Is a Travel Team for You?
The East Hampton Soccer Club fields 12 travel teams with
over 200 players participating. Being part of a travel team
can be a rewarding experience that begins in the 3rd grade
and can continue through senior year in high school.
However, the decision to play travel soccer should be an
informed one.
Here are the facts:
Commitment
Being part of a travel team requires a bigger commitment
from the player and his or her parents in terms of both time
and money than playing on the club’s Town League. The
initial registration fee for travel soccer is $165. This fee
covers uniforms- shorts, jersey, and socks ($75). The registration
fee for seasonal play- due for both fall and spring sessions
each year is ($90). In addition, travel teams usually play one
or two indoor sessions. Each session requires a fee
(dependent on number of players on team.)
There is the time commitment to consider as well. Travel
teams usually practice twice a week and occasionally have
two games per weekend. Roughly half the games for a
scheduled season are played out of town. While some games
are in nearby Portland or Cromwell, our club teams play
teams in towns as far away as Suffield.
Travel Team Eligibility
The East Hampton Soccer Club uses single and two-year age
divisions for the purpose of rostering travel program
players, with August 1st used to determine a player’s age
for division placement. Eligible age groupings for boys and
girls are U-9 to U-19.
Teams will only be fielded in single year age divisions
where there are adequate numbers of qualified candidates. In
the event that there are insufficient numbers to field a
team in a single year age division, a 2-year division will
be considered. For example, a U-10 team may be formed to
accommodate qualified 8 and 9 year-olds, or a U-12 team may
combine 10 and 11year-olds.
Travel Team Selection
All travel teams will hold annual tryouts and conform to the
roster limitations described above. Travel Teams in each age
division will be selected in total from all eligible players
wishing to try out for a given division. Selection is based
on annual open tryouts that will be completed by Early June.
Tryouts are to be conducted according to established
criteria by no less than three trained coaches from within
the Travel League, including the coach for the division that
a player is trying out for.
Travel Team Coaches
Travel Team head coaches are expected to have completed club
training as well as training offered by Connecticut Junior
Soccer Association appropriate to their division.
Head Coaches
The EHSC requires the following schedule of training for
specific divisions:
U-9: Club training plus a 1-day module from CJSA (minimum)
U-10 and above : E License
In addition, it is suggested that those coaching U-11 and
above consider obtaining a D License. Coaches are
encouraged to update their training annually (by attending
CJSA coaching clinics)
Assistant Coaches
The EHSC requires Assistant Coaches to complete Club
training plus a 1-day module from CJSA. It is suggested that
Assistant Coaches consider obtaining an E License.
If you are interested in playing on a travel team you
should contact our
Travel League Director,
Diane Rushin
