Why MTSC Travel Soccer? -- Our program provides the opportunity for younger players to learn the fundamentals of soccer and teamwork, while experiencing the fun that these accomplishments can offer. As players progress in age and skill, they are taught more advanced levels of soccer, compete at higher levels, and enjoy the self-satisfaction that this growth brings.
Travel Team Year --- Teams are formed in May/June for the following playing year, which runs from September to June. For this reason, you are strongly encouraged to register for a tryout in March/April, as tryouts for later registrants will only be given if there is a remaining roster spot in an age group.
Joining a Travel Team --- Joining a travel team is a multi-step process:
(1: Mar - June) You log in to your account to register your player for a tryout (free). Your registration confirmation will contain the date, time, and location of the tryout.
(2: April or June) Your player attends the tryout.
(3: May or June) If your player passes the tryout, we will extend an offer to join the travel program.
(4: May or June) You log in to your account within 7 days to accept the offer, upload documents, and pay fees.
(5: July) You order a uniform.
(6: August) We notify you which team (if more than 1) your child will play with, set you up with team communication, and post the practice and preliminary match schedule.
(7: September) Team begins practices and matches.
For late registrants (after mid-June), when you register for a tryout we will contact you to let you know if a roster spot is available, and if so, when your player can try out.
How Tryouts Work --- Our free tryouts are designed to provide an objective evaluation of players interested in participating in travel soccer. Two publicly announced tryouts are conducted in April. Players (including current team players) should attend both if possible, where they are evaluated and ranked. We hold more tryouts in June for younger players who may need the spring Rec season to prepare for tryouts.
The Offer -- If successful with the tryout, within a week or so you will receive an email offer to join the age group roster (if not, a coach will contact you to explain why your player did not receive an offer). The offer expires in 7 days so that we can offer that roster spot to another player. Before accepting your player's offer, please understand the financial, time, and effort commitment you and your player are making.
Fees --- When you accept the offer, you will have the option to pay the full annual fee (which covers fall and spring), or break it up into 3 installments: 1/3 immediately, 1/3 by Sept 1, and 1/3 by Jan 1. Because your player is taking a roster spot that could have gone to someone else, fees are nonrefundable.
Formation of teams --- The Club follows USYS mandates for team sizes, ages, and field sizes. This includes high school age teams which are typically Winter/Spring teams. Per USYS rules, travel teams are based on birth year, not school grade.
Roster Size -- The Club recommends a minimum of 11 players for “7v7” teams, 13 for "9v9" teams and 15 for the older “11v11” teams. Experience indicates these numbers allow for absences, needed substitutions, and are reasonable numbers to still be able to provide adequate playing time for all players.
Flighting -- Teams are "flighted" with like teams in the league, the goal being that the team wins about half the time. Winning too little is frustrating for the players; winning too much is boring and prevents development of good play habits. Each season, teams will move up or down in flight based on their win/loss record the prior season.
"Green" teams -- Depending on enrollment, there will be 1 or 2 teams at each age group and gender. If there are 2 teams, one will be flighted against tougher opponents, and the other (Green) against easier opponents. Players will be assigned to play primarily to one team or the other based on skill level and effort, but may occasionally play for the other team as needs and development warrant. These decisions are made by the coach in consultation with the Director of Coaching; parent or player preference is not part of the criteria. When you accept an offer, you are accepting an offer to the age group, not to a team.
Playing Up -- MTSC encourages players to play on teams of the appropriate age and ability. Typically, that is the age based upon their date of birth. USYS rules allows "playing up" one year, but an older player may never "play down". Players significantly ahead in their development for their age may tryout and play for an older team if it is appropriate for their development. If you would like to request your child to "play up", please discuss with the Director of Coaching, who makes all decisions regarding this.
The only other situation where a younger player may be invited to play for an older team is if the player does not make their age appropriate team(s) and the Club is considering forming an older team of similar abilities and that team needs players to complete its roster.
Attendance and Timeliness --- Travel soccer differs from Rec in that you and your player are making a significant commitment to the Club and your team. Every player on the team has a more rewarding experience, and develops more quickly, when every player and parent honors that commitment. Except for compelling reasons (e.g. school event, health, family vacation), your player is expected to be at every practice (on the field and ready to play at the start time), and every match (home or away, on the field ready to warm up 30 minutes before the match start time).
Match Scheduling --- Matches will vary in start time from week to week, usually on Sunday, but occasionally on a Saturday. Your team manager will work with opposing teams to determine match times as far in advance as possible, but occasionally you may not know the start time of a match until just a few days prior.
Practice Scheduling --- Generally, practices are either 5:00 or 6:30, on either Tue/Thu or Wed/Fri, each week. You will be informed as to your team's practice schedule about a month before the start of the season. Because we are juggling coach and field availability, we cannot use parent preference to set or change practice times.
TeamSnap -- Before the start of the season in September, you will receive instructions on how to download and use TeamSnap, the app we use to communicate amongst parents and coaches on each team. This is where you will get practice and match times / locations (with maps), and be able to chat with parents to ask questions, arrange carpools, organize parties, etc. Most importantly, parents must update the availability of players for every match and practice so that the coach can plan (for example, finding players to fill in for absent players)