IMPORTANT UPDATES: OCTOBER 2023
Dear Excel Soccer Families,
I hope everyone is doing well and had a fantastic summer filled with fun and activities! For those who joined our summer camps, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your enthusiastic participation. The summer camps were a resounding success, providing our athletes with a myriad of enjoyable activities and games that maximized their soccer touches. I'm incredibly proud of our athletes, and I thank you sincerely for your unwavering support. As our high school athletes gear up for the playoffs, I wish them the very best, and for our younger athletes, I hope their time at Excel Soccer Skills has ingrained strong muscle memory to serve them well on the field.
Can you believe it? We've entered our 6th year this fall, and I'm truly thankful for the numerous emails we've received about how our athletes have grown and successfully achieved their goals. These achievements include varsity soccer and college programs, and they are nothing short of inspiring. I'm immensely grateful to know that Excel Soccer Skills has been a valuable resource, helping athletes feel confident, safe, and happy while supporting their skill development.
I have a number of updates to ensure that we best serve the needs of all of our athletes and their families. As many of you know, I have been asking questions to gain input on a number of policies. Below I have incorporated many positive suggestions that I have received. Please note that all policy and pricing changes will be effective November 1, 2023. All of these changes are based on our Mission.
WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO OUR MISSION
At Excel Soccer Skills Development, we are committed to offering small group settings that focus on building fundamental technical and tactical soccer skills. We believe that each player is unique, and their development journey should reflect that individuality. Our goal is to supplement what players receive in their formal team and club practices, providing them with the personalized attention they need to excel. EXCEL YOUR GAME!
What does this mean on a daily basis? As the mission states, we are a SKILL development. I place class assignments based on the right group for an athlete’s individual skill level NOT on friendship, logistics, age, or building a specific team. The small group settings work on individual skill 75% of the time. I will place athletes in the group that aligns with their skills. If your athlete excels in class, I will be the first one to suggest a movement to a new class. It is important for athletes to learn how to excel with a diversity of skill sets around them. I receive a lot of questions about moving an athlete to a more challenging group. As many know, I want to see great progress by an athlete in a class before I do so. Until then, an athlete will remain in the assigned group.
POLICY CHANGES
Communications: My goal, just as yours, is to support our athletes. I'm always available to talk, meet for coffee, drinks, or a meal. Over the last five years, I've had the pleasure of meeting many of you, and I'm here not just for the clinics but to support your athlete's growth. The best way to reach me is tibi@excelsoccerskills.com. Both Heather and I respond to this email.
For invoicing, pass conversion, and overall administration, please contact my business partner, Rob Pietrick (robp.excel@gmail.com). Many of you have worked with Rob, and he is responsive to inquiries on policies, pricing, and services. He works diligently to make sure everyone utilizes their existing passes, especially important with some additional changes noted below.
Heather, Coach Tristan (staffexcelsoccer@gmail.com), Rob and I interact on a daily basis, so always feel free to reach out to any or all of us with questions.
Cancellation Communication: I want to express my gratitude to the many families who have proactively canceled athletes via email and removing them from the schedule. This is immensely helpful, and I appreciate it. In the future, when you remove your athletes from the roster without emailing me (tibi@excelsoccerskills.com) AND staffexcelsoccer@gmail.com, we don't know if they'll be back for the next week. Please inform us of your absence and expected return date. This is essential to be placed back on the roster for a class.
Please don't assume we have the same class at the same time next week if you miss a session. We ask that you specify your return date and provide alternative options in case we need to find an alternative class.
Cancellation Time-Period Policy: Our 8-hour cancellation policy for CLASSES is in place to respect the scheduling challenges our athletes face, and we appreciate your understanding.
Confirmation Emails: Every athlete placed on a roster receives an email confirmation. Please do not attend if you do not have an email from Excel Soccer Soccer. Email me to confirm the class you want your athlete to attend, and we will promptly investigate if your athlete is not rostered.
Schedule Changes: Our class schedule is built based on your family's availability, and multiple cancellations may necessitate schedule adjustments. While I prefer not to change the schedule, I understand the complexities of managing your athlete's activities. Family and school are top priorities, and we aim to accommodate your needs. Please note that confirmation emails for the following week are sent during the weekend, so the more notice we have of schedule conflicts, the better we can adjust the schedule for everyone's benefit. Please be proactive with us on this so we can ensure the best training experience for all of our families.
Winter Scheduling: As we anticipate running all of our services at capacity, maintaining our commitment to a small group environment is a top priority. To ensure fairness and accommodate as many athletes as possible, we're implementing a new policy as it pertains to 60-minute classes: An athlete will not be able to join the same class if they miss two consecutive weeks of training or two training sessions in a month. While I cannot guarantee a spot due to high demand, I will do my best to find a suitable class. However, I want to be transparent that I cannot guarantee availability on different days, as those groups are also at full capacity. I always strive to find the right class for your athlete, but this individualized approach makes finding alternative classes at the same level challenging.
SERVICES AND PRICING (effective November 1, 2023)
We offer our services through three different categories:
APPOINTMENTS:
Assessment (required for new participants except beginners) - $30.00
Individual Coaching (60-minutes) - $120.00
Semi-Private Coaching (60-minutes) (2 athletes) - $70.00 per athlete
Group Private Party (90-minutes) - $300.00
NOTES: Prepayment is required for appointments, and we utilize an appointment pass system. We have a 24-hour cancellation policy for appointments.
60-MINUTE CLASSES (Apprentice, Advance, and Excel Levels):
Single Class Pass - $35.00
5-Class Pass Package - $170.00
10-Class Pass Package - $320.00
20-Class Pass Package - $620.00
NOTES: We utilize a class pass system and have an 8-hour cancellation policy for classes.
COURSES:
60-Minute Sessions
5-Week Course - Speed and Acceleration - $160.00
5-Week Course - Beginners - $160.00
60-minute course length (weeks or sessions) discretionary; pricing is $32 per session.
90-Minute Sessions (Advance and Excel Levels)
5-Week Course - $240.00
10-Week Course - $480.00
90-minute course length (weeks or sessions) discretionary; pricing is $48 per session.
NOTES: Prepayment is required for courses and a pass system is NOT utilized. No refunds and pro rata pricing.
We've been listening to your feedback over the last five years and have noted your valuable input. Due to several cancellations in 90-minute classes, it's challenging to effectively train 3-5 athletes for that duration of time. With only a few participants, it's difficult to conduct small-sided games, rondos, or scrimmages, which are essential for developing skills such as reaction, anticipation, and decision-making. Our aim is to have 10 athletes in a class to maximize skill development. In addition, this has created a lot of scheduling challenges for both me and the coaches but also the other families that have been committed to the same class. Inconsistency in participation has led me to make changes to the class time, class duration and sometimes even canceling classes. Therefore, moving forward, we'll be offering more 60-minute classes instead of 90-minute classes to ensure quality training.
Additionally, all 90-minute sessions will transition to course-based formats, offering a more structured and committed training environment. We'll schedule 90-minute courses at a 5-week cadence, and a course will require 10 athletes to be scheduled. If this commitment is not feasible, your athlete will be placed in 60-minute classes. Families with existing 90-minute class passes in their accounts will have the option to use these passes for courses or they will be converted to 60-minute class passes. We do understand that there are significant schedule changes for club practices as we enter new seasons and holidays. And unfortunately, serious injuries can occur. Please share status as early as possible so we can work with you and your family to address.
The above enhanced policies and service changes are my attempt to mitigate some of the challenges that coaches and families have experienced over the past year or so. I appreciate your support in implementing these changes.
Stay healthy and safe throughout the soccer season, play your hearts out and enjoy every moment on the field! I wish all of you the best to finish up your season.
