Gotham Girls FC

Gotham Girls FC is a competitive soccer club for girls based in Downtown Manhattan. The goal of the Gotham Girls Soccer Club is to create an elite training and competition program for the most talented and committed female soccer players in the Metropolitan region. Gotham Girls FC includes a youth academy for young players and travel teams aiming to achieve high levels of playing experience and ultimately attain high levels of exposure to the nation’s college soccer programs. The club competes in the Westchester Youth Soccer League. The WYSL is the third largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association. The League registers more than 16,000 players under the age of nineteen. The League has 36 member clubs, and field’s approximately 550 girls and boys’ travel soccer teams.

Gotham Girls FC was launched by Downtown United Soccer Club. Since 1982, Downtown United Soccer Club has been a premiere soccer club that supports an entire competitive travel club for boys in addition to a comprehensive recreational soccer program that currently serves over 1,000 kids.

Gotham Girls FC implements a training model with an ultimate goal of developing players that are capable of playing at the highest levels. The process that we put in place to achieve this goal is what sets us apart from the other clubs. GGFC Director of Coaching, Gustavo Palomino, is an accomplished and experienced USSF A License Coach.

GGFC Player Development Objectives

What is your daughter learning?

Gotham Girls FC strives to provide our players with the most professional and current coaching practices. We have established player development objectives that are broken down by age and are meant to help guide coaches and parents on the best way to introduce, teach, and foster a love of the game. Please help us support our coaches and our parent culture to respect the game and respect the philosophy behind our coaching approach.

Player Development Objectives

U8 - U11 Academy Training: The objective of the Academy is for players of 8,9,and 10 years of age to learn the basic skills by a professional coach. Players are taught in a fun and competitive environment. They are encouraged to play for the sheer enjoyment of the game. Small sided games are used to simplify the game so that players at this age cam comprehend the basic principles.

Games: 4 v 4 no GK, 6 v 6, and 8 v 8.

U12 - U13 Essential Skills Stage: The objective of the Essential Skills Stage is for players to be separated into training environments that fit the player’s physical, emotional and ability levels. The objectives are skill development and basic tactical concepts (decision making). Players develop at different rates, so at this age, this is not a final decision on where a player’s soccer career will lead. A lot of teaching is done within small sided games such as 4 v 4 and 7 v7; small sided games are a break down of the bigger game.

Games: 8 v 8, 11 v 11

U14-U15 Intermediate Skills Stage: The objective of the Intermediate stage is teaching demanding tactical elements with more dynamic techniques. This is also a stage where players decide what soccer means to them. With all the options teenagers have a player must decide how important soccer is and where it fits into her life. A high level of commitiment is required.

Games: 11 v 11

U15 - U19 Advanced Skills Stage: The objective in the advanced stage is improving technical and tactics to a player’s specific position. Learning 11 v 11 team tactics and developing soccer specific conditioning. This stage prepares players for the next stage of their soccer career, which could be college or even professional soccer.

Games: 11 v 11