The Southern Lehigh Soccer League is pleased to announce tryouts for the 2011/2012 Travel Team Program. Please take the time to read the following program summary. It should provide you with valuable information and allow you to understand the travel team soccer program.
PROGRAM
The Travel Team program is designed for players who want to play soccer in a more competitive environment against similar teams from neighboring communities. Although your commitment is for the fall season, the program also allows the teams and/or players the option to play in the winter indoor season, and spring season.
ELIGIBILITY
Any interested player is eligible to tryout for a travel team. You do not have to live within the Southern Lehigh School District. You must, however, fall within specific age ranges (see the tryout schedule for these age divisions). In most cases players must play in their appropriate age division if a team is offered for them.
TEAMS OFFERED
Each year the Southern Lehigh Soccer League Board evaluates the program, and makes preliminary decisions on what teams will be offered. This decision uses factors such as past year’s tryouts and participation, coach availability, anticipated players returning to the program and other pertinent facts. These preliminary decisions have produced the teams listed on the attached tryout schedule. Just because an age group is not listed in the schedule does not mean it will not exist and conversely just because an age group is listed does not ensure this age group will exist. Our decisions on adding or dropping age groups are based largely on the quantity and quality of the players that attend tryouts and the availability of qualified coaches. If the turnout and ability is large enough to justify a second team in an age group, or to split combined years into single years, we will make every effort possible to field the additional team.
COMMITMENT
Players are expected to make every reasonable effort to attend as many games and practices as possible in their teams primary season. The primary season is the fall season for most teams. You will find coaches more than willing to work with players to avoid conflicts, but the same cooperation is expected from the players and parents in return. If your team plans to participate in the optional winter and/or spring season, your coach prior to that season will explain the commitment level.
FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
REGISTRATION
Each player will be charged an initial registration fee of approx. $125.00. This fee covers team and player registration with the Lehigh Valley League and Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association, secondary medical insurance, referee fees, alternate jerseys, socks, state cup registration fees, some tournament fees and the administrative cost associated with the travel team program. These administrative costs include many items such as paint for the fields, game balls, practice equipment, goals, non-resident field fees, etc.
UNIFORM
Each player must purchase a uniform. This uniform can be kept and used from year to year. Approximate cost is $65.00. You will not need to purchase another new uniform until requested by you or required by the league due to the availability of the current style.
ADDITIONAL COST
The Southern Lehigh Soccer League will pay $650.00 towards each team’s league entrance fees into sanctioned tournaments. The league will also cover the cost of all Ref Fees and entrance into one State Cup tournament fee. Additional player costs are incurred when your team’s cost for the above exceeds the $650.00 funded by the Southern Lehigh Soccer League. Each team may also have an additional cost to hire a trainer to work with the kids for a specified amount of time throughout the season. Additional cost may also be incurred if your team decides to participate in a function outside the normal scope of the travel program.
TRYOUT PRE-REGISTRATION
All players interested in playing on a travel soccer team for the 2011/2012 season must pre-register with the Southern Lehigh Soccer League prior to tryouts. Pre-registration will take place online at www.slsl.org prior to your teams scheduled tryout time. At that time both the SLSL registration form and the EPYSA RG6 form must be completed, printed and signed by a parent/guardian to complete the tryout pre-registration process. No fees will be collected until after teams are formed. No mailed in forms will be accepted. Please be sure to arrive 15-30 minutes ahead of the scheduled tryout time to register.
TRYOUTS
Tryouts for the travel teams will take place in May. See the enclosed list for exact dates, times and coaches for each age group. All tryouts (unless noted) will be held at the Upper Saucon Township Park Fields. Players must complete the pre-registration as noted above prior to tryouts. Although coaches encourage players to attend as many tryouts as possible, a player need only attend two tryout sessions to be eligible for the team. Please bring a soccer ball and a supply of water when attending tryouts. You must wear shin guards to participate in the tryouts. In the case of inclement weather, contact the coach listed for that age group for details.
TEAM SELECTION
Teams will be selected in late May / early June. All eligible players, who have participated in the tryouts, should be notified prior to June 14th, as to their status with the team. For those selected, your team registration meeting will take place in the middle of June.
FALL SEASON
Teams generally begin practicing 2-3 times per week in July or August. Once school begins, practices usually continue 1-2 times per week. Many teams enter 1-3 preseason tournaments in August and early September. Some teams also enter a tournament over Columbus Day weekend. The locations of tournaments vary by team. League play begins the weekend after Labor Day and runs until the middle of November with generally one game per weekend. Home games are played at Upper Saucon Township Community Park. Traveling time for away games generally range from 20-60 minutes in most cases.
WINTER SEASON
During the winter months, players have the option to participate in our indoor program. This may include indoor practice and participation in various indoor tournaments. These tournaments can range from local events run by other clubs to events at regular indoor soccer facilities. Participation in this season is at the discretion of the teams coach.
SPRING SEASON
Most age groups have the option to participate in leagues and tournaments during the spring and summer months. The decisions on the type and amount of spring play are up to each team’s parents, coaches and players. The parents must make their level of commitment for the spring season known to the coach prior to the spring season and then standby their commitment. A player who opts not to participate in the indoor program is still eligible to play in the spring and summer.
TEAM RESPONSIBILITY (Very important and SOMETIMES overlooked)
Each travel team has certain responsibilities to the Southern Lehigh Soccer League and the Lehigh Valley Youth Soccer League. These include field setup and painting, team registration, team uniform ordering, club meeting attendance, Lehigh Valley Tournament assignments and many more. These responsibilities should not be borne solely by the travel team coaching staff that already put many hours of their time in coaching your sons and daughters. These responsibilities need to be shared by the parents and players of the team. Please make it a point to be aware of your team’s responsibilities and help fulfill these required tasks.
