Off-Season Training > Summer Soccer

WHAT IS SUMMER SOCCER?
Summer Soccer has been a Men's Soccer tradition since 2002. Often serving as a conditioning catalyst for fall sports, Summer Soccer is a free and voluntary outdoor "pick-up" opportunity held annually to combat the lazy days of summer, from mid July to mid August, running from 6:30pm-8:00pm on the SSFS "B" or "C" outdoor fields, located in the front of the school, on the left side when entering the campus. Click here to view the SSFS outdoor athletic facilities.

HOW DOES SUMMER SOCCER WORK?
Not predetermined, teams are assigned upon arrival by the supervising staff. Games tend to run 8-minutes or first team to 3 goals, whichever comes first.  The desire is to play 11 vs. 11, although depending on numbers smaller games with pug goals and no keepers may be employed, stressing the importance of good footwork for all players -- goalies included. Regardless, Summer Soccer is a delightful, friendly, healthy and competitive environment for our boys to unite, play, exercise, compete and bond.  I invite you to speak with any of the kids who have already experienced Summer Soccer to attest to its success.

WHO PARTICIPATES?
Supervised by Coach Polón, Summer Soccer continues to be a haven for alums to return, seniors to make a final hurrah, future leaders to develop and prospective players to acclimate.  Spectators (parents, relatives, etc.) are certainly welcome, and are often pleasantly surprised by the quality of play and competition. In the occasional event of excessive numbers of interested participants, priority of play is always given to SSFS boys with generous efforts made to best incorporate everyone else.
 
WHAT TO BRING?
From an apparel standpoint, aside from appropriate athletic wear, all that is required are decent outdoor soccer shoes: studs or turfs, as desired.  While distinguishing colored pinnies tend to be made available, it is recommended to always pack both a light and dark T-shirt. Also, bring water! In addition, a portable lavatory is conveniently located adjacent to the "B" field. Furthermore, the team benches and bleachers make for a fine rest and recovery venue while watching the other matches and/or waiting for one's next turn. 
 
WHY TUESDAY & THURSDAY EVENINGS?
One and half hours of exhilarating activity in the evening two days per week is often just what the doctor ordered to combat both the work week as well as those lazy days of summer! Years of experience have confirmed that 6:30pm-8:00pm seems to be the time that best meets the majority of the people's needs: neither too early for those holding day jobs, nor so late that it gets participants home too late. Also, the evenings tend to be much more tolerable than the oppressive Metropolitan DC area summer afternoons. These same years of experience have confirmed that Tuesdays and Thursdays tend to be the best days to meet, avoiding Fridays and Mondays which still allow participants the luxury of taking guilt-free long-weekends, while simultaneously avoiding back-to-back days, allowing bodies to better recover.