Here are answers to some common questions related to travel teams:
Question: / What are Travel Teams?
Answer: / A Travel Team is a group of players from Worcester Youth that are put together by age to compete against area town teams. We play against teams only in Worcester County. The players are selected for each team after a tryout process. It is a wonderful opportunity for players to be challenged against similarly skilled teams. Travel teams are placed as to the players' skills. The more competitive players are typically picked to play for the Division 1 team, the players striving to improve their skills but are not quite ready for Division 1 are placed on a Division 2 team. And those players who are looking for less competitive matches, could be placed on the Division 3 teams. Technical expertise
- Implementation of tactics
- Coachability
- Level of fitness
- Wins or losses are tracked
- Playoffs at end of season (spring season only)
- Winner of playoffs qualifies for MTOC(Massachusetts Tournament of Champions) - spring season only Traveling teams play at a much higher level of competition and require a higher level of commitment to both practices and games.
Question: / What is the length of the season?
Answer: / The fall season is usually 8 games in length. The season begins the first weekend after Labor Day & ends by the first weekend in November. The spring season is also 8 games long and playoffs at the end of the season for those teams that qualify. The spring season usually starts the first weekend in April & goes to the first weekend in June (playoffs follow). Weather & fields conditions usually affect spring schedule changing the beginning part of the schedule.
Question: / How are player’s chosen?
Answer: / Players for the U10 through U14 age levels are chosen after they participate in a tryout. The tryouts are held toward the end of the previous season. The director of coaching runs the tryouts, while other coaches evaluate the talent at each age level. All chosen coaches must have a minimum required coaching license from the state association, as determined by the board. All players must participate in tryouts that are scheduled unless granted a waiver from the league president. Players are typically notified by the coach within six weeks of the tryout. For U10 players who are not chosen for a travel team will go into the Rec. division pool. If parents choose not to have their child play for a Rec. Division team then they must request a refund by the assigned deadline. All U14 age group players will be assigned to a team depending on the skill exhibited at the tryout and the number of coaches available. There are no tryouts for U16/18s, however, players must be registered before the draft, which usually occurs a month after the tryout.
Question: / Can I choose what team my child plays on?
Answer: / As we get into tougher competition, coaches need the ability to put together the best team they can. Therefore, we do not honor coach/team requests from players and parents. Once players have been notified as to what team they have been assigned to, if for some reason they choose not to play for that team the player and their parent/guardian must notify the coach in writing (e-mail is acceptable) within 1 week of finding out what team you have been assigned to. The player will be removed from that squad and placed upon a wait list if desired or can have their fee less $10.00 for administrative costs refunded to them. If the player is placed upon the wait list they may get added to another team should an opening become available. If no opening appears by the start of the season or not enough coaches or players exist to create another team those players still on the wait list will have their fee refunded to them less the $10.00 administrative fee costs.
Question: / Why is the league not holding tryouts for the spring season?
Answer: / In order to create greater team chemistry, the league along with its coaches have decided to keep teams largely together from the fall to the spring season. There is always a feeling-out period during the fall where coaches can ascertain whether players where placed at the appropriate skill level. So there could be instances where a player is moved up or down to another team. This is all in hopes of creating competitive teams at all skill levels.
Question: / Who oversees Worcester Youth Soccer travel divisions?
Answer: / The Midland Area Youth Soccer (MAYS) league. This organization assigns refs and creates the schedules. MAYS has its own board of directors along with town reps from each town that is a part of the league. MAYS offers three divisions for U10s and older: Division 1 for the competitive players who show great skill; Division 2 for the competitive players who are on cusp of greatness but just need a bit more work; and Division 3 which is comparable to wysl's in-house league.
Question: / What is the league's playing-up policy?
Answer: / The travel director, coaches and player development director and the coaches rep to the board assess the players in a tryout. The majority rules among these three. A player cannot play up to a Division 3 team. There must be clear signs of expertise in skill for a player to move up. If a parent does not agree with the group's assessment, they are able to appeal to the league's vice president.