South Oakland County Soccer (SOCS) Premier Info Guide Storm (girls) and Force (boys) Tryouts at Catalpa Oaks in June Pre-register at SouthOaklandSoccer.com Revised 5/30/18 p. 1
About SOCS and our Premier Soccer Program South Oakland County Soccer (SOCS) is a nonprofit youth soccer organization providing recreational and travel teams. Athletes looking for a comprehensive, economical opportunity to advance their soccer skills through instruction from USSF licensed coaches, try out for Premier Force (boys) and Storm (girls) teams in June. SOCS Premier is the best choice for families in Oakland County who value camaraderie, a balanced schedule, plus healthy competition and development. 1. COMARADERIE Players experience healthy peer-group interactions and build friendships while getting exercise. Parents volunteer as team managers, which helps keep costs reasonable and team fun a priority. 2. BALANCED SCHEDULE More than other soccer clubs, we welcome kids with broad interests who can balance their commitments to soccer and other sports and activities. Our training and travel schedule is not overly intense. We understand players cannot make every game and just ask for as much advance notice as possible so that we can find substitutes from other Premier teams. Training: In the spring and the fall training is twice-weekly at either Tyndall-Norup fields or Catalpa Oaks. We offer bonus goalkeeper training and Friday night small-sided games for players who want additional development opportunities. In the Winter we offer once weekly training sessions at Athletic Training Center in Warren. Games: Teams play 8-10 outdoor games in the fall and the spring. Premier home fields are located in Berkley, Ferndale, Oak Park, Madison Heights and Southfield. Away games are generally a 15 to 45-minute drive. Beginning at age 13, teams with more advanced skills may compete at the state-wide level and away games will require travel to further distances in Michigan. In winter we play 9-10 games at various indoor facilities. 3. HEALTHY COMPETITION AND DEVELOPMENT We register teams in either MYSL or MSPSP leagues, which are endorsed and insured by Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA). MSYSA categorizes MYSL as a select league and MSPSP as premier league. Coaches select the league and division that will provide each team with the optimal opportunity for competitive challenge and development. Below you will find a summary of roster size by age and web addresses to learn more about each league. See the appendix for more details on divisioning. U7-U8 Fall/Spring Seasons 4v4 & 7v7 U9 to U10 Fall/Spring Seasons 7v7 U11 to U12 Fall/Spring Seasons 9v9 U13 to U14 Fall/Spring Seasons 11v11 U15 to U19 Fall Girls/Spring Boys 11v11 Michigan Youth Soccer League (MYSL) U6 to U19 www.michigansoccer.com Michigan State Premier Soccer Program (MSPSP) Starts at U13, All ages play 11v11 www.mspsl.org Revised 5/30/18 p. 2
Annual Calendar June Tryouts over Father s day weekend (mandated by MSYSA) July-August Summer camps at Tyndall are available Fall outdoor training starts week of Aug 12th Sept-Oct Games begin after Labor Day and run thru late Oct/early Nov Nov-March Winter Indoor training in Warren 1x week. No training when Berkley schools are on break and snow days (16 sessions) U8 teams play approx. 9 games at Total Soccer Royal Oak U9-u14 teams play 9 games Nov-Jan at Ultimate Soccer in Pontiac U15 and above: winter training and games are optional April Spring outdoor training begins 2nd full week in April Games scheduled mid-march (MSPSP) and mid-april (MYSL) thru early June Coaching Philosophy and Leadership Our coaches place an emphasis on sportsmanship over winning at any cost. However, unlike recreational teams, Premier game playing-time is based on endurance, skill and attitude. Players who demonstrate a desire to improve their skills thru listening, working hard during training, practicing skills outside of training, being on time for games/training and demonstrating a team mentality typically earn more playing time. Faez Sarhan, Director of Coaching USSF National D License State Cup Quarter Finalist 24 years coaching youth soccer Former SOCS board member/parent volunteer coach Marcel Schmid, Technical Director USSF E License Current Director of Player Development, Carpathia FC (Semi-Pro) Former College Player and Captain for Madonna University Former Professional Player (VFB Stuttgart, Germany) Former Assistant Coach at Schoolcraft College 7 Years Coaching Youth Soccer "My most memorable moment as a coach was when we made the round of sixteen in the State Cup as a wild card. We were seeded number 16 and had to play number 1 seed on their home field, we ended up beating them 2-1, and continued on to the quarter finals." "Growing up and going through Stuttgart s youth academy, playing alongside top players who forced me to get better on a daily basis ended in the result of signing my first pro contract in 2008. It was that moment when I realized that all my hard finally paid off to a certain extent." Revised 5/30/18 p. 3
SOCS PREMIER ANNUAL FEES Annual all-inclusive fees will be auto-billed in payments June-February. New this year, SOCS gives everyone a break from payments in December! Players and parents are expected to fulfill their commitment to themselves their teammates and SOCS for the duration of the seasonal year upon signing with a team. Boys and Girls u7: $990 Fall & Spring: Boys and Girls u8-u12: $1,520 Fall & Spring: Winter: 9 games Nov-Jan Training, 1x/week, turfed facility Tournaments*: Fall: out-of-town Spring: local One Season Teams u14-u19: $545 Fall (girls) or Spring (boys): Games, 8-10 4 home games scheduled at Hurley field One tournament* Boys and Girls u13-u14: $1,550 Fall & Spring: Winter: 9 games Nov-Jan Training, 1x/week, turfed facility Tournaments*: Fall: out-of-town Spring: local Other Cost Considerations Uniforms & Equipment: Cleats (no metal), shin guards and uniform are required. Cost is approximately $90 for uniform kit which includes two jerseys (away and home), shorts, and pair of socks. Uniforms can be carried over from previous seasons. Bags and warm-ups are optional. Cleats or turf shoes may be worn for indoor. Out-of-town tournaments generally necessitate a Fri & Sat hotel stay *For teams nominated to participate in MSYSA State Cup, the Cup will take the place of tournament that season (boys fall, girls spring). Teams who request to do both Cup and tournament will be assessed an additional fee. Revised 5/30/18 p. 4
Appendix Leagues and Divisions 2017/2018 Team Name Age League League divisioning Force 11 U07 MYSL U7 Storm 11 U07 MYSL U7 Force 10 U08 MYSL U8 Green Force 09 U09 MYSL U9 White Storm 09 U09 MYSL U9 Green Force 08 U10 MYSL U10 Red Storm 08 U10 MYSL U10 Green Force 07 U11 MYSL U11 Premier Storm 07 Navy U11 MYSL U11 White Storm 07 White U11 MYSL U11 Green Force 06 U12 MYSL U12 Red Force 05 U13 MSPSP Classic 1 Storm 05 U13 MSPSP Regional Force 04 U14 MSPSP Classic 1 Storm 03 U15 MSPSP-fall Classic 2 Force 02 U16 MSPSP-Spring Classic 1 Storm 01 U17 MSPSP-fall Classic 2 Force 01 U17 MSPSP-Spring Classic 1 Storm 00/99 U19 MSPSP-fall Classic 2 Force 00/99 U19 MYSL-spring U19/High School Boys MYSL u6-u19 Premier (highest tier) Major Blue Major Gold Red White Green (lowest tier) It can occur that two division levels are combined for a given season (EX: Premier/Major ) or divisions are eliminated (EX: Red could be the 2nd highest tier) It can occur that there are two divisions at the same level for a given season (EX: Green #1 and Green #2 ). These divisions are considered equal in competition level. MSPSP U13 Spring, U14 and up Fall/Spring Premier 1 (top tier) Premier 2 Classic 1 Classic 2 Classic 3 Regional (lowest tier) MSPSP U13 Fall 1. Midwest Regional League (MRL) 2. State Wide 3. Regional Revised 5/30/18 p. 5