Q & A on Traveling Soccer

Q & A on Traveling Soccer
What is traveling soccer?	Expectations:
What are divisions?	Division Objectives:
When does traveling soccer start?	At what age level will my child play?
Where are games played?	Traveling Program : Team Assignment.
Do all River Falls teams play in our tournament ?	How do I register?
More questions?

What is traveling soccer?

Traveling (competitive) soccer involves a commitment to develop and learn a higher level of soccer skills and knowledge. At the lower age levels (U9 & U10), there is usually one game and practice per week during the summer traveling season. The U9-10 teams also participate in the River Falls Tournament and another tournament of their choice.

Older players average two games per week with additional practice sessions. The River Falls Wildcat Soccer Association pays the entrance fee for each team to attend 2 tournaments with a maximum cost of $350/tournament. One of these is considered to be our (RFWS) tournament, if the team is eligible.

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Expectations:

Parents will be committed to positively supporting the players, coaches and program. Parents are responsible to transport their children to practices, games and tournaments.
The soccer board will strive to select coaches with appropriate experience and skills for the division and age bracket.
Coaches will strive to create a fun, learning environment.
Sportsmanship and respect for others are the two primary principles expected from all coaches, players, parents and fans.

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What are divisions?

Teams U11 and above have the option to compete at different levels of competition with Premier being the highest. Higher divisions require more practice and skill development. If there is more than one team at an age level, try-outs will be held. In the past, we have had teams compete at Classic I, II and III. U9s and U10s compete in Classic III.

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Division Objectives:

Premier (Division 1): Develop a highly competitive team with players possessing exceptional soccer skills. Players will be selected through tryouts and coach recommendations. To create teams with the level of skill required to compete in this division, teams may include players and coaches from surrounding communities.
Classic I (Division 2): Develop a highly competitive team with players possessing intermediate to advanced soccer skills and knowledge. Generally, players will be selected through tryouts and coach recommendations.
Classic II (Division 3): Develop a competitive team with players having basic to intermediate soccer skills. Classic II play is at a competitive level. However, all players will have an opportunity to play in each game. Typically, tryouts will not be used as a selection process. As many players as possible will be encouraged to participate.
Classic III (Division 4): Develop basic soccer skills and create an environment in which to learn the basic principles of soccer. Coaches will strive to create a fun learning environment for the players. All players will have a an opportunity to participate in each game. This division is generally used for the younger age brackets.

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Traveling Program : Team Assignment.

With each traveling soccer season, there are varying numbers of players registered at any one age group, and the number of players on a team changes with age as well. The assignment of players to teams for the traveling program will be based on the following objectives.

The ability to offer any child who registers the opportunity to play in the traveling program so that as many players as possible can participate in this program.
The desire to field the most competitive teams possible.

With those two objectives in mind, it will be the responsibility of the RFWS Board of Directors to assign players to teams. The directors may use any or all of the following criteria in assigning players to teams:

Previous playing experience with a particular team.
Input from coaches.
Evaluations from tryouts.
Date of registration (priority will be given to those players registering before the deadline).

It should be understood that in satisfying these objectives, players may be asked to play at a different age level and/or with a team different from the one with which the players had previously played. This is especially true for players who have registered late.

Any grievances over team assignment should be made in writing to the RFWS board of directors. The soccer board reserves the right to change team assignments at any time.

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When does traveling soccer start?

Practices for the older teams usually begin in April and games can begin as early as the middle of May. Younger teams typically begin league games the end of May and are done the third week in July. There is no district tournament for U9s or U10s.

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At what age level will my child play?

2008/2009 BIRTH-YEAR GUIDELINES
U9	8-1-99	TO	7-31-00
U10	8-1-98	TO	7-31-99
U11	8-1-97	TO	7-31-98
U12	8-1-96	TO	7-31-97
U13	8-1-95	TO	7-31-96
U14	8-1-94	TO	7-31-95
U15	8-1-93	TO	7-31-94
U16	8-1-92	TO	7-31-93
U17	8-1-91	TO	7-31-92
U18	8-1-90	TO	7-31-91

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Where are games played?

Teams play throughout the metro area and are placed in one of the four districts of MYSA. Eau Claire, Menomonie and Rice Lake are also in our district for some ages levels. Remember, half of the scheduled games are played in River Falls. Teams select tournament sites they want to attend. Parents are responsible for providing transportation. Teams usually meet to carpool.

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Do all River Falls teams play in our tournament ?

No. The River Falls tournament is a Classic II tournament (Classic III for U9s and U10s). However, all traveling parents are needed to help run a tournament of this size. In 2001, we hosted a record 105 teams. Most traveling parents contributed at least two hours at the fields, concessions, picking up litter, etc. One of the reasons our tournament is well regarded is because of our efficient volunteers. This tournament is the only fundraiser for traveling soccer and has been very successful in the past. It enables the association to keep down the cost of registration, provide new equipment and field maintenance.

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