically able to compete with the next age band, we reward them by asking them to participate in a more challenging environment. We also take into consideration their enthusiasm for the game and their psychological ability to handle the next level. We believe that it is important that they enjoy the game throughout their time in the program.

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PRACTICE/GAME DAYS

• 7 - 10 years old: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday/Sunday

• 11 - 16 years old: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday/Sunday

• 16+ years old: Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday (DCXI PRO Team)

  • Note: Practice days vary from ​season to season, depending on specific teams, this is meant to be an example of what a combination of days could look like, please refer to your official schedule/program for accuracy. 

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FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Elite team annual dues vary per age group and team

• Team kits (uniforms) are purchased separately and depend on age-group and specific team.

• Sibling discounts available.

• Scholarships based on need/merit.

• The Club offers monthly payment plans.

• All payments must be finalized by end of May.

• Commitments are for the annual football year August to June (Spring, Winter, Fall) depending on our specific team.

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Annual dues cover:

• Coaching staff

• Admin staff

• League fees

• Tournament (except for national/international tournaments/events that are not on the regular schedule) *Your team may pay for extra tournaments depending on performance.

• Equipment

• Fields

• Technology

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UNIFORMS

• Uniforms packages are mandatory and you will be sent an invitation to order as the last step of your registration.

• Uniforms are often renewed in the Fall, but replacement items can be ordered in the middle of a season. 

• 3 Jerseys

• 3 matching shorts

• 3 pairs of socks

• Training Jacket

• Training pant

• Backpack

 

NUMBERS (refer to club guide/invite for most accurate numbers)

• Uniforms packages: 150-300

• Seed stage (U7/U8): 2,430
• Roots stage (U9/U10): 2,700
• Rise stage (U11-U12): 2,835
• Forge stage (U13-U14): 2,880
• Crown stage (U15-U16): 2,880
• Legacy stage (U17-U19): 2,640

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LEAGUES

Scorpion League:

The Scorpion League is DCXI's in-house developmental league. It focuses on using small sided games for ages 5 -10 in order to maximize touch on the ball and team concepts that can expand to the larger game. The league is where our coaches recruit players first, it is a direct route to an Elite team.  

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MSA:

Maryland Soccer Alliance league, organized by Player Pathway Program (PPP), MSA is designed to support player growth by providing a structured environment that bridges the gap between recreation and higher-level travel soccer. 

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SAM Select:

Sam Select is the Germantown Soccerplex League, that takes place at the beautiful grounds of the Plex, offering a variety of divisions and competition. Sam Select is a great first step for many teams looking to face competition outside of an in-house/local league.

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EDP:

EDP has easily become a great choice for teams and programs seeking the highest competition in the region. EDP offers a roster pool, making it a very flexible league and a great option for our most competitive players/teams.

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N1:

By EDP, National 1 League is the top team-based competition in US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer, elevating teams across the country into a unified national platform integrated with the ECNL.

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UCL:

EDP has easily become a great choice for teams and programs seeking the highest competition in the region. EDP offers a roster pool, making it a very flexible league and a great option for our most competitive players/teams.

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USL-Y:

EDP Formerly known as the Super Y League, is a youth soccer league with teams from the United States and Canada. USL Youth contains the youth academies of Major League Soccer, United Soccer League, and Premier Development clubs. 

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SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING

The club offers supplemental training (at an extra cost) throughout the year for players who want to build their skills in specific areas and beyond what is done at their team/group practice sessions. Trainings range from The Wall - Goal Keeper Training to TPT (Technique and Performance Training).

Coaches that specialize in each training category lead those programs.

General announcements are made to the entire club when these programs become available. 

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PICKUP CULTURE

The club encourages a deep pick-up culture by organizing spaces for our club-members throughout the year to gather and play unstructured football (soccer). 

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