After a successful three-day training camp last December in Hawaii, MIA Elite Academy announced it’s joining forces with Pelota Training starting in April to help teach and develop players ages 8 to 18 interested in the beautiful sport of soccer. The bi-weekly training will take place each Monday and Friday starting on April 7 with a focus on developing soccer skills on the pitch and also how to continue improving when off it.

“The kids who come and train with us will be getting over 3,000 touches per session,” said Pelota Training co-owner and director of player development Tyler Gabarra. “That is how you develop and grow your technical ability and technique, it requires tons of repetitions. The kids will also get tips and coaching points from two professional players who have worked on the technical side of their game throughout their 22 careers.”

Gabarra was an instrumental part in Albion San Diego’s run to the NISA final last season. The 25-year-old midfielder is the son of Jim Gabarra who had 14 caps for the United States men’s national team in the late 1980s and his mother, Carin, who accumulated 117 caps with the women’s national team along with being awarded the Golden Ball as the best player at the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup followed by an induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000.

“We focus on individual characteristics and abilities and aim to help you become a player who can compete on the world stage with one-on-one duals,” said MIA Elite Academy co-founder and director of soccer operations Cyrus Tran. “I grew up with working on the technical stuff and I think it’s really important to have skills to play at a higher level. We want to enhance the player’s mindset and to help them grow into a mature and creative person.”

The 28-year-old Tran helped lead the Michigan Stars to the NISA championship title in 2022. The bi-weekly sessions will take place at Nobel Athletic Fields and Recreation with sessions lasting an hour and 15 minutes each. For more information, visit https://pelotatraining.com/.

Photo courtesy: MIA Elite Academy LLC