1.      Where and when do Travel teams play? NPAATravel teams play league games  in the fall . Roughly half of each season’s games are played in Nether Providence, while the other half are played depending on the team’s assigned League and Flight. Most Travel teams also participate in Winter Indoor league play at to stay in shape and maintain their skills between the outdoor seasons.

Nether Travel teams are also expected to participate in tournament play to improve their skills against tougher competition. Most tournaments are located within reasonable driving distance of WWP, including the annual Robert Urban Memorial tournaemnt, sponsored by NPAA Soccer held on Easter Saturday each year; however, some teams choose to participate in out-of-state tournaments that may require an overnight stay in a local hotel.

 

2.      How far should I expect to drive each week?  Most Nether teams play within the DELCO (Boys) and PAGS (Girls) Leagues so most games are located within one hour of Nether Providence Township. Since teams form for one-year terms, many parents coordinate carpools for longer trips or where conflicts arise.

 

3.      What is a "League" and "Flight"? Leagues are organizations that coordinate the schedules of teams. Teams are each assigned a "Flight" or division to group teams of similar ability and skill to promote healthy competition and development. The lower the Flight number, the higher the level of competition.

 

4.      What is the time commitment during the week? All Travel teams practice two afternoons or evenings during the week. All practices are held within Nether Providnce Townhsip, weather and field conditions permitting.  Plyaers are expected to attend all practices during the season and are discouraged from playing other sports during the fall soccer season.

 

5. What qualifications do coaches have? Many Travel teams are run by volunteer coaches whose child has qualified for that level team. All Travel coaches must possess an F License issued by the PA Youth Soccer Association or NSCAA Regional Diploma, but all coaches are encouraged to continue their education to obtain higher-level certification. All Travel teams are encouraged exmploy a professional trainer to run at least one practice a week; these trainers are highly certified to coach age-appropriate soccer. Some teams are led by professional trainers who are paid to act as the Head Coach and run practices and games. These teams generally include those aspiring to play a higher level of soccer and are more expensive due to the higher fees paid to the professional trainer.

 

6.      How do tryouts work? Tryouts are held in late April and early May of each year to evaluate and rank all players within each particular age group by ability and, where applicable, by position. Tryouts are held within Nether Providence Township and are divided by those teams that play on small-sided ("SS") fields (U-09 through U-10) and those teams that play on full-sided ("FS") fields (U-11 through U-18).  The club assigns  rofessional trainers to tryouts to help in the evaluation fo palyers. 

Once all players within a particular age group are ranked, a committee meets to review the ratings and compare them to the ratings submitted by each team’s Head Coach and Trainer (who should attend the tryouts as an evaluator). Any significant discrepancies between the tryout rating and the ratings submitted by the coaches / trainer are then reviewed and rectified. Once the final ratings for an age group are set the coach then calls each player and extends an offer to play.  Players are given 48 hours to accept or decline a posistion.  If a player accepts the position and then accepts an offer from another team the club reserves the right to keep the full travel fee. 

It is the goal of our club to notify all players within an age / gender group ( ex: U9 Boys) at the same time.

 

7.    Do teams stay the same from year to year? At the small-sided level (U-09 through U-10) teams should expect to have some players move between teams, usually up to 3. Once players get older and play full-sided games, fewer players are likely to change teams as the talent and training differences become more apparent .  

 

8.   How much does Travel soccer cost?  Fees to play Travel soccer are separated into three components: registration fee, uniform kit cost and team fees.

 

Registration fee: 250 dollars for the 2007/2008 season.

 

Uniform kit cost: pays for standard uniform;  uniforms are purchased every two years.

 

Team fees: NPAA Soccer has a reimbursement policy to encourage teams to use a qualified trainer and particiapte in tournaments.  Parents can expect to pay an average of 250 dollars in team dues.  This fee may be higher for teams that play at a higher level. 

 

9.  What can I do if I need financial assistance for my child to play Travel soccer? We never want money to interfere with a child’s ability to enjoy soccer, so we accept applications for financial assistance from any family who wishes to apply. All applications are kept strictly confidential and are discussed in detail between only the Dir. of Travel Soccer and the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

 

10. Can my child play Travel soccer at the same time as other sports?   During the fall soccer season our club expects that Soccer will be the primary sport.  Many Travel soccer players, particularly at the younger ages, play other sports during the spring season, including baseball, or lacrosse.  However, those players who wish to play at Premier levels (A Teams)  should seriously consider their interest in playing other sports during the soccer season as these teams generally expect a stronger level of commitment to soccer due to the higher expectations at that skill level. The coach and the skill level of the players on the team, as well as their relative level of interest will determine the level of competition for each Travel team at all levels.