Polaris Football Group badge Polaris Football Group
A young player striking the ball during an evening training session

Youth Soccer Training · North Shore, Long Island

Find Your North.

Training built around your player's development: better skills, smarter decisions, and more confidence — as a player, and as a person. I'm Parker Cohen — varsity assistant coach at Great Neck North High School, and I spent three years coaching in NYCFC's youth programs.

Winter 2026–27 · Interest list now open

Start with a free clinic. Watch a real session first, then decide.

8 weeks, then decideOne session a week for eight weeks. Renew if it's working, walk away if it's not — no year-long contract
Better players, better peopleTechnique, game understanding, and confidence — plus effort, respect, and being a good teammate
Progress you can seeA recap after every session, a progress note at Week 4, and a written report at Week 8
Free clinic firstA real session with the real coaches, at the block's venue, before Week 1
01

Winter Programs

Start With
Their Age.

We run every program the same simple way: eight weeks, one session a week, and a written plan for every session. Below you'll find how long each program runs, what your player will work on, and exactly what's included.

U6–U9 · Ages 5–9

Academy

Best for: beginners and young players who need a ball at their feet — not a spot in a line.

Players rotate through three stations with a ball at their feet, then finish with a game — nobody stands in a line. By Week 8, the goal is simple: dribbling with both feet, head up, and two moves they can name — the kind they'll want to show you at home.

  • 8-week block · one session a week
  • 60-minute sessions
  • Small groups · every player coached, every session
  • Week-8 player report for parents

What it asks of you: one hour a week, a ball, shin guards, and water. That's the whole list.

U10–U14 · Ages 10–14

Development

Best for: players already on a team — town, select, or travel — who want the individual work team practices don't have time for.

This is the technical work team practices skip: receiving on the back foot, scanning before the ball arrives, and combining at game speed — the habits travel coaches look for at tryouts. Each week has a theme, and the block ends with a tournament week.

  • 8-week block · one session a week
  • 75-minute sessions
  • Small groups · every player coached, every session
  • Weekly theme + Week-8 player report

What it asks of you: one session a week — and nothing else changes. Your player keeps their town or travel team. This is the session built around their technique, not the team's game plan.

U15–U19 · Ages 15–19

HS Team + Training

Best for: JV and varsity players who don't want to show up to spring tryouts having not touched a ball since November.

A Polaris team in the winter indoor league, plus one training session a week built around the games — speed of play, finishing, and final-third combinations. Each week's training theme comes straight from the last fixture. The roster is built from the interest list, so joining starts with a roster spot, not an open signup.

  • Indoor league fixtures on Saturdays
  • 90-minute weekly team training
  • Each week's theme set by the last fixture
  • Led by Coach Parker or a senior coach

What it asks of you: Saturday fixtures and one training a week — and a player who shows up ready to work.

Not sure where your player fits? Join the interest list, come to the free clinic, and we'll settle placement on the field — not on a form.

02

Why Polaris

Coached by Someone
Who Actually Cares

Polaris is run by Parker Cohen, varsity assistant coach at Great Neck North High School. Before starting Polaris on the North Shore, he spent three years coaching in New York City FC's youth programs.

Ask a North Shore parent about their options and you'll hear the same two: the town program, run by volunteers doing their best, or a travel club asking for a year-long commitment. We're the middle option that was missing — real coaching, eight weeks at a time, focused on helping kids become better players and better people.

The Polaris Standard

Set up before you arrive. We're early, the field is set before the first player arrives, and every session runs off a written plan.
Feedback you can read. We send a recap after every session, a progress note at Week 4, and a one-page player report at Week 8.
Vetted before they coach. No Polaris coach runs a session until they have passed a background check and completed SafeSport training. No exceptions — and no parent volunteers running sessions.
A pathway, not a dead end. Our oldest players can train as junior coaches for our youngest — a real step into leadership in their own community. And teaching deepens their own game: you never understand a skill better than when you have to teach it.
A player with the ball at his feet, looking up at teammates spread across the field
One session a week, in small groups, all winter.
03

From the Coach

A Note From
Coach Parker

Dear North Shore families,

I'm Parker Cohen. I coach varsity soccer at Great Neck North High School, and before that I spent three years coaching in NYCFC's youth programs.

I grew up on the North Shore, and I played seriously — and serious soccer meant driving. My team was on the South Shore, 45 minutes to an hour away. I did homework in the car. Some practices started early in the morning just to fit them into the day, and practice nights ran late. My family made it work, because there was no other choice.

Plenty of families here are still making that drive. And some kids go without a team altogether — not because they can't play, but because the drive doesn't fit their family's life. A kid shouldn't lose soccer to a commute. That's not okay.

I started Polaris so a North Shore player's team is on the North Shore — close to home. At Polaris, we coach every player like we know them, because we do: their name, their strengths, their weak foot, what they worked on last week. Better players, yes. But also kids who show up ready, compete the right way, and look out for the players next to them.

So come see it for yourself — start with the free clinic. Watch a session, meet me on the field, and then decide if Polaris is right for your player. I'd be glad to coach your player.

— Parker Cohen

Founder & Head Coach, Polaris Football Group

04

How It Works

From Interest List
to First Session

01

Join the Interest List

Two minutes: your name, your email, your player's age group. Families on the list get the free clinic invitation first, and first access when registration opens.

02

Come to the Free Clinic

One free clinic per age group, at the same venue as the block. Your player gets a real session — not a sales pitch with cones — and you meet the coaches. If it isn't right for your player, you've lost nothing but an hour — and gained a free training session.

03

Register & Train

Once you're in, it's simple: one session a week for eight weeks, a recap from us in your inbox after every session, and a written player report to close the block.

05

Good Questions

Before You Ask

Who coaches my player?

Parker Cohen leads Polaris and writes every session plan. He coaches alongside Polaris coaches — working high school and academy coaches. Together, we run the written plan, session by session. And one rule is absolute: No Polaris coach runs a session until they have passed a background check and completed SafeSport training.

How will I know my player is developing?

You'll see it in the feedback. After every session you get a recap of what your player worked on. At Week 4, a progress note. At Week 8, a one-page written report. We track the soccer — first touch, scanning, confidence on the ball — and the habits around it: showing up ready, listening, competing the right way, and being a good teammate. Groups are kept small so the coaches actually know each player.

What if my player is new to soccer?

The U6–U9 Academy is built for them: small groups, a ball at their feet the whole session, and coaches who know beginners need touches, not lectures. The free clinic is the easiest way to start.

Is this a team or a training program?

In winter, Polaris is a training program: your player keeps their current team and trains with us once a week. Most Development players also play town or travel — this is the individual work those practices skip. The one exception is the high school group, which also plays as a Polaris team in the indoor league. In spring 2027, Polaris adds competitive teams at more ages, and winter players get the first look at roster spots.

What does it cost — and what if we change our minds?

It's priced by the eight-week block, never by the year. Your exact fee is confirmed in writing before you pay anything — the number is set once the venue is final, because I'd rather give you one true number than a pretty estimate. There's no tryout fee and no required add-on. And if you change your mind before Week 1, you get a full refund; after Week 1, a credit toward a future block. That's the whole money conversation, in one place.

Winter 2026–27 · North Shore, Long Island

Start With
a Free Clinic.

Join the interest list, and your player's first session is on us: a real clinic, with the real coaches, at the same venue as the winter block. You'll get first access to registration — and a first look at the Polaris teams launching in spring 2027.

Claim a Free Clinic Spot

Two minutes, three things: your name, your email, your player's age group. That's the whole list — and we'll never sell it. See our Privacy Policy.

The Practical Details

Season
Winter 2026–27 — first sessions in January
Sessions
One per week, in 8-week blocks
Venue
North Shore — announced to the interest list before registration opens
Bring
A ball, shin guards, water. Footwear depends on the venue — the welcome email spells it out before Week 1
Groups
Kept small — no more than 16 players, one coach per 8
Claim a Free Clinic Spot