Pre-Academy
2026-2027 Season
For U11 and U12 Boys and Girls
Our premier development program for the player who is looking for the best competition and training environment.
Capital FC’s Pre-Academy Program is for players U11 and U12 who are looking for top level training and competition alongside players of similar commitment level to the sport.
The program consists of 8 teams - 4 boys and 4 girls teams (Red and Black) - and is designed to prepare players for entrance into Capital FC’s Academy at U13.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
3x Week Training from CFC’s licensed, senior coaching staff
Players train three times a week. CFC senior staff follow a periodized curriculum that is designed to prepare the players for entrance into CFC’s Academy at U13.
In addition, players train in larger pools to ensure the training environment is always challenging.
Premier League placement through Oregon Youth Soccer Leagues
Teams compete against the best players in Oregon through OYSA’s leagues. These leagues play in both the fall and the spring.
In addition to league play, teams enroll in Oregon Cup Play at the conclusion of the fall/spring season.
All-inclusive pricing
We’ve designed our Pre-Academy program so that you know from the start what the financial commitment will be and can make plans accordingly.
The club fee includes all costs for coaching expenses, equipment, tournament entry fees, league fees, indoor soccer fees, and facility fees.
For tournaments that require travel, travel expenses are handled at the team level with support from the club. See below for approximate travel costs associated with each tournament/travel experience. Many teams will work to offset these costs through fundraising and sponsorship.
Not sure if you can afford it? Our club is deeply committed to making sure finances are not a barrier to participation and have many ways to help offset these costs.
Is this the right program for my child?
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The program is for players are ages U11 and U12, utilizing the new Age Group Formation standards released by USYS.
U11=2015-16 (Aug 1, 2015 - July 31, 2016)
U12=2014-15 (Aug 1, 2014 - July 31, 2015)
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$175/mo for June-May + $100 annual membership
The club fee includes all costs for coaching expenses, equipment, tournament entry fees, league fees, Coerver training, indoor soccer league/training fees, and facility fees.
Scholarships of up to 75% of the fee are available for families based on need.
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This program is for committed players who have shown skill and potential for future growth.
Players are selected for this program based on evaluations performed by staff, and the best players from the club who would like this level of commitment participate with these teams.
Commitment is also measured in relation to future readiness for the Academy Pathway, which includes increased regional travel.
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Season Length: 12 months, with several breaks built into the season. 40 weeks total.
Practices: 2-3 practices per week (1 to 1:30 hour length)
Tournaments: 3 tournaments consisting of 3-5 games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday throughout the summer time.
League Play: 1-2 games per weekend in the fall and spring. Games are played on Saturdays and Sundays.
Cup Play: OYSA State Cup play after the Spring Season in April/May OR President’s Cup concluding the fall season (Black Teams)
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Practices are held either at Capital FC’s Complex, Pioneer Sports Park, or at Salem Indoor.
League games are played home and away within OYSA’s premier division and include teams mostly from the Portland area but may include one or two trips to Bend or Medford depending on who is participating in the league
Tournaments take place in Oregon, with 1-2 tournaments in Washington or Idaho, which would require overnight stay.
Travel will increase as players move on to Academy, and we want to prepare players for this experience in their future.
2026-2027 PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Though these dates are not set in stone, here is an overview of what you can expect for the year.
SUMMER
MAY - AUGUST
TRYOUTS | May 11-14, 2026
All players entering Capital FC’s Pre-Academy Program must participate in tryouts. Please register in advance for the event online.
CFC Staff Coaches evaluate players based on the four pillars of the game –
Technical ability
Tactical insight (decision making)
Physical ability
Social (personality)
Please register in advance for the event online.
Players are placed on rosters after the tryout process. Players who do not make the Pre-Academy will be considered for spaces in CFC’s Competitive Program.
Upon acceptance of position, players and families will be invited to an organizational meeting to go over details for the calendar year.
Organizational Meeting Details:
Thursday, May 21st, from 7-8pm
East Salem Community Center (1850 45th Ave NE, Salem, OR 97305)
MISS THE MEETING? Watch it here or view the slideshow.
SUMMER TRAINING AND TOURNAMENT PLAY | June- August
Age groups will receive three 60-90-minute trainings per week beginning mid-late May. Summer tournaments will consist of one tournament per month for the months of June, July & August.
Summer Tournament Schedule and Costs
JUNE
Capital Cup Week 2 (Salem, OR) | June 26-28, 2026: Red + Black teams
No additional travel expenses required.
JULY
Eastside NW Summer Showcase (Puyallup, WA) | July 17-19: Red teams
$300-$400 for transportation, food, hotel.
Oswego Cup (Lake Oswego, OR) | July 24-26: Black teams
No additional travel expenses required.
AUGUST
Mt. Hood Challenge (Portland Metro, OR | Aug 8-10: Red teams
No additional travel expenses required.
Northwest Cup (Spokane, WA) | Aug 8-10: Black teams
$300-$400 for transportation, food, hotel.
FALL
SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER
FALL TRAINING
Players will continue training 3x weekly through the fall. These sessions will be held at Pioneer Sports Park.
FALL LEAGUE PLAY
After Labor Day, teams will compete on the weekends in the Far West Division of the Pre-ECNL League. Teams will play games on both Saturdays and Sundays and will be required to do some traveling.
Teams will compete in approximately 10 league game.
One important note is that rosters are “fluid” for the teams. Players may be asked to play in more than one game or to change rosters to fit the development needs of the player as well as the needs of the teams throughout the season. This may include playing with Competitive Program teams both for personal development reasons and to assist the competitive team.
WINTER
NOVEMBER - JANUARY
WINTER TRAINING AND LEAGUE PLAY
After the fall season concludes, training will be reduced to once a week focusing on the individual player technique. New this year - players will be organized into an in-house indoor league with games taking place Salem Indoor. This 8-game season will be on weekdays at Salem Indoor. Unlike the Competitive Program, this is included in the Pre-Academy Program.
OPTIONAL WINTER OFFERINGS
Players have a little more flexibility in the winter. For those looking for more, the following options are available: Thanksgiving Tournament, Christmas Tournament, Coerver Performance Academy, Coerver Christmas Break Camp.
SPRING
FEBRUARY - APRIL
SPRING TRAINING
Players will resume training 3x weekly during the month of February. These sessions will be held at Pioneer Sports Park.
SPRING LEAGUE PLAY
Teams continue league play within the Pre-ECNL platform at the beginning of February.
Games and training will conclude in April.
OTHER INFORMATION
CONCLUSION OF SEASON
At the conclusion of the spring component, all players will then participate in tryouts for the following seasonal year, taking place in May. Depending on their age, players may be assigned to a roster on the Pre-Academy team for the following year, CFC’s U13 Academy Teams, or CFC’s Competitive programs.
BREAKS
Note that there are the following breaks that are built into the season:
Following Capital Cup
Week of Thanksgiving
Two weeks of Christmas Break
Spring Break
Last week of school
Any Salem-Keizer School District unexpected closure
TEAM, ROSTER SIZE, and PLAYING TIME
Our objective is to form 2 teams per age group & per gender with roster equity of between 12-16 players placed per team. At this age group, players will receive a minimum of 50% playing time. Registration for the program is open throughout the year, and rosters will be adjusted accordingly to maximize the development for the players.
COST
$175/mo for June-May + $100 annual membership
The club fee includes all costs for coaching expenses, equipment, tournament entry fees, league fees, Coerver training, indoor soccer league/training fees, and facility fees.
Scholarships of up to 75% of the fee are available for families based on need.
STAFF
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
JOE WENTWORTH
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Joe Wentworth joined the Capital FC team in 2019. Wentworth has been coaching in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska for nearly 20 years.
Previously, Wentworth served as Alaska Youth Soccer Technical Director and Alaska Youth Soccer Director of Coaching. He holds his United Soccer Coaches “Director of Coaching” Diploma, USSF “A - Youth” License, and is a certified US Soccer Coach Educator (USSF Instructors License).
GIRLS STAFF
U11 Girls Red (2015-16) - Ben Wolf
U11 Girls Black (2015-16)- Kaylyn Okerstrom
U12 Girls Red (2014-15) - Ben Wolf
U12 Girls Black (2014-15) - Kaylyn Okerstrom
BOYS STAFF
U11 Boys Red (2015-16) - Hector Macias
U11 Boys Black (2015-16)- Joao Gomes
U12 Boys Red (2014-15) - Hector Macias
U12 Boys Black (2014-15) - Joao Gomes
FAQs
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Players will be evaluated based on skill level, personality, and potential for development. We recognize that these players have a long developmental road ahead of them.
Selected players will be asked to make a commitment to the team by making their first payment. If players do not commit within the time, alternates will be offered spots.
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Players who do not make the Academy team will be evaluated for the competitive programs at the same time, with emphasis on the second day of tryouts.
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The Pre-Academy program includes several elements that are not a part of the competitive program.
Extra day of training
Guaranteed 1/2 a field for training
Coerver Training
Indoor Winter Training/Games
OYSA Premier League Competition and State Cup Play
The Pre-Academy Program elements have been carefully designed to maximize player development potential.
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The Pre-Academy program is designed for players who view soccer as their primary sport. It is expected that any other commitments, soccer-related or other activity related, come secondary to their commitment to this program
Refer to the Program Overview above to see that there are a few “down times” in the program. These would be the best times to play other sports.
A player who chooses another activity or sport instead of participating in the Pre-Academy will not be penalized for making that decision. However, a player may be dropped from the program if the player fails to attend a significant number of practices and games.
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Though this is subject to change, the plan is:
Junior Academy and U11-12 teams will train Monday/Wednesday.
Academy and Pre-Academy teams will train an additional night that varies based on the program and season.
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No. Tryouts will take place over two days with both the Academy team and Competitive teams in mind.
You can choose to accept or decline your position on either the Academy or Competitive team.
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Player should wear a black shirt, black shorts, and black socks.
If you need assistance registering for tryouts, please contact our office as soon as possible prior to the first tryout date.
Have more questions? Reach out!
Send us a message via the form, or reach out directly to our program director, Joe Wentworth.
joe@cfcsalem.com
(503) 673-6708