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Contributions and Memorial Gifts
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Youth and Club Teams Some New Options
As part of TBAYS ongoing effort to give every player the opportunity to play the kind of soccer he/she wants to play, we are making some additions and adjustments to our team formation process for players ages U11 and up.
During the registration process, players in these age groups will have the chance to indicate on their registration form, their preference for playing with either a ‘club’ or a ‘travel’ team.
What’s the Difference?
Club Teams will play traditional TBAYS recreational soccer which means they’ll play in mostly local venues with a minimum amount of travel. Typically at U12 teams will have games in Glen Lake or Suttons Bay as well as at Keystone. At U13, the teams join the NMSA league which has games in Cadillac, Harbor Springs, and even occasionally Cheboygan or Alpena. The trend is to travel further as the team ages and there is less competition close to home. In all cases there are still home games at Keystone as well. Club teams usually play in the tournaments in Traverse City but only occasionally, at the team’s option, do they travel away from home for tournaments. All players are assured of equal play time throughout the season, regardless of ability. Exceptions are made only for disciplinary reasons.
Travel Teams will probably choose to play in the GVSA league which is centered in the Grand Rapids area of the state and includes teams from Jackson, Lansing, and Muskegon, as well as Grand Rapids. There will be several games each season for which travel downstate will be required. In general, this league is more competitive, although, of course there are always variations in the level of play. In addition, the travel team will most likely play in at least one tournament away from home. Although all players are guaranteed to play at least 25% of the game, game time may not be equal for all players. Travel teams will have occasional joint practices with select teams in their age group.
How Do I Get the Team I Want? Teams will be formed in each age group on a 1st come-1st served basis. The first 18 kids to sign up for a travel soccer team will form that team. Kids who sign up later will go on a wait list. If there are enough kids wanting to travel to form two teams, we’ll do so. However, there will ALWAYS be a club team in each age group. If creating one or two travel teams would leave the club team without sufficient players, the travel team will be the one that folds. The only exception to this would be if we had NO players asking for the club option. We may combine age groups (e.g. U13/14 or U14/15) in order to provide as many players as possible with the type of team they prefer to play with.
How Do I Get the Coach I Want? The short answer to this question is that you don’t. If there are sufficient players to form more than one club or travel team in an age group, the coaches of those teams will meet, along with the Director of Coaches, and, under specific guidelines, they will divide the players up into teams. Decisions will be based on equity in positions played and overall ability based on coach evaluations and skills assessment results with the goal of forming teams of equal ability. Players and parents will not have input into the team selection process.
What If I Want to Try Out for a Select Team? TBAYS would encourage you to register and indicate your choice of either club or travel team as early as possible. You will then be rostered on the team of your choice. Should you make the select team, your spot on the other team will go to the next person on the waitlist. If you don’t register early, you may not have an option to play with a travel team if you don’t make the select team.
It is TBAYS intention to provide our players with more choices and more opportunities to play soccer the way THEY want to play. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know by emailing us at director@tbays.org or coachsinger@yahoo.com.
Can I get a refund if I decide not to play? TBAYS will refund all but $25 up until you are rostered (assigned to a team). After rostering you will only receive a refund in cases where there is another player waiting to take a spot on your team. |
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