Travel Soccer FAQ's

 

What does a year look like in travel soccer?

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• The travel soccer year starts with tryouts that are traditionally held in June.

• We have summer camps and clinics available to all players and teams, and also participate in preseason scrimmages and  tournaments in preparation for the Fall season.

• The Fall season starts in early September and runs through to late November. Through this time, each team practices twice per week with games on weekends (U9 - U13 on Saturdays, U14 - U19 on Sundays).

• Teams traditionally attend a local Columbus Weekend tournament. 

• The Winter consists of optional indoor practices once per week, and entry into optional indoor leagues and tournaments. Most players chose to practice once during the week and play in one game at weekends. 

• The Spring season depends on Easter/Passover break but typically runs through mid-March to late June and is a regular league season that also includes cup games in a knock-out format (win and you're through to the next round, lose and you're out). During the Spring season teams will also look to take part in a Memorial Weekend tournament which is often local for our younger teams, and off Long Island for our younger teams. 

• Towards the later stages of the Spring season, the club will host tryouts and the process will begin again. 

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What happens at Tryouts?

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• Tryouts are operated by our professional coaching service, SUSA. SUSA coaches will observe the players through the tryout with the aim of selecting teams based on ability, effort, and our previous knowledge of the player. 

• Where there are a sufficient number of players, more than one team may be created to give as many players the opportunity to play as possible. This however also means that cuts are possible should player numbers not justify a second team. 

• Players can expect to play a series of minigames (2v2, 3v3, 4v4), before playing a larger game. Coaches may also set different challenges to get a better assessment of players throughout the tryout such as speed and agility runs. 

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What are travel games like?

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There are 3 formats of travel soccer. 7v7, 9v9, and 11v11

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• 7v7 is for players playing U9 and U10 (8 to 10 years old). These players play on the smallest field available and use the smallest goal. 7v7 also includes a build out line which is used to encourage teams to build a possession-based style from their goalkeeper. 

• 9v9 is for players playing U11 and U12 (10 to 12 years old). The field is slightly larger than 7v7 and has a larger goal. There is no longer a build out line, however heading the ball is still prohibited until U12. 

• 11v11 is for players playing U13 through to High School graduation. The game now replicates what is seen on the professional field with the same field dimensions and rules. 

 

Travel games are typically played within Suffolk County initially, although in later years, the more competitive teams can expect to travel into Nassau and on occasion into the boroughs.

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What is practice like in travel soccer?

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Practice is held twice a week through the Fall and Spring seasons. Each session is 1-hour 30-minutes long and is designed with age-appropriate development in mind for the players. Teams have their own sessions and players are expected to attend all practices. 

 

What costs are involved in travel soccer?

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There are two primary costs involved in travel soccer:

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• Registration cost: $300 paid annually upon registration (after tryouts): this covers team registration to the league, insurance, field rental, referee fees, and general club management. 

• Training Fees: $350 per season (Fall and Spring) this pays for your professional coach at all practices and all games. This is paid at the beginning of each season and has the option of monthly installments. 

• Please note: uniforms also need to be purchased and will come in at approximately $100.

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Why are training fees different at different ages?

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The training fees will increase slightly as the players get older because the competitive games get longer, game preparation and debriefs become longer in duration to accommodate the increase in commitment of the players and the teams.

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How do I get uniforms? And what needs to be purchased?

 

Uniforms can be purchased online by clicking the uniform link on our website. It is important that you consult with your team's manager/administrator before doing so. This is to avoid purchasing a jersey with the same number as another player. Where an age group has more than one team, the A team will choose numbers followed by the B team. This will make guest playing easier and more manageable for all players, parents and coaches involved.

 

Items that need to be purchased: Our home uniform consists of white shorts, white socks, and a white numbered jersey. Our away uniform consists of the royal blue socks, royal blue shorts,  and a royal blue numbered jersey. 

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Optional items such as a player bag is also available from the same link.