The club and Culture

Who We Are

Tidewater Sharks, in conjunction with the WISC, are a 100+ Little Sharks Academy, 600+ player recreational league, an Advanced Preparation (AP) developmental program and 36 youth travel teams from U9 to U18. Our travel teams are placed in the Virginia Soccer League (VSL), Virginia National Premier League (NPL), and Tidewater Advanced Soccer League (TASL).

Our Mission

Creating a positive, inspiring, safe and competitive environment for our players to succeed not only on the soccer field but in all other facets of life.

What Makes Us Different

The player comes first. The coaching staff’s primary goal is to provide our teams and players with the best competitive environments available with an emphasis on long-term player development. We encourage all technical and tactical aspects of the game conducive to the player’s age and ability. Furthermore, we deem it necessary to educate our players on what it takes to be the complete athlete. This includes understanding the value of team development along with individual improvement, nutrition, benefits of age-appropriate weightlifting, agility and fitness and the college recruiting process. We emphasize healthy communication between the parent, athlete and coach to understand and reach the player’s full potential.

What We Value

Honesty
A respectful relationship between coaches, parents, and players.

Integrity
An appreciative awareness of opponents, referees, coaches, parents, and teammates. We respect the game of soccer and the positive impact it has on the lives of others. We honor the rules of the game. We strive to make the right decision at the right time for the right reason.

Communication
We believe constant communication between team managers, coaches, parents, Tidewater Sharks staff and WISC staff creates a healthy and safe environment for players to excel at the highest level.

Grit
Encouraging all the players to understand the importance of striving for excellence with tenacity and hard work.

Player Development
Individualizing our efforts as coaches to understand how to best motivate/coach our players and placing them in the most competitive environments to be successful.

Adaptability
Understanding players develop at different times and therefore we must adjust practices, games, and the environment conducive to these staggered levels.

Equality
All athletes regardless of gender or age have an opportunity to develop in the best environments to include facilities, coaches, and teammates.