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by Joe Pennell; QTSD™ Director of Player Development
Columbus is a soccer city. A soccer city with a successful MLS team and many youth clubs. And with that comes a multitude of soccer training options via various coaches, clubs, and organizations. So what exactly is the QTSD™ Academy, how does it benefit players, and what sets it apart from other soccer trainers?
What is the QTSD™ Academy?
The QTSD™ Academy is our flagship training opportunity. Specifically designed for higher level athletes, the professional & player centric training environment works with about 250-300x athletes each year. The club-neutral training is offered 2x a year in an extended cycle format (similar to school semesters). Each cycle of training is thoroughly planned and detailed oriented; including the layered curriculum, player assessments, and training session execution.
How does training with the QTSD™ benefit players like mine?
Simply put, athletes that train with the QTSD™ Academy will become quicker, more creative, and more confident players; including the following:
Technical skill (i.e. first touch, passing & receiving, dribbling creativity, finishing consistency, etc.)
Tactical learning (i.e. body positioning, attacking vs defending, manipulating opponents, recovery, etc.)
Psychological development (i.e. determination, focus, self-confidence, success vs. failure, self assessment, etc.)
Physical (i.e. change of direction, soccer specific fitness, balance, body control, speed, agility, etc.)
"It's not just about learning,
it's about truly understanding."™
How is the QTSD™ Academy/ Goalkeeper Academy different than most local soccer training?
The QTSD™ Academy is our flagship training program. Specifically designed for higher-level players, the professional & player centric training environment works with about 175-250x athletes & teams each year. The club-neutral training is offered 2x a year in an extended cycle format (similar to school semesters). Each cycle of training is thoroughly planned and detailed oriented; including the layered curriculum, player assessments, and training session execution.
Additionally, players will benefit from the truly club-neutral environment; allowing them to learn and apply technical/ tactical lessons in realistic training scenarios. We firmly believe that, while clubs/teams are a significant part of a player's "soccer equation", individual growth can be accelerated in a learning environment that is fully removed from any distractions commonly found in most clubs/ high schools/ teams (i.e., no politics, no tryouts or playing time concerns, limited teammate dynamics, etc.).
Who coaches the athletes in these sessions?
We are very specific in who represents QTSD™ on the training grounds. Each QTSD™ Coach is licensed & certified by multiple national soccer education bodies (i.e. LaLiga - Spain, US Soccer, United Soccer Coaches, Tovo, etc.) Additionally, every one of our coaches has completed our QTSD™ Technical Development Certification; 20+ hours of rigorous shadowing/ learning/ assessment under our QTSD™ Directors.
Another aspect that sets us apart from many training organizations is the QTSD™ “DNA” in many of our Coaching Team. About 75% of our coaches have spent 3-8x years training at QTSD™ during their club/ college years. That ensures they understand the specific approach and culture we promote at QTSD™; competitive, creative, detail-oriented, and fun!
So what's next?
We're constantly evaluating our training, evolving to better improve, and helping players like YOURS navigate their soccer development pathway. We are currently approaching the Winter MesoCycle of the QTSD™ Academy and are currently accepting enrollments. If you are curious about the training, have questions about our specific approach to soccer development, or just want to talk soccer, please reach out (info@qtsdsoccer.com)!