Travel Soccer For those players looking for more...
Program Objectives... 3 Travel Program Ruling Bodies... 3 Travel Program Philosophy... 4 Travel Team Player Selection:... 4 Player and Parents Commitment to Travel Program... 5 Team Rostering... 6 Coach and Team Manager duties and Responsibilities... 7 Head coach-... 7 Assistant coach-... 7 Team Manager-... 7 Age Appropriate Player Eligibility... 7
Program Objectives The FM Soccer Travel Program is dedicated to promoting and enhancing the game of soccer and to encourage healthy development of players, creating a fun but competitive environment for participants, parents, coaches and children in the FM Community. Our efforts and energies are directed to the following objectives: We strive to develop players at all levels of play by building and improving their skills, confidence, fitness, initiative and a sense of teamwork. The club or travel team player who enjoys the spirit of competition We are focused on developing a comprehensive training footprint which leverages consistency around the basic technical and tactical learning of soccer. We promote and encourage high standards of sportsmanship and fair play. The Travel Soccer program is open to all players within the FM District and surrounding areas that reside within NYWEST jurisdiction and that are cleared to play with FM Soccer Club through NYWEST, who are looking to play at a more advanced level than the recreation program. The program begins at the U-9 age level and will carry through to U13. The Age Matrix as adopted by NY West Soccer Association will be used to determine if (and at what level) a player is eligible to play. It is a goal of the program to field both girls and boys teams in the respective age brackets. Travel Program Ruling Bodies The FM Soccer Club Travel Program falls under: the guidance of the Central NY Junior Soccer Association CNYJSA (local level) New York West Youth Soccer Association NYS West (state level) and US Youth Soccer (national level). As members of these organizations, the FM Soccer Club has the ability to pass along many of the philophies, training and guidance being used across the country. ( A good
example of this is the utilization of small guided games and drills that allows a player to increase the number of touches and become comfortable with ball handling.) Travel Program Philosophy The FM Soccer Club s Travel Program is a full year developmental program designed to offer players a more challenging learning experience, higher levels of competition and an opportunity for advanced skills development. We believe in age appropriate developmental training duration and intensity, and on establishing a off-season window to allow young players for sport specific rest and the opportunity with cross-training. This off-season period is from middle of July to middle of August. The FM Travel Program is a community centered, volunteer based structured approach. Our teams are coached and managed by parents of players, with the active support of the Travel Coordinator on player development and team development Travel Team Player Selection: Players interested in being on a travel team must participate in mandatory tryouts during the second and third weeks of June. Tryouts are held on weekday evenings and consist of two (2) sessions. Players must attend both sessions to be considered. Players will be evaluated on the following types of criteria: -Receiving -Passing -Shooting -Heading -Defense -Dribbling -Movement off the ball -Knowledge of the game -Communication - Speed -Goaltending The Travel Program will utilizes contracted certified professional coaches for each age group to evaluate the players at the tryouts ( 2 sessions). These professional coaches will provide an evaluation form of the player s performance and select the roster. Please note: Just because a player makes the team one year does not guarantee they will make the same team the next year.
Player and Parents Commitment to Travel Program Each player is required to sign a Commitment Letter. The intent of this is to make the player and his/her family aware of the level of commitment that the Travel Program requires: 1. The program is based on age appropriate practice and game time durations per week. 2. One Team practice per week not to exceed 1 hr 15min per week. 3. Player Skills Development sessions Spring and Fall ( 8-1 hr 15min sessions). 4. One game per week, with durations per NYWEST/US Soccer age matrix (between 2 halves of 20 min to 2 halves of 35min depending on age group). 5. Player is expected to participate in all Skills Development sessions, games and Team practices during the entire session. This is the commitment expected from all players that wish to participate in the program. 6. All Travel teams will play twice a year in the CNYJSA league (Fall and Spring). 7. All Travel teams will play at least one indoor season (Fall or Winter). 8. Travel teams are encouraged to participate in tournaments as the team s families agree to in the Preseason planning session (August) 9. Once players and families are notified by the Travel Program Coordinator that they have been accepted into a Team, and they confirm their willingness and commitment, they will be officially rostered in such Team. 10.If a player decides to drop off a team after they have been rostered, any costs incurred/paid towards the Travel program are not re-imbursable.
Team Rostering Our Program is based on CNYJSA developmental league play in the Fall and the Spring, and its start and duration are set accordingly. As such, our team roster size is defined by the league rules and regulations as follows: Division Players on Field Minimum Players Rostered Maximum Players Rostered U9 7 vs. 7 10 14 U10 7 vs. 7 10 14 U11 9 vs. 9 12 18 U13 11 vs 11 16 22 Team sizes are based solely on eligibility of players that tried out for a specific team. The Travel Program Coordinator will do every reasonable effort to work with such player pool, within the Club rules and regulations to field a team. If a team in a division cannot meet the minimum quota of players, the Club will not field a Travel team for that division for that season. The FM Travel Program rosters up to 3 coaches, and one Team Manager per Team. One of the three coaches must be a Head Coach, and the other two would be registered as Assistant Coaches. All players will be registered with our ruling bodies, and player passes will be provided accordingly. All 3 coaches will be screened and certified using the Risk Pass process in place with NYWEST. The Team Manager does not require a Risk Pass to perform his/her duties. The maximum number of Risk Pass holders rostered in a team on the sideline during official FM Travel games is 3 (League and Tournament play).
Coach and Team Manager duties and Responsibilities Head coach- Key technical contact for FM Travel Program (for their specific team), League and Tournament play. His responsibilities include roster integrity, practices, games, indoor league registration, and tournaments registration. Is expected that he/she will perform duties according to FM Soccer Club bylaws, CNYJSA no tolerance rules, and NYWEST bylaws. Assistant coach- Secondary contact for FM Travel Program (for their specific team), League and Tournament play. Assists with rosters, practices and games. Is expected that he/she will perform duties according to FM Soccer Club bylaws, CNYJSA no tolerance rules, and NYWEST bylaws. Team Manager- Lead administrative contact for registrations, rosters, player passes, referees fees, announcements, uniforms and player emergency contact information. Is expected that he/she will perform duties according to FM Soccer Club bylaws, CNYJSA no tolerance rules, and NYWEST bylaws. Is the responsibility of the Head Coach, Assistant Coach and Team Manager that the FM Travel team represents properly our Club and our community. This includes but is not limited to player behavior during games and practices, and spectators attitudes and composure during practices and games. Age Appropriate Player Eligibility All players that comply with the Club Travel Eligibility criteria already described in previous sections can play in their respective divisions as defined by the Age Matrix published by NYWEST. All players will be placed according to their DOB, regardless of academic grade per US Soccer new rules.
Travel Program Cost: One of the big questions asked about travel soccer is How much does it cost? Costs depend on how many tournaments and indoor sessions each team play over the course of the year. We estimate that the overall cost for playing travel soccer is between $700-1000 per year plus travel expenses incurred when going to tournaments. As a reference, below is a sample list of the different kinds of costs involved: $83 Uniform - addtional gear optional.. warm-ups, bag, etc... $50 Fall Club Registration fee per season (Fall and Spring) $190 Travel Registration- (covers the three items below) Fall Friendly and Spring Leagues Rostering and passes Developmental Skills Training $60-$105 Indoor League play per player per session (depends on Team s choice of location) $230 - Indoor practice facility- per player(depends on team s choice for practice facility) based on 23 1 hour sessions at Manlius YMCA for a 15 player roster $25 Outdoor league Referee fees per player per season $25 to $70+ Tournament fees- depending on number of tournaments and which ones. All tournaments are voluntary. Tournament travel expenses- varies depending on location and length of stay