EKS Travel Academy
Development is our specialty, and development needs to be measured. Every EKS player is evaluated by their coaches across eight attributes, three times a season, and every family sees their player's progress and plan in the EKS Parent Portal.
Eight attributes covering the ball, the game, the body and the mind. Each is rated from 1 to 99, like a player card, against what we expect from a player at that age.
Ball Mastery
Close control with both feet, in tight spaces and under pressure.
First Touch
Receiving the ball cleanly and setting up the next action.
Change of Direction
Turning, feints and quick changes of speed to beat a defender.
Passing & Vision
Seeing the right pass and playing it with the right weight.
Finishing
Shooting technique and composure in front of goal.
Game Understanding
Decisions, positioning and reading the game, with and without the ball.
Physical
Speed, agility, balance and stamina for their age.
Mindset
Effort, focus, coachability, resilience and being a good teammate.
Goalkeepers have their own eight: Shot Stopping, Handling, Diving, Positioning, Command of Area, Distribution, Footwork & Playing Out, Mindset.
1
Start of season
A starting point
Coaches rate each attribute and agree two or three focus areas with the player.
2
Mid-season
Check the progress
Ratings are updated and the focus areas adjusted, with new work at home if needed.
3
End of season
Where they finished
The final ratings show the season's growth and set the plan for the next one.
In between, coaches watch every practice and game, and our match recordings let them look again at the details.
The EKS Player Card
Your player's own card with their photo, position and ratings. Players love seeing their numbers grow.
A development plan
The areas the coaches are working on with your player, in plain words, with what to practise at home.
Home workouts
Short weekly sessions by age group that match what we work on at practice.
A conversation
Questions about your player's progress are always welcome: message the coach in the Parent Portal.
Measured against their own progress
We compare a player with where they started and with what we expect at their age, not with the biggest or oldest player on the field.
Private
Ratings and plans are seen only by the player's family and their coaches. They are never posted or shared with other families.
The same standards for every team
All EKS coaches use the same attributes and the same guidelines, so a rating means the same thing at every age group.
Honest and encouraging
Clear feedback on what to improve, and real recognition of what's going well. That's how players grow.
At an ID session, our coaches look at the same attributes, with extra weight on attitude and coachability: players who listen, work hard and want to improve develop fastest.
After the session, families hear back from us with a decision and, when we offer a place, the team we recommend. A player who joins starts their own card and plan from the first checkpoint.
Request an ID session and our coaches will see your player in action and recommend the right team.
Request an ID Session