Our travel soccer program grows out of the community of which it is a part. As with any program directed to young people, its primary goal is to contribute to their development as people, not just as athletes. Only a few of our players will reach the highest levels in the sport, but all of them can grow up to be terrific individuals.

We want our program to be "serious fun" - something to work hard at, try and excel at, and have fun with. We want our players to display good sportsmanship and to accept responsibility for their performance, win or lose. We hope that our players will want to continue playing by the time they reach high school, and that our program will help them learn the skills they need to do that. We would also like to win our share of games.

The kids in our community are involved in a wide variety of activities, from baseball to ballet, religious school to piano lessons. We support that. Because the time they have for soccer is limited, we must get the most out of every minute of practice and game time. This requires commitment and focus (and punctuality!) from coaches, players and parents.

Soccer is a player’s game. We seek to help our players learn the ball skills, vision and decision-making abilities that will permit them to play and enjoy the game at all levels, from pick-up to club and varsity levels and beyond. We welcome support and encouragement from the sideline, but request that specific direction be reserved for the coaches, who will themselves seek to keep it to a minimum during the games.

We expect our players, parents, and coaches to live up to high standards of conduct (see Conduct & Sportsmanship).



Travel Soccer is a Commitment

Playing with a travel team means a commitment for a player and his/her family. Players should consider this commitment seriously even before deciding whether to participate in tryouts. The travel soccer year generally runs from the Fall season through the Spring season, and each player’s commitment runs throughout that period.

During the Fall and Spring seasons, players will be practicing twice per week with a game each weekend, on Sundays. Depending on the team and age group, there could be two games on certain weekends if the team plays in the State Cup. In addition, teams typically attend one or more tournaments each season. These tournaments can require travel within the state and/or outside of it on holiday weekends, possibly including Labor Day, Columbus Day and Memorial Day weekends. Winter activity can include weekly practices, indoor league play and/or indoor tournaments.



Age Groups

Although some communities start earlier, Larchmont teams begin playing in the spring season at the "nine and under" level, generally referred to as "U9". Age groups for travel soccer purposes are determined using a year that runs from August 1 through July 31, and a "U9" team, for example, would be composed of players who will turn nine years of age during that period. We organize two teams at the U9 age group at the end the fall recreational soccer season (see Tryouts), and organize an additional team a year later, i.e., at the "U10" level. In general, we do not permit younger players to "play up" on older teams, although rare exceptions are made for players at older age levels. See "Playing Up an Age Group" under Other Policies below.

Larchmont travel teams play in the Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL). LJSL and the WYSL conform to the age categories as established by the United States Soccer Federation. For the 2008-2009 school year, these are:

U14: Born 8/1/94 to 7/31/95
U13: Born 8/1/95 to 7/31/96
U12: Born 8/1/96 to 7/31/97
U11: Born 8/1/97 to 7/31/98
U10: Born 8/1/98 to 7/31/99
U9:   Born 8/1/99 to 7/31/00

For older age groups, our teams play in the WYSL's "High School" divisions.



What to Expect When You Play Travel Soccer

Beyond the time commitment involved, there are costs associated with travel soccer. In addition to annual club registration fees, estimated costs for travel team participation are $250 - 300 per season for training; $25 for each tournament attended (not including travel to/from, hotels and food) and $50-60 for uniforms. These costs can vary by team and your child’s coach or manager will be able to give you more precise information. (Scholarships are available based on need, as determined by the coaches - see Scholarship Program.)



Conflicts with Other Sports

LJSL’s travel program recognizes the benefit of players participating in activities other than soccer, including other sports, religious or academic programs. For the most part, our Sunday game schedule allows children to participate in multiple sports and on school teams. However, being selected for a travel team is a privilege and a responsibility. Showing commitment to the team - coaches and teammates - means making every effort to attend all practices and games, subject to school sport requirements. It means being punctual, focused, and appreciative of the time and effort contributed by our volunteer coaches and professional trainers. Players should communicate with their coach about any conflicts with other activities. Generally, attendance at a game, in any sport, should take precedence over a practice in another sport (subject to requirements of school teams). In the case of a conflict between games, coaches and players must use fair and good judgment to ensure that no team in any sport is left without a complement of players to compete and that travel soccer teams are not affected disproportionately by conflicts between sports.

Ultimately it is up to players and their families to prioritize. When absences cannot be avoided, players are expected to notify their coach ahead of time. If scheduling conflicts result in too many absences from soccer practices and games, players and their families should consider in consultation with their coach whether they are able to make the necessary commitment to travel soccer.

In general, we do not recommend that a child participate in three organized sports in the same season (e.g., soccer, baseball/softball and lacrosse).



Coaches

Each travel team must have a head coach, and most teams also have one or more assistant coaches and a team manager. The team is responsible for providing appropriate candidates for these positions. For most teams, the coaches and managers are parents or other volunteers. Professional coaches can also be engaged, particularly in the case of older and more advanced teams. While we prefer that coaches have extensive soccer experience, human and leadership qualities are also extremely important, and we have structured our Training Program (following section) with a view to supporting coaches who may not have a soccer background.

The appointment of coaches is made by the LJSL, acting through the Travel Commissioners, following consultation with interested candidates and others with knowledge of the candidates. Coaches serve at the discretion of the LJSL. Head coaches who wish to make a change in status should speak with their Travel Commissioner in advance to permit timely appointment of a new coach and appropriate transition planning.

The For Coaches section of this website contains information and resources for our travel coaches.

We are interested in feedback concerning our coaches and trainers. Feedback is solicited at the end of each season, but is welcome at any time. See Coaching Feedback Form.



Training Program

We encourage a long-term approach to player training and development. This is particularly important for our younger teams. Accordingly, we have a prescribed training program for our U9 and U10 teams. In addition to training the players, one of the important goals of this program is to provide substantial support and training to the parent-coaches, some of whom may not have extensive soccer backgrounds.

The weekday practice is conducted by a professional trainer, and focuses on skills training. These practices are often scheduled to begin immediately after school; accordingly, attendance by the parent-coach, while encouraged, is not required. If the parent-coach does not attend, the team must provide a parent at each practice to assist with discipline, injuries, and bathroom trips. Trainers are provided to teach soccer, and are not expected to be babysitters. Their time should not be spent disciplining children or supervising bathroom trips. Parent coaches/managers are responsible for arranging the volunteer schedule.

Saturday practices are run by the parent-coach and trainer in tandem. In general, the "Gold", "Blue" and "White" teams of the same age group practice on the same field, with one or two trainers rotating between them. We also have these teams practice together in order to facilitate player movement between teams and the ultimate combination of these teams when team and roster sizes increase at older ages.

The trainers for these age groups also attend several games each season and give appropriate feedback to the coaches. Trainers for this program are supplied by Golden Touch Soccer Academy.

Older teams generally also hire professional trainers, and sometimes professional coaches. Trainer fees for all age groups are shared by the families of the players, and generally average $200 - $250 per player per season. Scholarship help is available for families for which these fees would cause hardship (see Scholarship Program).

Teams can find a Trainer Database in the website section For Coaches.



Other Policies

Playing Time
Players participate in our program in order to play, not to watch from the sidelines. While differences in skill, effort, and attendance are appropriately reflected by differences in playing time, every player on our teams is entitled to play in every game.

US Youth Soccer rules for 7 v.7 play, applicable to younger players, have been adopted by the WYSL. These require that each player play at least one-half of each game. For older players, we suggest that each player play at least one-third of each game. Coaches have the discretion to vary the actual playing time of individual players in cases of injury, unsatisfactory attendance, or failure to meet team commitments.

Non-Resident Players
Children are eligible to try out for LJSL travel teams if they reside in Larchmont, go to school in Larchmont or have previously played on a LJSL travel team. Recognizing that there can be a shortage of Larchmont players committed to travel soccer at older age groups, LJSL has adopted a policy of allowing teams playing in the U-12 and older groups to register a limited number of non-resident players determined on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Travel Commissioners. At the high school age level, having additional non-resident players may be considered on a case-by-case basis in order to keep LJSL travel teams competitive and viable.

Selection of Players
Philosophically, LJSL’s travel program is committed to an open tryout process, giving full and fair consideration to qualified players. Membership on a travel soccer team is appropriate for players who combine the skills, intensity level, and commitment to pursue a higher level of play. Such team membership is not a permanent position. Rather, each team is open to changes of players every year. See Tryouts.

Mid-Year Transfers
Larchmont travel teams ("A" and "B") are formed for a full WYSL year, running Fall to Spring. Generally, movement of players between teams will occur only at the end of the spring season. However, if one team in an age group has a critical shortage of players – e.g., 13 players for 11-on-11 play - due to player attrition or otherwise, the age coaches are encouraged to mutually agree on players moving mid-year, considering the needs of both teams. The Travel Commissioners should be consulted in the absence of such agreement. WYSL player transfer formalities are required in connection with any such moves.

Playing Up an Age Group
LJSL’s policy is that players should play in their own age groups. In rare cases, playing up an age group may be considered on a case-by-case basis for "A" team players who are U12 or older. Criteria to be considered in whether an individual will be permitted to play on a higher age group team will include the hardship for the player to remain on his/her existing team, and that the player would clearly be a starter (i.e., one of the top 11 players) on the higher age group team (in general, we feel it is better for the player to be a standout at his or her own age group rather than a substitute at a higher age group). A tryout with the older age-group team is mandatory, preferably conducted simultaneously with tryouts of players in the age group, and the coach of the older age-group team must be genuinely convinced that the younger player meets the "starter" criterion. No player will be allowed to play up an age group without consultation of the affected coaches and the approval of the Travel Commissioners.

Marketing Activities
We use professional trainers, and in some cases coaches, who spend only part of their time on training LJSL teams. Hiring such individuals for our travel program should not be considered an endorsement of other programs/activities in which the trainers are involved. As a matter of policy, trainers and other service providers may provide materials once to let parents know that additional services are available, but any distribution of such materials shall be coordinated with the team coach or manager. The LJSL may require disclosure of financial interests of trainers or coaches in proposals made to players or parents if not readily apparent. Players should not be solicited or "pitched" directly by trainers or coaches.



Conduct and Sportsmanship

We place a high priority on the good conduct and sportsmanship displayed by our players, coaches and spectators. Please take a moment to look at the Conduct and Sportsmanship section of our website.



Player Safety

Jean Petrucelli has taken the lead for LJSL’s travel program in addressing the issue of safety on the soccer field. We plan to hold a health-related safety sports seminar specifically tailored to the needs of coaches regularly. Highlights of the most recent seminar, conducted in conjunction with Greenwich Hospital’s Outreach program, are posted under Player Safety in the website section For Coaches.

As a matter of player safety, if the parent-coach does not attend a practice conducted by a professional trainer, the team must provide a parent at each such practice (see Training Program above).

Other LJSL requirements related to player safety include:

• No player should be allowed to practice or play soccer without proper equipment (shin guards, etc.)
  
• Every player must submit annually a notarized medical release, giving the league permission to administer emergency medical attention.
  
• All players participating in any physical team activity (practice, game, scrimmage, etc.) must be properly registered and up-to-date with LJSL in required documentation.
  
• The WYSL does not permit players to wear jewelry of any kind, including watches, bracelets, earrings, etc. Medic alert bracelets are permitted.