March 2025

Hi Pegasus FC Families,

As Director of Coaching, I am pleased to report on the remarkable progress of our youth soccer program. This season has demonstrated significant technical and tactical development across all age groups while maintaining our core philosophy of fostering a positive learning environment. Our comprehensive training methodology, which focuses on both individual skill development and team dynamics, has yielded impressive results on and off the pitch.

On the technical side, we've witnessed substantial improvements in fundamental skills – from first-touch control and passing accuracy in our U8-U10 groups to more advanced concepts like positional play and tactical awareness in our older teams. Our coaching staff has successfully implemented age-appropriate training protocols that emphasize both technical proficiency and decision-making abilities, essential components for the Pegasus Pathway's long-term player development.

The club's commitment to holistic player development extends beyond technical training. We've maintained our focus on developing well-rounded athletes who understand the importance of sportsmanship, tactical discipline, and team cohesion.

As we prepare for the Spring season, we are updating our training curriculum to include advanced methodologies while keeping our player-centered approach intact. We have expanded the playing options available at the Willow Hill facility and are collaborating with Deerfield Park District to improve standards at Brickyards. Furthermore, we have introduced additional teams for league play, increasing the range of playing opportunities.

In the coming weeks, I look forward to sharing the philosophies and standards of Pegasus FC to promote alignment among players, coaches, and families. This clarity will help cultivate a greater sense of unity within our club, which we all take great pride in being a part of.

Please always feel free to contact me or your coaches with any questions regarding your son or daughter's development.

Coach Grant

Grant Ratcliffe

Director of Coaching

grant@pegasusfc.org

2026/2027 SEASON PLAYERS AGE CHANGE

As a follow up to our Friday (3/7) email from Grant:

For the 2025/2026 soccer season: No changes will be made – tryouts and competitions will continue to be organized by birth year as they are this year.

Beginning with the 2026/2027 soccer season: Teams may be organized according to grade level, adjusting the age group breakdown by birth dates from September 1st to August 31st. This change is designed to enable more players in the same grade to participate together. We will await the league's regulations for additional details and plans concerning players whose grades fall outside this date range.

We will make sure to share any additional details as soon as they get confirmed.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

Thank you for helping us welcome Guzman y Gomez to the neighborhood with our dining out fundraiser in February! And thank you to everyone who has already signed up for our volunteering night at Feed My Starving Children - our volunteer slots are FULL!

There is still time to join us for the Chicago Stars game on April 26th. Use the QR Code or the button below to order your tickets today! Tickets are $17 (plus taxes and fees). The Pegasus FC seating block is available through April 11th.

Questions about our spring events? Email Lynn Koster van Groos for answers.

ORDER CHICAGO STARS TICKETS

SPIRIT WEAR

Show your Pegasus FC spirit with trucker hats, knit hats, hoodies, and more!

Items are available for a Deerfield porch pickup. Sizes are limited and are first ordered, first served.

If you don't see your preferred size or would like other items, check out soccer. com.

ORDER HERE

SUMMER SKILLS CAMP

Pegasus FC Summer Camp is a program that is specially designed to enhance the skills of all soccer players. The main goal of this program is to focus on individual player development in a fun and stimulating environment. During the camp, players will work on improving their soccer fundamentals and decision-making abilities in the game.

Registration is open for our three one-week camps in June. Invite your friends to join us!

COACHING CORNER

SHOUT OUT TO OUR COACHES

Our coaches work hard during all three seasons of training. The winter "off" season, finds them traveling to tournaments, running indoor team and specialty skills training sessions, and coaching indoor league games. Several of our coaches are also working on new coaching licenses. Watch for those announcements later this spring.

PRETRAVEL 'LITTLE BALLERS' PROGRAM NOTES

Pegasus FC offers one spring 8-week spring session to introduce players aged 5-9 (birth

years 2016-2019) to the game of soccer.

Our professional coaches work with players of all experiences during this program, which focuses on the fundamentals with less commitment, 2 hours per week, than our travel program.

Cost: $300

TRAVEL CLUB PROGRAM

SPRING NOTES

IMPORTANT DATES

ALL players must register for tryouts. Go to Pegasusfc.org or your player’s PLAYMETRICS account to sign up.

HS GIRLS! If you missed the February tryout, schedule a supplemental tryout at pegasusfc.org.

TEAM TRAINING STARTS WEEK OF 3/31/25

To determine your training days, times, and locations, go to Club Resources on PlayMetrics. The training schedule is also available in the 2/13/25 club email. Note: Your team may practice at different fields during the training week.

LEAGUE GAMES START 4/5/25

League games will start the weekend of April 5th and go through early June. Coaches will provide team rosters and team specific game schedules when they are available. (late-March)

SPRING TOURNAMENTS

Below are the tournaments the club is looking to attend this spring. When teams or players are confirmed to attend a tournament, the coaching staff will share pertinent information.

UNIFORMS

If you need to purchase uniform kit replacement gear for your athlete, log into your account on soccer.com, select your player, and order.

NEW FAMILIES to the club have received a link from soccer.com to purchase their uniform kits.

TRAINING: Players should wear the following to training sessions: Blue jersey, black shorts, black socks, and shin guards.

OPTIONAL CLUB PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

GOALIE DROP IN TRAINING

Continue to work on your goalkeeping skills at these weekly supplemental sessions.

Location: Brickyards Park, Deerfield

Sessions are coed

Registration is not required and there is no additional fee.

TRAVEL CLUB HIGHLIGHTS

Pegasus FC players are rostered on 24 different high school soccer programs. Please

support our girls in their spring high school seasons and welcome our high school boys back for their Pegasus FC travel season.

Olivia Levin, Abby Samson and Abby Warhaftig participated in the ECNL National College Showcase in December. Our partnership with FC1974 enabled them to have this level of college recruitment exposure.

LATE FALL AND WINTER TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Watch this special Disney Soccer Tournament Recap Coach Gibbo created for his team!

ASSISTANT REFEREES (ARs) NEEDED

Pegasus FC is looking for assistant referees (ARs). To become an AR, an individual needs to be at least 13 years old and complete the training offered by the United States Soccer Federation and the Illinois Soccer Referee Committee (ISRC). Click here to view a list of courses being offered.

For more information on the Pegasus FC Assistant Referee Program, please contact David Gibson at david@pegasusfc.org