Travel Soccer

Why Play Travel Soccer?
There are many reasons why you might want to consider Manhattan Soccer for the player in your family. Typically kids want to join one of our teams because they have had enough of dribbling through weak opponents and scoring at will, and they want to experience the challenge of playing against better opposition.  There are also kids who want a more structured team environment and want the benefit of our experienced coaching.  Whatever your reasons are, you should know that for well over a decade, Manhattan Soccer Club has been organizing and fielding travel teams for motivated boys and girls between the ages of eight and 17.  Playing mostly in the Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL), our teams take the field against well-matched opponents from the cities, towns and villages of Westchester County as well as the Bronx.  "The mission of the Manhattan Soccer Club," we state,  "is to develop competitive youth teams by giving every player the opportunity to excel at soccer and to build positive character and promote principles of fair play by providing an enjoyable, fair and high quality soccer program." In short, our Club is for the player who wants to take his or her game to their next level in a supportive, caring environment, with the benefit of experienced coaching. We work hard. We have great kids. We have a lot of fun!
When are practices and games?

WYSL games take place on Sunday afternoons in the fall and the spring. Teams normally practice twice weekly during the seasons and once weekly during the winter as pre-season training. Our teams employ paid coaches, who have vast soccer experience and train our players in skills and game play. Our teams also enter at least one tournament each season, which are a highlight for our children and their parents.

Where are the games and how do we get there? 

This is another fun part of travel soccer.  Home games are usually on Randall’s Island, which you get to via the Robert F. Kennedy (Triborough) Bridge. Away games are spread throughout lower Westchester -- Scarsdale, Larchmont, etc.  Typically rides are organized among the parents with cars.  A travel coordinator is a great job for a parent on the team.

What costs are involved?

Costs are shared by the parents on the team. Fundraising augments parent contributions. Teams keep an account within the Club treasury. A reasonable budget for a typical team is around $700-800 per player per season, or approximately $1500 per year. This number can vary each season, depending on the age group, the number of tournaments played, etc. This includes Club and League registration, a uniform, gym space and coach expenses. By Club rules, however, no player is ever denied a spot because of inability to pay. Scholarships are available.

How many players make the team? 

In the U9 - U11 divisions, teams play nine v. nine and the Club usually fields three teams in each age group for both boys and girls, with rosters of between 10-12 players per team. These teams are organized by skill.  There are one "A" level and two "B" level squads in each age group.  In order for 30-36 players to be chosen from each gender, however, we need to be certain that there are enough qualified players and supporting volunteers.  At a minimum, each team needs one parent assistant coach and one manager. U12 divisions and above play 11 v. 11 and we typically have two teams  -- an "A" and a "B" -- for both boys and girls, with 13-16 players on each roster.

What are the tryouts like? 

This is frankly the most difficult part of organizing a competitive soccer club. It is not possible for us to accept all of the players who tryout.  But we believe our process is as fair and impartial as we can make it.  The Club arranges for experienced soccer trainers to run the tryout.  None of these people are affiliated with the West Side Soccer League (where a significant number of our players come to us from).  After a registration and warm up period, the tryout consists of drills followed by small-sided games. Your child will be wearing a number and his or her progress will be evaluated throughout the tryout. Parents are NOT allowed to participate in the tryout and must keep a reasonable distance away from the action. After the tryout, the evaluators meet and decide which of the candidates they would like to see again. Criteria include all the facets that make up good soccer players: speed, quickness, agility, game awareness and technical skill.  (This is a very general list, and all these elements will probably not be very relevant to the younger players trying out.)  Evaluations from the parent coaches in the Westside League may also be considered.