Rainier Valley Slammers
Mission Statement
The Rainier Valley Slammers are here to develop youth players on and off the pitch. Rainier Valley Slammers is committed to providing athletes the opportunity to develop skills essential to positive growth in the sport of soccer and to inspire each player to a lifelong enjoyment of the game. Coaches not only will develop players in the technical, tactical, physical, and psychological components of the game, they will also teach the importance of commitment, good sportsmanship, teamwork, respect for self and others, and an ability to learn from both winning and losing. Our Rainiers Valley Slammers Coaches partners with parents and players to achieve these goals, realizing that only through commitment, hard work, and execution will we "win" both on and off the playing field.
Philosophy
Player Development is the primary objective of Rainier Valley Slammers. This development breaks down into four components: Technical, Tactical, Physical, and Psychological. As the age level increases, different components are stressed.
1. Technical growth: The individual ability to handle the ball consists of: dribbling, passing, receiving, shooting, heading, and goal keeping. A solid Technical foundation increases the players’ ability to understand the Tactical aspects of the game.
2. Tactical awareness: A player must understand when to apply the appropriate technique based on the demands placed upon them by their opponents. Tactical awareness is a players understanding of a system of play or strategy. As a player progresses through age groups, Tactical play becomes a major component of our teaching.
3. Physical ability: Soccer is a demanding physical sport, and each player needs to obtain a certain level of fitness. A majority of this fitness training takes place in the actual training exercises. Physical fitness determines a lot in the game of soccer. When players become physically tired, they become mentally tired. When they become mentally tired they can no longer perform the technical skills needed. When players lose their technical ability, their tactics disappear.
Vision
Rainier Valley Slammers strives to be a World Class soccer program through the development, progress and growth of our youth players. We want to prepare our players for the physical, mental and emotional complexities of the game, as wells as, the disciplines and responsibilities for life after soccer.
Mike Hargett
Director RVS
