How to Start a Travel Soccer Team

Are you an intramural coach with a great group of youth players and would like to keep them together from now on?

Does you son or daughter demonstrate above average soccer skills and there is no place to advance those skills in their age group? 

You can start a new travel soccer team, and here is how: BMYSA will help you.

By the Numbers: 7 Steps to Your Own Team

1.    Congratulations! If you have selected your own group of players (whether or not you have actually held public or private tryouts), you have left the realm of intramural soccer and entered the realm of travel (competitive) soccer.  BMYSA will help in coordinating, advertising and running your first team tryout, as well as selection of potential candidates for your roster.

2.    Although it is technically possible to be an independent club team and do everything yourself, from a practical standpoint, this isn't an option for a "newbie" coach. In order to use municipal and school fields, get referees, and join a playing league, you'll probably want to join an existing organization with administrative infrastructure such as BMYSA.

3.    Know what age group your team will be in. The age categories for travel soccer team start on August 1^st of a given year and end on July 31^st of the following year.

4.    BMYSA will help in selecting the appropriate league(s) which the new team should play in and what the playing seasons are. There are two seasons (spring and fall), and several leagues which include:  BMYSA Travel League, Lehigh Valley Youth Soccer League (LVYSL) and Northeast Travel Soccer League (to name a few). There is also different competition levels within each league that are typically defined on the team's ability (such as "A" or Division 1 for the better teams and "B" or Division 2 for less competitive teams).

5.    Learn something about coaching competitive soccer. Although you will need to complete the entry level, "E" license, you can start forming a team without a license.  BMYSA typically holds the "E" license course at Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus in June.   Right now, just continue to learn and educate yourself in soccer terms, techniques and tactics though the many published books, articles and websites.

6.    Get your "newbie" questions (about registration and other paperwork, cost, travel, fields, referees, registration, etc.) answered by the BMYSA Board and other BMYSA travel coaches.

7.    Order your team uniforms and play!

IS YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL OF SOCCER?

If the answer is, yes, then you will want to consider having your player tryout for the one of the competitive soccer teams BMYSA offers through it's Travel Soccer Program.

Travel Soccer, by just simply looking at the term "Travel", can be intimidating to some parents and players. Travel Soccer does involve some local travel, within northeast Pennsylvania, typically within a 20- to 45-minute drive. Sometimes, travel might be outside our area to compete in a tournament.

However, you can also use the term Competitive Soccer to more clearly define and understand Travel Soccer. Travel Soccer offers a higher level of soccer experience and player development. These experiences include a more intense and higher level training program though technique, tactics, and fitness. Additionally, there is a higher and more demanding level of competition against players of similar caliber, and a high degree of dedication to the sport.

The BMYSA Travel Soccer Program is the next step in your son's or daughter's development in the sport of soccer. Your player's development started in the BMYSA intramural soccer program and you may have seen the skills and inclinations which suggested a more competitive environment. Travel Soccer is the first step in your player's future soccer endeavors which can include: premier level, Olympic Development Program (ODP), high school or, even further, into the professional ranks.

HOW GET ON A TRAVEL TEAM

To get a roster spot on a BMYSA Travel Soccer team, your player must:

1.Express an interest in further developing their soccer skills.

2.Tryout for a team in the appropriate age group.

3. Make the team by successfully demonstrating skills and abilities.

COMMITMENT TO TRAVEL SOCCER

Playing any sport at a higher level requires an extra effort. This effort requires: devotion to the practice it takes to develop skill, the hard work and the motivation it takes to master those skills and most importantly the commitment the players and their parents make to the other players and parents. Each player is expected to play in both the fall and spring seasons of the soccer year. BMYSA Travel Teams typically form a strong team bond and sense camaraderie. Soccer is a team sport that depends on every player knowing their team's way of thinking and system of play.

The BMYSA Travel Teams are not asking the boys and girls to choose soccer as their only sport. However, the respective travel team is asking that both the player and the parent(s) make a serious commitment to the Travel Team. If your player participates in multiple sports/activities at the same time, then Travel Soccer should not be considered any less important that the other sports/activities. Every effort should be made to treat all sports and activities equally. Attendance is required, unless previous commitments make this impossible.

The typical commitment involves:

• Practice, usually, twice per week during the season
• League games are typically played on Sunday afternoons
• Away games against other clubs in northeastern PA
• Two seasons, fall and spring, are generally 8-10 weeks each
• Teams usually enter tournaments, which are often held on holiday weekends, such as Memorial Day and Labor Day
• Teams usually participate in indoor leagues during the winter
  

What is Travel Soccer?

Travel Soccer is where teams of players from Back Mountain Youth Soccer Association (BMYSA) travel to other townships/clubs (or the come here) to play their teams.  These teams are usually made up of the best layers or players that need more competition than the intramural program provided in the respective townships/clubs.  The travel teams participate in the following leagues:  Back Mountain Travel League for U-9 and U-10, Northeast Travel League for U-11 on up, and some teams may elect to play in the Lehigh Valley Youth Soccer League.

How serious is Travel Soccer?

Travel Soccer is a large step up from Intramural.  It requires a time commitment from the player AND his/her parents during its season.  There are no limits on how many time a travel team may meet for practice, however typically there will be two (2) practices per week and a game on Sunday (and sometimes on Saturday, such as with the Lehigh Valley League).  It requires dedication to the game and practice at home is expected.  Remember, this program prepares the child, to play at the next higher level such as Select, Premier, Olympic Development (ODP), and High School.

Does my child have to try out for the team every season?

YES.  Tryouts are held every spring.  Players are expected to progress and improve every year.  Sometimes, current players are cut to make room for better ones. All interested players are encouraged to come to tryouts.  It is the goal of BMYSA to field one (1) team in each age group for boys and girls.  A second team will be considered depending on interest and ability.

How much playing time will my child get?

This is always a tough question.  At the U-9, U-10 and U-11 levels, we try to even out playing time as much as possible so that all players get game experience and develop a love of the sport.  However, there will be situations that arise (especially in older teams), where the more advanced players are kept on the field at the expense of less experienced players.  Added time for the other players is usually given when the outcome of a game is no longer in doubt.  This usually provides equal playing time over the course of the season.  That being said, please be confident that our goal and intention is to develop ALL of the players on the team.

How much is winning stressed?

At BMYSA, it is our objective to field the best teams possible and win games, but not at all costs.  Your children will be trained regularly and encouraged by the coaches to play well.  Winning is a by-product of training, conditioning and good play.  However, as the child moved on to the older age teams, winning does become more important and there will be more tactical decisions made to ensure successful game outcomes.

How much Soccer will my child be playing?

Travel Soccer consists of spring and fall play, as well as tournaments.  Travel teams are encouraged to participate in as many weekend tournaments as they would like, typically three (3) or four (4) tournaments per year.  There is also optional winter indoor play, but that is usually a team decision.

How much travel is involved?

Most leagues games are on Sunday.  Travel time is usually within 45 minutes, if play is in non-premier leagues such as the Back Mountain Travel League and Northeast Travel League.  Premier leagues may be further away and usually the southeastern region of Pennsylvania.  Most coaches select tournaments that are competitive to their teams ability.  However, on occasion, coaches may ask for input from parents and other coaches as to which tournaments may benefit the team.  Some tournaments may require a weekend stay, which helps to bond the players and parents, ultimately improving team play.

What about conflicts with practices and games?

In the fall season, the player’s first obligation must be to Soccer.  The order of precedence established for schedule conflicts when players are playing both Intramural and Travel soccer is:

• Travel practice over intramural practice
• Travel games over intramural games
• Intramural games over travel practice

In the spring, efforts will be made to set the practice schedule to avoid conflict.  However, with baseball and other sports, we understand that some training sessions may be missed.  It is expected that all players will attend every game and practice.  Some conflicts, such as those with religious schooling, are truly unavoidable, and where possible, every effort will be make to set training session times so that all can attend.  If a player misses too many practices, they will not develop the skills their teammates have, their play will suffer, their playing time will be reduced and ultimately, their status on the team will be jeopardized.

How much does Travel Soccer cost?

BMYSA travel teams are parent supported.  The club provides and maintains the facilities for play (i.e. the fields).  Registration fees pay for each team to be registered in the spring and fall Travel League.  Costs for uniforms, referee fees, tournaments, patches and winter indoor play are paid by the parents or recaptured through club fundraising activities.  If no fundraising activities are done, a reasonable budget to assume would be $200-$350 per player per year.  That figure is over and above club registration fees.  If the team is going at the premier level, the costs will be higher.