"Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is."
-Johan Cruyff
The Team
U12
Our inaugural program will be U12. Our hope is to expand in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 based on registration demographics. Players ages 8-12 are welcome to join.
Boys and Multicultural
For our first season, we are going to have a boys' program. Our hope is to add a girls' team in Fall 2024. We welcome all families who are interested in learning and playing soccer.
24 roster spots available
Our inaugural program will have two teams: 13GEM Black and 13GEM Blue. Each team will have 12 available roster spots. Players and families can choose which team they'd like to join as long as there are open spots. Once a roster fills up, players will only be able to register for the unfilled team.
Previous skills and knowledge required
While this is not a "tryout and cut" program, previous skill is required. 13GEM Premier will focus on advanced strategies and tactics of soccer. While fundamental skills will be reinforced in each training session, the majority of time will be spent learning how to read the game. Without possessing a strong skill set of foundational skills, players will struggle to keep up with concepts and activities. Recreational soccer is recommended for newer players.
We ask that players have previous Premier soccer experience with another club, extensive rec soccer experience elsewhere, or have completed at least 6 months of regular attendance in the Illume Pro/13GEM Rec Soccer Program linked below.
Intrinsically Motivated
This is more than recreation. Training sessions will be high intensity and packed with activities. It is important that players are excited to move fast, enjoy playing for playing's sake, and compete for the ball. Rather than motivating players to "try hard", the coaches want to focus on the skill and conceptual growth of all players.
Future Soccer Ambitions
This is way more than a youth program; this is a professional program for youth. Players will have access to game film, and we are going to teach them how to break down and analyze it. With their film study skills, they will be able to create their own highlight reels that can be added to their player profile for showing friends and family. This will also help them with college recruiting in the future as they will already have a robust library of highlights to share as well as the skills and knowledge to create new ones in the future. ("See the "Technology in Training" and "Veo Use in 13GEM Premier" sections below)
Program Features
15 Coached Training Sessions
Access to Online Coaching Library
15 Coached Training Sessions
Our program starts with a "preseason" of 5 consecutive training sessions which allows players to learn foundational activities, skills, concepts, and philosophies of 13GEM Premier. The "regular season" follows at a 2 trainings:1 game ratio. This allows the coaching staff to implement tailored training plans based on previous game performances for the team and individual players using game film.
6 Refereed Games
Access to Online Coaching Library
15 Coached Training Sessions
During the "regular season", players will play regulation games with uniforms and referees every third training session. 13GEM Black will play 13GEM Blue. Score will not be kept, per USSF Regulations, but the competitive spirit will be at full intensity. Players will play two 25 minute halves with a 5 minute warm-up and halftime period
During the "regular season", players will play regulation games with uniforms and referees every third training session. 13GEM Black will play 13GEM Blue. Score will not be kept, per USSF Regulations, but the competitive spirit will be at full intensity. Players will play two 25 minute halves with a 5 minute warm-up and halftime period. All players will play equal game time regardless of skill level.
Technology in Training
Access to Online Coaching Library
Access to Online Coaching Library
13GEM Premier will be incorporating the Veo Soccer Camera system into all aspects of this program. All games will be recorded, and families will have instant access to rewatch the game or share it with relatives. As part of team membership, all players get their own player profile that they can start to develop with their highlights fro
13GEM Premier will be incorporating the Veo Soccer Camera system into all aspects of this program. All games will be recorded, and families will have instant access to rewatch the game or share it with relatives. As part of team membership, all players get their own player profile that they can start to develop with their highlights from uploaded game film. Coaching staff will use game film to track player progress, both skills and strategies, and develop tailored training plans to maximize growth of all players.
Access to Online Coaching Library
Access to Online Coaching Library
Access to Online Coaching Library
13GEM Premier is creating a comprehensive online library of training suggestions, skill development activities, strategic explanations, and teamwide feedback from game film. Players will be able to use this library any time they are away from a training session, but still want to train, study, learn, and improve. This library will be de
13GEM Premier is creating a comprehensive online library of training suggestions, skill development activities, strategic explanations, and teamwide feedback from game film. Players will be able to use this library any time they are away from a training session, but still want to train, study, learn, and improve. This library will be designed for the ball obsessed players who want to play, train, and learn as much as possible.
Maximum Ball Touches in Training
Develop Tactical and Strategic Awareness
Explore All Roles and Responsibilities
The only way to learn how to play soccer is to get touches on the ball. Training sessions are designed to maximize the number of touches each player gets, regardless of skill level. In fact, less skilled players will receive the extra attention needed to catch up to the average skill level of the team. Our objective is to ensure each p
The only way to learn how to play soccer is to get touches on the ball. Training sessions are designed to maximize the number of touches each player gets, regardless of skill level. In fact, less skilled players will receive the extra attention needed to catch up to the average skill level of the team. Our objective is to ensure each player gets between 100-300 touches per training session. The "Tiki-Taka" style of play we coach necessitates technical skill and our training sessions focus on developing these skills.
Explore All Roles and Responsibilities
Develop Tactical and Strategic Awareness
Explore All Roles and Responsibilities
We will teach players all the positions on the field during training sessions and in games. This means players will spend time as a defender, a midfielder, and a forward. No player will be a full-time position. The emphasis will be on understanding the entire pitch and how each player can contribute to the team from different places, p
We will teach players all the positions on the field during training sessions and in games. This means players will spend time as a defender, a midfielder, and a forward. No player will be a full-time position. The emphasis will be on understanding the entire pitch and how each player can contribute to the team from different places, positions, and angles. At the U12 level, our objective is to develop a holistic soccer player rather than producing "strikers", "center backs", or "wingers". (Exception: goalkeeper, please see the "Goalkeeper" section below)
Develop Tactical and Strategic Awareness
Develop Tactical and Strategic Awareness
Develop Tactical and Strategic Awareness
13GEM Premier specializes in expanding young soccer minds' awareness beyond dribbling the ball to the entire pitch to see teammates, angles, and space. Off-ball movement is emphasized in philosophy and training. Teaching young players to space out, stay spaced out, and hold a shape by playing a position is our specialty. Once the playe
13GEM Premier specializes in expanding young soccer minds' awareness beyond dribbling the ball to the entire pitch to see teammates, angles, and space. Off-ball movement is emphasized in philosophy and training. Teaching young players to space out, stay spaced out, and hold a shape by playing a position is our specialty. Once the players can hold a shape, we start teaching forming triangles, pressuring the ball, overloading a space, one-twos with attacking intent, and many other advanced strategies.
End-of-Season Celebration
Develop Tactical and Strategic Awareness
Develop Tactical and Strategic Awareness
After the last game of each season, we will have a donuts-and-milk celebration for players, families, and coaches. Donuts and milk will be provided for everyone: players, siblings, cousins, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and coaches. Whoever attends the last game can participate. We will commune and celebrate a great season. Pr
After the last game of each season, we will have a donuts-and-milk celebration for players, families, and coaches. Donuts and milk will be provided for everyone: players, siblings, cousins, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and coaches. Whoever attends the last game can participate. We will commune and celebrate a great season. Prior to the last game, players will submit their favorite personal and team highlights to be composed into a highlight montage that will be given instead of a trophy or medal. Families will be able to relive the great memories over and over again!
GoalKeeper
How will it work?
Goalkeeper is the exception to the "no full-time positions" policy described above. We will allow any player WHO WANTS to be a full-time keeper to do so. A full-time keeper will be assigned to a team and will play keeper in all training sessions and games. Full-time keepers will receive two of their own Keeper Uniform Kits and can purchase and use their own keeper gloves if desired or use a team set provided at no cost. Full--time keepers will not be put in the field position rotation and will play entire games without substitution.
Full-time Keepers will receive two uniform kits. No need to pay extra as uniform cost is included in the registration fee. Keepers can choose their own number based on availability.
If we do not have any players interested in being a full-time keeper, then we will implement a "keeper by committee" policy. Field players will spend equal amounts of training and game time filling in for the keeper position when one is needed. Keeper time will be tracked and documented to ensure no player is being forced into goal more than others. 13GEM Premier will have a team keeper uniform kit and set of gloves for players to use when it is their turn to play keeper- parents will not be responsible for purchasing the keeper equipment.
Philosophies
We coach and emphasize "simple football"
Inspired by Barcelona's Tiki-Taka play style, we coach players to make quick one-touch and two-touch passes while on the ball and consistent offering movement off-ball. The ball moves faster when kicked than when dribbled, so we encourage passing more than dribbling. We teach that soccer is about kicking the ball and that passing the ball is as important a kick as a shot. We teach that a professional soccer match can have 200-500 passes, 0-15 shots, and 0-5 goals, on average. Therefore, knowing how to pass accurately and consistently is the backbone of our developmental philosophy.
Our style is "direct, purposeful possession" which means we form triangles and use possession passing as a means to find outlets. We do not coach blind "possession for possession's sake". Our initial read is always to move the ball forward, but when that is not possible, we pass it around until an opening is created.
Offensively, we want quick passing with lots of off-ball movement. We want the ball to be shared often. 13GEM mottos like "I get the ball. I pass the ball. I get the ball. I pass the ball." and "Receive, pass, offer. Receive, pass, offer." form the backbone of our offensive philosophy. We teach that your teammates want to touch the ball as much as you do, so share it, no ball hogging. If you pass around and play possession with your teammates with the intent to score, then the ball will eventually find the back of net. And the exciting part of this play style is that it can be anyone who scores the goal; the ball decides who scores.
Defensively, we want to pressure the ball to regain possession quickly. Players near the ball pressure the ball, players away from the ball close space and passing lanes. I know this sounds obvious, but working as a defensive unit is a difficult concept for U12 players to understand. Teaching players how to communicate and work as a unit on defense to maintain a shape is the primary objective.
Our training philosophy is that "Games are fun, but training sessions are foundational." Every training session devotes time to reinforcing the fundamentals of dribbling and passing. We want each player to have hundreds of touches during a training session. We want players to enjoy training as a form of intentional growth, not just random play time. A fun training session for us is defined as intense, competitive, and showing sportsmanship with lots of learning.
Inspired by prime Barcelona Tiki-Taka with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta
This is Coach Jacob's favorite trio of all-time. Xavi Hernandez and Messi are his two all-time favorite players. In our opinion, this is the most beautiful form of soccer. Soccer is a team game and team goals are magical. We are not remiss to acknowledge the technical skill this play style requires, but that is the purpose of training. We want to provide our players with a method and style of thinking about and processing the game. Players at the U12 level are capable of understanding and implementing advanced principles if they can be conveyed properly and practiced in training. The challenge is being able to teach these concepts to younger minds, and this is what 13GEM Premier specializes in.
Click below to see a video of how we coach our players to play. We show this video during the "Possession Passing" portion of training to convey the idea of what we want players to do. Once they see it and perform 13GEM Premier training drills, they are capable of executing this play style. We have already trained players to play this way.
Uniform Kits
13GEM Currently offers 4 Programs
Premier Soccer Program
This Premier Soccer Club is the newest 13GEM Program that is being developed. It is designed for players who have developed the physical skills of soccer, and now need to focus on tactical and strategic awareness. While fundamental skills are reinforced, the primary mission is to teach players how to read the game and see beyond the ball. The program is designed to get players to an advanced level of skill and understanding. Inaugural season starts April 3rd.
Recreational Soccer Program
13GEM and Illume Pro have partnered to provide a new youth soccer program to the Redmond, Kirkland, Eastside area. This program is perfect for children who are learning soccer for the first time or still in the beginner stages of their developmental process.
Physical Education Program
13GEM provides a full Physical Education program for schools with gym/activity space, but lacking teachers and/or equipment. This program focuses on teaching students a variety of sports and exercise modalities rather than focusing on a single sport or activity. This is a robust, curriculum driven program with differentiated learning across grades and across skill levels within grades.
Flag Football Program
13GEM operates a flag football program in Fall City with a small group of committed players, and we are always looking for more to join us. This program teaches players the fundamental skills and tactics of flag football.