Mo Keita's Junior Elite Program (JEP) focuses on the individual - it is designed for the youth soccer players who aspire to attain a higher level of tactical skill than is offered at other programs. By incorporating the same philosopy as the clinics and camps, but adding a depth and breadth that bulds a solid foundation every youth player needs to set herself/himself apart from the rest. The JEP gives individual players "the edge" when they are ready for competition. It embodies the concept of attaining the "next level of play".

What is the "Next Level of Play"?

For many, the next level of play is a short cut to a club team, whose primary focus is to “Win! Win! Win!”. However, for SCSA, our aim is to provide a diverse and rounded palette of skills to select players. Our mission has always been to prepare as many players who are capable of moving up in the game.

JEP is an accelerated program designed to help ambitious players reach their full playing potential. The aim of the program is to make sure its players have all the required skill sets to excel when faced with competitive soccer. It is an ideal Training Zone to prepare 2006/2007/2008/2009 birth year players for entry into the more traditional competitive club soccer landscape.

In a club atmosphere, with players solely focusing on winning games, and clubs being mindful only to building strong rosters, these actions can be at the detriment of a player’s development. Removing the in-game pressure to win will help foster a creative mindset and place more emphasis on the correct execution of worked upon skills. These efforts allow the player to grow and be more expressive with their soccer skills.

The concept of JEP is a Club Neutral model that will focus on the mastery of key fundamentals, whilst also encouraging the love of soccer within these pivotal years of development. Each session will be richly rewarding to the developing player, promoting speed and confidence with the ball and highlighting the need for high effort within the session. Each player will be encouraged to give 100% during each session and is expected to be a willing and competitive participant. It is our intention to develop these groups over a sustained amount of time, working with a very comprehensive practice schedule. JEP will involve additional training and make indoor Futsal skills programs and camps available during the winter months.

The program is year round and like everything Mo Keita creates, it is a fun learning environment: “The joy of taking players on, the joy of solving problem with the ball, the joy of manipulating the ball in perfection”.

For more information about this new program, contact Mo Keita at mokeita@skillzcheck.com.