Soccer and Conditioning Programs Added in March, April and May
(JANUARY 6, 2026 | PEORIA, IL) – Offering the area’s boys and girls youth soccer players of all ages and skill levels a comprehensive program in both on-the-ball training and conditioning, Peoria City’s popular After-School Training Program will continue through the spring with the addition of three more month-long sessions in March, April and May.
Combining accomplished instructors in both soccer and body development inside the area’s premier indoor training facilities, Peoria City will continue to offer a comprehensive after-school training program at The Yard Peoria (1503 W. Altorfer Drive) and sister facility The House Barbell Club (7920 N. Sommer 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, each consisting of eight, one-hour sessions from 4-5:00 pm that focus on soccer skills on Mondays and Wednesdays in the soccer room at The Yard Peoria, as well as eight, one-hour sessions focused on strength, speed, agility, flexibility and core development on Tuesdays and Thursdays at The House Barbell Club. Participants have the option of combining the benefits of both programs in a bundled registration for all 16 sessions or selecting from just the soccer program or just the body development program in full. The two specialized programs also are available in half-session options for one training day per week.
Directing Peoria City staff and players for the soccer sessions, club president Jim DeRose oversees the comprehensive training program in coordination with Joey O’Brien, Director of Wellness & Fitness at The House Barbell Club, who leads the conditioning program.
Session 3 of the Peoria City After-School Training Program kicked off Monday and will continue through Jan. 29 with registrations remaining open through Sunday evening, while registration also now is open for each of the next three sessions:
- Session 4: March 2-26
- Session 5: April 6-29
- Session 6: May 4-June 1 (no training on Memorial Day May 25)
Conducted each Monday and Wednesday during the 4-week session, the soccer program is available to children in grades PreK through 12th grade (ages 4-18), while the Strength, Speed & Agility program operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is available for children in grades 5-12 (ages 10-18). Participants in both programs are grouped by age and skill for appropriate instruction and development.
The Soccer and SSA programs for each 4-week session are priced at $100 for The Yard Peoria Soccer Members and $175 for non-members, while the bundled option featuring all 16 sessions in both programs is $180 for members and $325 for non-members. The half programs in Soccer and SSA each are available at $70 for members and $125 for non-members. For more information on the Peoria City After-School Training Program and to register for any of the open four sessions, visit peoriacitysoccer.com and select “After-School Training” from the “Camps” menu in the main header.
Peoria City After-School Training Sessions
No training Memorial Day Monday, May 25
About The Staff
A former college All-American and professional player, Jim 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.
In addition to overseeing wellness and fitness at The House Barbell Club, Joey 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.