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***Tentative Spring 2025 Preseason Travel/Premier Schedule***

***Tentative Spring 2025 Travel/Premier Practice Schedule***

What is Travel Soccer?

• SCOR Travel teams compete in the Southwest District (greater Fairfield County) of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA).
• Competitive play representing our club.
• Player age groups are from U9 (under 9 yrs old) through U19 and eligibility is determined by a player's birth year, not school grade.
• Divisions are organized separately for girls and boys.
• There are two seasons: the Fall season begins in September, and the Spring season begins in April.
  

How do I know if my child is ready for travel?

• Does your child get a lot of enjoyment out of practices and games, and seek additional playing opportunities?
• Does your child possess a strong aptitude for the game? Parents are encouraged to ask their child's parent coach and/or weekday professional practice coach for their input as well!
• Is your child a team player willing to learn and develop different skills at a variety of positions on the field?
• Can your child handle disappointment as well as success?
• Will your child remain attentive to his or her coach and concentrate during an hour and a half practice/game?

If the answers to the above questions are yes, then you should consider providing your child with the opportunity to play Travel soccer.

What commitment is involved? 

• Practices
  • U9-U11: Practice twice a week during the season, with one Sunday game per week.
  • U12 - U19: Practice three times a week during the season.
• Games
  • League games are usually on Sunday afternoons
  • All Travel teams play against other towns in Fairfield County - half of the games will be in Ridgefield, and the other half will involve traveling to these other towns. 
• The season is generally 8-10 weeks in duration.
• Teams are provided with a budget to support a one tournament per season. These typically are held over holiday weekends. Tournament selection will be facilitated by SCOR in collaboration with the travel team manager, head coach and parents. All tournament requests need to be approved by the Travel Program VP.
• Based on the coach recommendation, teams in certain age groups may enter the Connecticut Cup, which is a highly competitive single elimination tournament. The games are generally held on Saturday and can be anywhere in the state of Connecticut.
• SCOR and Team Excel soccer also offer offseason opportunities for players. There are summer camps available through Team Excel, and winter programs hosted by SCOR. Certain age groups will also host offseason practices in the Summer (July-Aug) and the Winter (Jan/Feb). These are usually one night a week and participation is not mandatory.
• Being part of a travel team involves a commitment on the part of all players to regularly attend practices and games.
• Annual SCOR Sponsored Tournament: SCOR hosts an annual Columbus Day Weekend Tournament in the Fall (early Oct). Travel team parents should be prepared to participate in the organization and running of the Tournament.  Every travel player parent will have a task during the tournament, such as helping to set up fields, clean-up, or field marshaling.

How are players selected for travel teams?

Players are evaluated and placed on teams according to the following process:

• Every May/June, every age group has an open tryout for Fall Travel teams (see "Tryout Process" section below).
• Players who are placed on Travel teams in the Fall season are also offered a place on a Travel team for the following Spring season. 
• In the Winter, there is an open evaluation process for players who did not play Travel in the Fall but would like to play Travel in the Spring. 
• Team Excel's professional coaches are also constantly evaluating players throughout the season, during games (Travel players) and practices (Rec + Travel players ). There are many opportunities to perform in front of these coaches outside of the defined tryout setting!
• Independent Professional Observers evaluate candidates mid season.
  
• The evaluating coach utilizes the "four pillars of soccer" to assess player abilities: Technique, Tactics, Psychological & Physical
• The coach compares all players' abilities and documents the level of each player by ranking them. Note: The professional coach determines his/her rankings, and these are confidential and will not be made available to either the player or parents.
• Coach submits final ranking document to Coaching Director.
• SCOR's Coaching Director and Travel VPs compare rankings of all registered players. Final team placements are subject to change and dependent on player withdrawals.

How are teams organized?

• It is in the best interest of SCOR to accommodate as many players as possible in the travel programs, giving priority to filling the most competitive teams initially and subsequent teams as registration and team formation guidelines permit.
•  U10 and above - players will be evaluated by the team coach and the teams selected based on the evaluations presented to the Coaching Director.  Players will be evaluated on a specific set of predetermined drills appropriate for their age group. All players, existing and new, are expected to earn their positions on the team.

How is playing time for each child determined?

• At the U9 and U10 level, playing time is shared equally amongst all players (throughout the course of a season).
• At the U11 level and beyond, the game understandably becomes more competitive. While we still stress the preceding principles, playing time will be more at the discretion of the coach and is based upon the player earning time through exhibiting their work ethic and skill in practice and games.
  

Safety

• All players must wear proper equipment including soccer cleats (no football or baseball which have a toe cleat) and properly sized shin guards.
  
• No jewelry is permitted; earrings are not allowed to be taped and must be removed for practice and play. The only exceptions are medical bracelets and necklaces which are required for player safety.  In these cases, the bracelet or necklace must be secured (taped) to prevent injuries.
  

Uniform

All participants in the Travel program will be required to purchase a uniform kit (orange game jersey, white game jersey, silver practice jersey, black game shorts, black soccer socks), approximately $135. The uniform is used throughout Travel and will only have to be repurchased when the player grows out of it or in the event that SCOR changes the uniform style.

Uniform Kit: must purchase at Soccer & Rugby Imports, located at 15 Ethan Allen Highway, 203-544-9777
Email: [email protected] or online at: Soccer & Rugby Imports

I am new to Ridgefield, how do I get my child involved?

Registration for the Fall season is typically the prior May. The Fall season runs from September through November. Registration for the Spring season is in Dec / Jan and the season runs from April through June. If you move to town in the off-season, please contact the Travel VPs for options.  Your child may be able to be involved in an off-season activity or if you move to town during the season there may be an opportunity to play that season.

Divisions

Our Travel (Classic) Program is separated by gender and birth year.  If there are a large number of tryouts in a particular division, and the overall skill level warrants, it is possible that SCOR will field multiple travel teams in the same age division. A travel team normally plays approximately 50% of its games at one of Ridgefield's town fields and the other 50% away at a competing soccer club's field.

Travel Team Assistant Coaches

Travel Team Assistant Coaches are critical as support roles to the professional head coach so that a positive and developmentally appropriate soccer experience for players is assured at practice sessions and games.

• High school students with playing experience, role model characteristics and familiarity with the demands of supporting a head coach as defined by SCOR's Coaching Director will be available to provide assistance to teams in need. 
• Parent Assistant Coach candidates with a minimum of a CJSA Youth Module or equivalent certification are preferred over non-licensed candidates and will play a factor in SCOR Coaching Director's decision when assigning positions.
• All Travel team assistant coach candidates are required to attend pre-season coaching clinics offered through SCOR. It is at the Coaching Director's discretion as to whether a high school player or a parent is considered to fill the role of an assistant Travel team coach.

Travel Teams have maximum of 2 coaches at games, format can vary as follows:

• Pro Coach with High school Player
• Pro Coach with qualified Parent Coach  
• High school Player with qualified Parent Coach

Travel Team Roster Size

Below are the game format and team roster sizes for each age group.

Maximum roster sizes are determined by CJSA. Final rosters are at the discretion of the Travel VPs.

Play-Up Policy

We have an obligation to provide an environment where all our players can strive to become the best they possibly can.  A player that has indeed proven to be a superior player physically, technically and emotionally in his or her appropriate age group should have the opportunity to develop with an older and more challenging age group. It is important to note that playing up is a rare exception. The United States Soccer Federation encourages the exceptional player to play up, and SCOR follows their recommendation because it is important not only for the development of that exceptional player but that of his or her peers.  All decisions regarding the final placement of play-up players are at the discretion of the SCOR Board for the benefit of the player, the team and the program as a whole.

The following evaluation process must be met should a players request to play up be considered.

1. Players parent(s) submit a written request to Coaching Director prior to Spring season end. Parent(s) need to agree that the Coaching Directors decision based on the evaluation process below is final.
2. Written Submission Deadline: For consideration to play up for the Fall and Spring seasons you must request by May 20th. In the case of new registrants to the Program an exception will be made on the deadline. Coaching Director and Coaching Director ONLY may approach the parents of a player that has been identified as an exceptional player and recommend to that players parents or guardians to consider playing up. Coaches do not approach parents or players.
3. Coaching Director confirms players maturity (technical, physical & emotional) with current professional coach. Player needs to be assessed as an exceptional player who needs to be challenged at a higher level in order to continue his/her development.
4. Player is invited to one or more practice sessions with the older A team prior to start of season in question. Confirmation from current coach and the coach of the older team stating that the player is able to compete for a starting position within the older A-Team roster is required.
5. Playing up status will be considered on an annual basis, depending on performance and continuous maturity status of player. The play up criteria is established and confirmed by the Coaching Director.  Therefore, a player that has been permitted to play-up one year, may not be permitted to play up subsequent years.
6. Exceptions to Process:
   •  Grade appropriate Travel level players are allowed to play up on either the A or B team.
   • If player(s) is needed to help keep the older B team in tact, non-exceptional and previously cut younger players can be assigned to team.
   • If players are needed to keep his/her current A-team in tact then the player in question will be asked to stay back.
   • If older age group has enough age appropriate A team quality players to fill or complete an A team roster.
   • All decisions regarding the final placement of play-up players are at the discretion of the SCOR Board for the benefit of the player, the team and the program as a whole.