Each year, LMSC identifies a pool of Under 8 boys players and a pool of Under 8 girls players to train together during the fall and winter. The purpose of this program is to develop our top younger players for the Travel Team Program, starting the following fall season.

The players train together under the direction of the LMSC Under 8 Coaching Staff, which is comprised of experienced youth soccer coaches and high level soccer players, most of whom played at the college level. The coaching staff does NOT include parents of U-8 players. All coaches in the Under 8 Developmental Academy are non-parent coaches.

TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE 2010 - 2011 SEASON, PLAYERS MUST BE BORN BETWEEN AUGUST 1, 2002 AND JULY 31, 2003, NO EXCEPTIONS!!!. TRYOUT DATES WILL BE AS FOLLOWS: BOYS UNDER 8 TEAMS: JUNE 4 AND JUNE 9 GIRLS UNDER 8 TREAMS: JUNE 1 AND JUNE 3 All tryouts will start promptly at 6:30 PM. Please arrive by 6:20 to check in and get a tryout shirt. All Under 8 tryouts will be held at BARRACK HEBREW ACADEMY in Bryn Mawr.

All coaches in the Under 8 Program are experienced soccer players and coaches. We do NOT have parent coaches involved in the program. Instead, all coaches used in the Under 8 Program have a very strong and extensive soccer background.

For 2010-2011, our Under 8 Academy Staff will include:

• Biff Sturla: President of LMSC and a 28 year coaching veteran at LMSC. Biff has been a head coach at the high school level for 15 years. He is the head coach for the Harriton High School boys varsity (2006 AA District One Champions). Biff's club teams have won 15 state championships, three Region One championships and had one team finish second in the nation.
  
  
• Grant Myers: A former semiprofessional player, Grant has been coaching for over 12 years. In 2009, Grant's Under 10 boys team, the LMSC Rat Pack, were crowned indoor state champions and outdoor state champions. Grant has coached at the high school level for eight years.
  
  
• Matt Cox: Matt played professionally in Switzerland, Holland, Jamaica and Malaysia. He has coached for five years in the LMSC Travel Team Program and helps run our Summer Soccer Program. Matt also coaches at the high school level.
  
  
• Nikki Posillico Epps: Nikki played division one college soccer at Villanova. As a youngster, Nikki's Under 16 team were crowned national champions. Nikki is the club treasurer and bookkeeper. She has been a head coach in the LMSC Travel Team Program for eight years.
  
  
• Casey Ichniowski: Casey is currently the head coach for the LMSC Heart, our Under 15 girls travel team. The Heart were crowned state champions in 2008 and 2009. They also have won four PAGS League division one championships.
  
  

Players wishing to be a part of the Under 8 program MUST make every effort to be at both tryouts. LMSC will pick a team of up to 24 boys and a team of up to 24 girls.

Only players born between August 1, 2002 and July 31, 2003 may tryout. Underage and overage players will NOT be considered for this team. Per United States Soccer Federation policy, all players making a team will be required to submit a copy of their birth certificate to show they are of the proper age.

While tryouts are held in the spring, the official Under 8 season will not start until the fall, after Labor Day. Players making the Under 8 Academy are eligible to sign up for the LMSC Fall Pre-Season Travel Team Camp if they desire.

FALL SEASON - Each pool of players trains twice a week during the fall (one weeknight practice and one Saturday practice) and plays one game a week (Sunday afternoons). The players also participate in a tournament in mid-November against other Under 8 teams in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

WINTER SEASON - Both Under 8 groups participate in indoor soccer leagues at a local indoor facility and train on occasion in local area school gymnasiums, pending gym availability. Both the indoor leagues and the training are run under the supervision of the LMSC U-8 Coaching staff. While we do not know the exact winter schedule, it is anticipated that the boys teams will have their league games on Mondays (late afternoon and early evening) while the girls teams will have their league games on either Fridays (late afternoon and early evening) or Sunday late afternoons

SPRING SEASON - The U-8s will play a limited amount of spring soccer outdoors, in advance of the Under 9 travel team tryouts which will be held in late April and early May. At that time, players move on to the regular Travel Team Program and will compete regularly against teams from other local area soccer clubs. Teams at the Under 9 and Under 10 travel team level consist of 11 - 13 players. LMSC will field up to four travel teams in each age group. All Under 8 program activities in the spring are informal and do not take precedent over any other sporting activities that the players have. Players are encouraged to play other sports in the spring season.

Please note that this program is geared towards our most talented and committed soccer players. All players in this program must have a high commitment to the game of soccer and to developing their skills. The program runs in the fall and the winter. This is a much more extensive program then our intramural programs. Players who would not be able to commit to training and playing in the fall and winter should instead play in the Fall Intramural Program. Again, this program is geared for players who wish to eventually move on to the LMSC Travel Team Program.