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What is GYSC Travel Soccer?

Travel soccer is offered as a means for the further development of individual, and team soccer skills through additional practice and competition.  If your child has played one or two seasons of recreational soccer, and/ or has expressed an interest in playing soccer in a slightly more competitive manner than possible in the rec program, travel soccer may be a good fit for your child.

The goal of our program is to show our kids how much fun they can have learning the sport of soccer while teaching them the value of teamwork, sportsmanship, and fitness. Greenbush considers the U8, U10 age groups to be developmental, while the older ages are more competitive. Travel Soccer is an organized, safe, and enjoyable soccer experience for kids who want to play throughout the school year. 

What is the difference between Travel Soccer and the Recreational League?

The following table should provide a quick comparison for you to determine whether the Greenbush Youth Soccer Club Travel Program is right for your child:

 

	Recreational Soccer	Travel Soccer
Length of season	2 ½ months (Fall, 10 weeks or Spring, 10 weeks)	10 – 11 months (August – June, outdoors)
# of Practices per week	1 – Usually 1 hour in length	1 – 2, depending on availability of fields Usually 1 ½ hours one or two nights per week or weekend.  Younger teams have earlier practices than older teams to accommodate school schedules.
# of Games per week	1 – usually Saturdays, unless a reschedule is required	1 – 2, depending on field schedules.  May be held during evening or weekend hours.
Location of practices	Phillips Road fields EG school fields sometimes, as needed.  Outdoors only.	Phillips road fields during fall and spring outdoor season; Afrims indoor sports complexes in Latham or Colonie during winter season
Location of games	Phillips Road fields	Home:  Phillips Road Outdoor Away:  CDYSL Teams within the 30 mile radius around EG in (Guilderland, Albany, Clifton Park, Averill Park, etc.)  Indoor winter games are held at Afrims, Latham or Afrims, Colonie, and  Sportsplex in Halfmoon.
Game participants	EG vs EG teams only	EG teams vs other Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) teams
Coaches	Parent Volunteers	Mix of Trained Volunteer Parents and Experienced Coaches.  Paid trainers are utilized to provide training in ball handling and higher-level skill development.  Coaches may act as trainers or hire outside trainers as they deem appropriate, based on their soccer experience.

 

 

	Recreational Soccer	Travel Soccer
Fees	Approximately $100 per 10-week season	1.  Approximately $600 yearly fee payable to GYSC for 10-month season.  Charged by GYSC in 3 installments throughout the year. 2.  Additional $250 fee (approx.) for winter session game fees.  (Approx. $80 per player per session for 3(Three) 8-game sessions from Nov. to April) Total fees:  approximately $850.  (~ $80 / month for an 10 month year).
Uniform costs	T-shirt included with fee	Full team uniform included with fee
Referees	Paid by GYSC.  Often, high school students with significant soccer experience are hired.	Paid by CDYSL during outdoor games.  Your fee paid to GYSC covers this. Paid by Afrims during indoor winter games.  Your fee paid to Afrims covers this.
Team Manager	Usually the coach serves as Team Manager.	Some coaches ask a parent to serve as team manager, while others prefer to handle those duties independently.
Tournaments	No	Travel teams sometimes participate in external tournaments.  Coaches decide whether the team should participate, and will then approach parents/ players.  Some tournaments are held during weekends, but most are held during school vacations (Holiday, Winter, April breaks).  You may choose whether to have your child participate in each tournament opportunity on an individual basis after consulting with the coach.

 

Travel vs. Rec Games

Travel soccer games are equally divided between ‘home’ and ‘away’ games.  Home games are played at the Phillips Road fields while away games are played at the home field of the competition.  In comparison, the recreational games played against other Greenbush teams in the rec program and are always held at Phillips Road. 

Travel teams usually participate in practices and games throughout the winter at commercial facilities and in tournaments hosted by those facilities or by other CDYSL clubs.  Each travel team and coach decides how many indoor sessions and tournaments they want to play.

Coaching

Travel coaches are typically more experienced than the Rec program coaches, and have usually played at the high school and/ or college level. The Rec teams are usually coached by parent volunteers.

Each year, professional and volunteer coaches donate their time and efforts to help Greenbush Travel teams. Typically, these volunteers have valuable soccer experience and include former college coaches and players. All Greenbush Coaches are licensed in accordance with CDYSL guidelines.  Some have regional or state-level coaching licenses and continue to add to their credentials every year. All have a great love for the game and a desire to pass along their technical and tactical knowledge of the game.

Skill Development and Training

Greenbush Soccer has hired professional trainers to help our players reach their soccer potential.  These trainers work with the players on foot, ball-handling and game skills at approximately 10 practices throughout the indoor sessions.

Referees

CDYSL Travel games are refereed by officials certified by the United States Soccer Federation.  Rec program officials are Greenbush travel players (high school age) who are trained to referee by GYSC officials and are learning to officiate. 

Uniforms

Uniforms for the rec program are cotton t-shirts (provided by GYSC) and a pair of soccer socks. Travel uniforms are a complete set, known as a ‘kit’, including two jerseys (home and away), shorts, and socks.For 2012-13, GYSC will provide uniforms for the travel teams. 

Will my child be placed on a travel team or will he/ she be cut?

Greenbush Soccer does everything possible to place players with appropriate ability on a team. Sometimes we have to recruit players from our rec program and other clubs to fill teams that have insufficient numbers; however, all age groups/teams do have to abide by CDYSL roster restrictions. 

 When will I know what team my child is on?

Generally, the coaches will determine what players have made their teams.  In certain cases / player placement is determined by the Roster Committee which is comprised of Greenbush soccer board members.  There are 3 evenings that try-outs are held and players will be notified after all 3 try-outs have passed and not before August 15^th as dictated by CDYSL.    Parents can expect to be contacted by a coach before 9/1. 

 

What Costs are involved?

Travel Soccer Fees are paid to the following organizations: 

1.  Greenbush Youth Soccer Club (GYSC):  Yearly cost between $500-$700, depending on the age of the player (older players may have a slightly higher fee).  This fee covers the following:

¨      Phillips Road field maintenance costs

¨      Equipment (goals, flags, balls, etc)

¨      Medical/ liability insurance costs

¨      CDYSL Registration Fees

¨      Outdoor referee fees

¨      Team uniform

¨      Indoor practice field rental costs at Afrims for 20 weeks

¨      Training fees for 10 sessions per team

¨        Miscellaneous GYSC administrative costs (website, marketing, etc.)

GYSC Fees are due in three installments, usually October, December and February.  They are payable directly to GYSC.

 

The Greenbush soccer club does not profit from this fee, it simply covers the cost to play.  To compare this fee to other local sports, consider the following, the travel year spans for three seasons; fall, winter and spring. Comparable fees for area rec sports teams:  fall sports:  Greenbush Rec soccer $100, Pop Warner Football/Cheering $100, Winter Sports:  CYO or Travel Basketball $200, Spring Baseball or Softball $125, Spring Soccer $100.  Premiere soccer team fees range from $900 to $1500 per year for the organization’s fee alone.  If you want your child to be active year round, the cost to travel soccer is comparable to playing with 3 rec sports teams

 

 

2.  Indoor Game Fees:  Each team will pay a fee to an indoor facility (Afrim’s or Sportsplex) per session for the winter season at a cost of appx $80-$100 per session.  This fee covers the following:

¨      Indoor game field rental costs at Afrims

¨      Indoor game referee cost

¨        Miscellaneous Afrims insurance/ administrative costs (website, marketing, etc.)

Teams generally participate in 3 sessions, (Nov-Dec), (Jan-Feb), (March-Apr).  The fee per session depends on the facility and the age group.  For a U10 team, the fee is roughly $800 per team, per session.  This fee is divided by the number of players on the team; for a 10 player team, each player pays $80 per session to the indoor facility.

 3.  Miscellaneous.Players will need cleats for outdoor, indoor turf shoes for winter play and shin guards at all times.   Teams may also choose to participate in area tournaments (both indoor and outdoor) with each player contributing to the fee which typically is in the $25-$35 range. This is only if the coach and players choose to participate. If your team’s coach decides to participate in a tournament, you will be given the option of having your child participate, and you will be asked to pay this additional fee on a per-tournament basis.  Other tournaments, especially those held at a higher regional/ state level, will be more expensive.  Again, they are determined on a per-tournament basis.

When, where, how far, and how many practices and games are there? 

Practices:  Most Greenbush teams practice once per week. More competitive or advanced teams may practice more.  Practice schedules are determined by the coaches and teams.   Outdoor practices are held at the Phillips Road fields, while indoor practices are held at Afrim’s in Latham or Colonie and last an hour and a half.  Other practice times may also occur at school gyms when available.  

Games

Travel Soccer is broken down into Sessions as follows:

1.  Fall: Since fall is the season for middle and high school soccer, older (U14 and up) travel teams generally do not have games during the months of Sept. and October.U10 and U12 age groups may, however, choose to participate in the CDYSL outdoor games held on Sundays at various area facilities.  It is a good opportunity for the players to get their feet wet in competitive soccer.  Games are always on Sunday afternoon’s until the indoor season begins in early Nov.

2.  Winter:   The number of indoor sessions a team participates in is up to the coach and the team.  It is not necessary to participate in the indoor sessions to play the spring session.  It is, however, highly recommended to participate in the indoor sessions for player and team development. Indoor games are played at local soccer arenas such as Afrim’s (www.afrimsports.com) in Colonie and Latham, and the Sportplex of Halfmoon (www.sportsplexofhalfmoon.com) in Clifton Park.  An indoor session is comprised of 8 games and usually only one game per week is played.  Indoor games are scheduled by each facility and depend on the number of area teams registered at a given level and are subject to change from year to year and session to session.  The younger levels generally play on Saturday or Sunday but there are regular week night games.  Please check with your child’s coach for a specific team’s past dates for play.

·         Session I:  Nov. – Dec.  8 games

·         Session II:  Jan. – Feb.  8 games

·         Session I:  Mar-Apr.  8 games

 

3.  Spring Session:  The outdoor season is held from late April through mid-June.  Games are set up and scheduled by CDYSL.  Home Games will take place on Phillips road fields, while Away Games will be held at other team’s facilities who participate with CDYSL such as; Guilderland, Bethlehem, Burnt Hills, Niskayuna, Averill Park, Saratoga, Voorheesville, Saratoga to name a few.   Games are usually limited in travel time ranging up to one hour away (depending on division make up).   There are generally ten games and there can be one or two games per week to fit the games into the 8 week schedule.  

 

Older age groups (U-17/18/19) may have more erratic game days/dates, or be subject to more games rescheduled due to various work/school/college schedules.

 

It is highly recommended that players participate in all outdoor and indoor sessions for individual player and team development.

Tournaments

There are many and varied styles of tournaments, both local and away, available to travel teams.  Tournament choices are left to the coach and the team.  Most local tournaments cost between $20-40 per player.  Higher-level tournaments can cost more and overnight or away tournaments will have the added cost of lodging, meals, etc.  All such costs are the responsibility of the team and coach entering the tournament.

Leagues and Associations

The Greenbush Soccer Club is part of The Capital District Youth Soccer League (www.cdysl.org), which is sanctioned by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (www.usyouthsoccer.org); a member of Region 1 of the United States Youth Soccer Association (www.region1.com).  US Youth Soccer is the largest member of the United Stated Soccer Federation (www.ussoccer.com), the governing body for soccer in the United States. 

CDYSL (The Capital District Youth Soccer League) provides a healthy activity through its small sided games programs for the youngest players. These programs emphasize FUN, and de-emphasize winning at all costs. Every child is guaranteed playing time and the game is taught in a fun and enjoyable atmosphere. 

For the player with advanced skills and greater ambition, highly competitive leagues and tournaments are available. This player might have his or her sights set on a college soccer scholarship or playing for the U. S. Olympic or National teams. 

For all players, opportunities exist for league play, participation in local and regional tournaments, and statewide competition leading to a national tournament.  CDYSL sponsors youth soccer play among more than 60 clubs in the east-central and northeast parts of New York, Western Massachusetts, and Southwestern Vermont.  The majority of CDYSL is composed of teams generally within a 30 mile radius of East Greenbush.

 

 

 

Board Policy on Travel soccer

The Greenbush soccer board passed the policy or regulations that pertain to travel soccer in July of 2011 as stated below.

 

The intention of Greenbush travel soccer is to allow children to extend their soccer season, further develop their ball skills and team play and continue their soccer careers into competitive school level teams.   The focus is on building healthy bodies and minds, teaching the concepts of teamwork, commitment, accountability, sportsmanship, loyalty, honesty and pride.  The teams are guided by the principle that exceptional athletic skill and winning games is only a secondary mission and the team should at all times reflect the aforementioned ideals.

Travel soccer for U8 and U10 teams are deemed to be developmental levels with an emphasis on learning the skills and fundamentals of the game.  Each child with an interest in playing travel will be placed on a team providing there are coaches and enough players to fill a roster unless the child is deemed not physically capable of participating.

In the event that there are enough players for two teams at these levels, they will generally be divided by age (birth date); thus a U10 and a U9 team both competing at a U10 level.

All players who attend practices regularly, behave in a sportsmanlike manner,   are prepared and on time for games and practices will play at least one-half the game to the best of the coach’s ability throughout the indoor and spring outdoor seasons.

If there is an opportunity to play additional games due to player absences or small roster sizes at the indoor level, children will be given the same chance for more playing time on a rotating basis; dividing supplemental games evenly between all players on the U9 and U10 teams. 

Levels U12 and above are more competitive in nature.  If there are enough players for two teams, they can be divided at the coaches’ discretion which may include, alphabetically, by age or by ability with the two coaches making the final decision. In the event that coaches are unable to agree on how to split the teams, the roster committee will divide the players.   These teams will be set by November and will remain the same with the ability to make some modifications to the rosters for the outdoor spring session. 

During the indoor season, for levels U12 and above, all players who attend practices regularly, behave in a sportsmanlike manner,   are prepared and on time for games and practices will play at least one-half of the game to the best of the coach’s ability. During the outdoor season, all players will participate in the game; playing time is at the coach’s discretion.

Playing up

All players must try-out at their age appropriate and gender specific level.  It is the intent of the club to have all players stay at this level with an emphasis on building a team; not only the top players.  Coaches will give these players challenges within the game to improve balls skills, tactics and leadership abilities.  These children will be given the opportunity to guest play when the team at a level above theirs is in need of an additional player.   

All decisions in regards to playing up will be made by the roster committee and are made on a year to year basis.  The criteria below are some of the factors the committee will use to determine if players should move up a level.

The roster committee will consider team sizes at each level and allow for moving up a player or players if this will increase the total number of children able to participate in travel soccer. 

In certain cases when roster sizes are not a factor, individuals will be allowed to move up a level if the coaches and committee have determined that the best placement for this player’s development is to move to up a level.  In moving up, this player would not simply be able to participate with the new team but would make a significant contribution to the success of this team he/she is moving up to as one of the top players on the new team.

In addition, the removal of this player would not negatively impact the roster of the team he/she is leaving or joining.

Guest Players

The top players on each team may be given the opportunity to guest play with a level above theirs when that team is short players.  The guest player can only play for this team if there are no more than two subs and will not be given more playing time than those children on the regular roster. 

Guest players may be invited to practice with this team if there is space and their presence does not impact the team.  These players must attend practices and games and remain obligated to their primary team. 

Deviations from this policy must first be approved by the roster committee.  Failure of players and coaches to comply with these policies could result in expulsion by the Greenbush soccer board.

Questions?Contact Kathy Lindemann at klindema@nycap.rr.com.

 

 

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Greenbush soccer travel policies APPROVED 7-26-11.pdf	84.37 KB