After-School Training

        Combining accomplished instructors in both soccer and body development inside the area’s premier indoor training facility, Peoria City and The House Barbell Club are joining forces to offer a comprehensive after-school training program at The Yard Peoria (1503 W. Altorfer Drive) to aid the skill development of boys and girls soccer players of all ages and skill levels.

        The Peoria City After-School Training Program is a collection of 4-week sessions starting in mid-October, each consisting of eight, one-hour sessions that focus on soccer skills on Mondays and Wednesdays, as well as eight, one-hour sessions focused on strength, speed and agility on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

        Peoria City President Jim DeRose will oversee the comprehensive training program in coordination with Joey O’Brien, Director of Wellness & Fitness at The House Barbell Club.

        A former college All-American and professional player, DeRose boasts more than 30 years of collegiate coaching experience and was the Soccer America NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer National Coach of the Year in 2007 after leading the Bradley University men’s soccer team to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. A three-time United Soccer Coaches Midwest Region Coach of the Year and four-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, DeRose led Bradley to seven Valley regular-season and postseason tournament titles and his seven NCAA Tournament appearances are the most by any coach of any sport in Bradley Athletics history. His teams combined to set the collegiate record for consecutive overtime games without a loss, posting a 10-0-14 record in overtime matches across six seasons from 2001-06. Following 28 years at Bradley, DeRose retired in 2023 as the second-winningest coach in Missouri Valley Conference men’s or women’s soccer history with 267 victories and he mentored nine MLS SuperDraft selections and 12 All-Americans, while his players combined for 110 All-MVC awards.

        While directing wellness and fitness at The House Barbell Club, O’Brien also is the founder and CEO of Built by O’B, a holistic fitness approach focused on both physical and mental well-being. O’Brien graduated from the University of Illinois with degrees in cell and molecular biology and psychology with a minor in chemistry. He specializes in sport-specific training, functional training and strength training, as well as athletic fitness and development and youth training.

Click HERE to download Peoria City After-School Training Program flyer.

All Peoria City After-School Training session descriptions are outlined below with session-specific registration links provided beneath each program option. Click HERE to register for all currently available Peoria City camps, clinics and training sessions.