about ISA Erie

ISA Erie Core Principles

The International Soccer Academy of Erie has adopted a group of core principles that are the foundation of our club. Our main principles are as follows:

Inclusion

ISA Erie believe that all players regardless of their economic or social standing should have access to the game of soccer. Finances should not be a barrier. Cultural differences should not be a barrier. Soccer is a game that includes players from all over the world and from all walks of life. ISA Erie reflects this, as we are committed to fostering diversity by offering a welcoming and supportive environment for its members and leadership and developing a culture that respects differences in culture, age, gender, race, ethnicity, physical ability, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and socioeconomic status.

We openly and actively recognize that diversity truly enriches the educational experience and enhances the soccer community as a whole. As such, we are committed to putting a constant effort in recruiting, retaining, and developing youth and adult players and teams of diverse backgrounds in support of our organization’s overall mission. This will directly result in our organization and membership to be exposed to a very diverse set of cultures, ways of thinking, and human characteristics, which in turn will stimulate innovation, value diversity in contributions, and encouragement of performance that leads to the advancement of all.

Development

ISA Erie fosters the physical, mental, and emotional growth and development of our area’s youth through the sport of soccer at all levels of age and competition. We support enhancement of player development beyond the community based club via programs such as the Olympic Development Program (ODP), as well as official youth development academies. Rather than “holding our players back”, we prefer to seek out and support opportunities for our players to receive more touches on the ball, more instruction, and more opportunity to grow and develop as players and people.

Mentoring

ISA Erie is committed to fostering character development among our players. In order to do so, it is imperative to engage children and adults on topics such as nutrition, education, and critical life skills. We also actively seek opportunities to encourage our players to become leaders within the community.

We provide pathways for our youth and adult players to become coaches as well as referees. We provide constant training and support for those entering our coaching and referee programs, as development and education for both coaches and referees will better the game as a whole rather than leave them to”figure it out” on their own once they’ve received their coaching or officiating credentials.

Education

ISA Erie values the educational aspect of the sport above all else. Our environment encourages education on and off the pitch. While on the pitch, we strive to develop players through practice and execution in games. We also place importance on discussing the game off the field in study sessions and discussions of tactics and positional responsibility.

In addition to soccer specific education, we also strive to focus on academic and life skills education by partnering with teachers, tutors, schools, health professionals, fitness experts, and law enforcement as we truly believe in a holistic approach to player and personal development.

Transition from Youth to Adult Play

ISA Erie strives to prepare youth players for transition to the adult game. Whether that means college soccer, organized amateur soccer, or professional soccer – ISA Erie is committed to providing assistance in transitioning to the appropriate pathway.

Directly, ISA Erie partners with the Erie Soccer League in administration of the only amateur adult soccer league in the area. Through the Erie Soccer League, the amateur adult player can compete on the local level. They can also compete in state competitions such as the Keystone Cup, regional competitions such as the Region I amateur championships, and national soccer competitions such as the US Open Cup.

Indirectly, ISA Erie strives to maintain a network of connections at the college and professional levels through affiliation with the Olympic Development Program as well as a variety of youth development academies. We find that such affiliations expose our players and coaches to a far more diverse network of coaches and opportunities rather than relying upon our immediate “circle” of coaches that keeping everything in house would provide.