What Exactly is Travel Soccer?
Travel Soccer 101
What is travel soccer?
Does your kid love playing soccer? Do you feel like the level of competition and/or coaching is not keeping up with the love or ability your kid has? Does your kid have friends or classmates that play travel soccer? If you are wondering if travel soccer is right for your kid, read on!
Even if you played travel soccer growing up, the landscape has changed a lot in the past few decades. While many kids often began playing travel soccer around age 10 in the 90s and early 2000s, kids are starting as early as kindergarten now. This article walks through what travel soccer means, how it works, and what time and monetary commitments you can expect, focusing on the elementary school level.
What it is
Travel soccer - also referred to as “club” or “select” soccer is generally defined as a youth soccer program where teams are selected via tryouts with instruction provided by professional coaches and games set up against other teams from competitive clubs.
What are the benefits?
Joining a travel soccer club offers many benefits.
Training is provided by professional coaches, many of whom have played collegiate and/or professional soccer as well as have coaching certifications.
Skills development of the child over time - building on skills developed each year and offering a consistent plan of progression.
Life skills development - commitment, discipline, learning how to win and lose
Opportunity to build friendships with teammates from other neighborhoods and school districts.
Sense of community for the entire family.
Who plays
Kids who have a demonstrated interest in soccer and can commit to a year long program of practices and games are good candidates for considering it. Travel soccer is offered to kids as young as 5 years old (Kindergarten). Teams and leagues are structured by birth year, not grade in school. For example, if your child was born in 2015, she would join a team with kids also born in 2015. Teams are also referred to by age. For example, a child on an under 9 (U-9) team would be turning 9 during their birth year. Most travel teams have separate teams for girls and boys. However, there are always opportunities for co-ed play!
How competitive is it?
Depending on the number of kids that try out in any given birth year, they will be selected for a team based on their assessed skill. An “A” team would have the most experienced / skilled players versus a “B” team. For kids just starting off in travel soccer (e.g., 5 year olds), there may be no difference between two teams at a club.
Kids mature at different rates physically and mentally and may move between A, B and C over the course of time. As kids approach middle and high school, desire to compete and family willingness to travel also plays into team placement. In general, high school aged A teams will have a more rigorous schedule and travel requirements than B or C teams.
What is the time commitment?
U-9 and under teams typically practice 2 times per week and have games once a week, while kids 10 and older practice 3 times a week with games once a week. Tryouts happen in late spring/early summer, and the season begins in August, with practice and games running over the course of the school year through three seasons. Depending on club and geographic location, teams may take a pause during the winter season or move to indoor facilities and games. Teams have between 2-4 tournaments a year.
What makes it “travel” soccer?
Unlike a recreational league, where games are probably limited to your community, travel soccer games may require more driving. In a populated metro area, the commute to games is likely 30 minutes or less. People in less populated areas may spend a lot more time in the car! Tournament travel increases with age group, and the competitiveness of the league. For younger kids, tournaments may be within driving distance from home or within driving distance but require an overnight stay. Older kids and their parents participating in elite leagues may find themselves flying or driving farther distances for tournaments.
What does it cost?
Travel soccer fees can range from $2,000 per child per year for a more seasonal program to $5,000 for a year round program. Included in those fees are club admin and coaching staff salaries, league registration, facilities rental, referee payments, uniforms and travel expenses (fees increase with more travel). Some clubs charge “all inclusive” fees while other charge “a la cart”. Clubs often have payment plans or financial support.