Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club

TRYOUTS FOR SYSC's 2009-2010 teams are closed.

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The Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club (SYSC) will be holding tryouts for Under 10 (U-10) years old through Under 14 (U-14) years old travel teams for play in the fall 2009 and spring 2010.  All children are eligible to try out for a team as follows:

U-10 Teams – children born after July 31, 1999;

U-11 Teams – children born after July 31, 1998;

U-12 Teams – children born after July 31, 1997;

U-13 Teams – children born after July 31, 1996;

U-14 Teams – children born after July 31, 1995.

The tryouts are scheduled to be held as follows

(players are expected to attend ALL tryout dates):

• U-10 Girls: Saturdays, May 2, May 16 and May 30, 2009, 7:30 am – 9:30 am at Scout Field. Rain date is June 6.
• U-10 Boys: Saturdays, May 2, May 16 and May 30, 2009, 10 am – 12 pm at Scout Field.  Rain date is June 6.
• U-11 Girls: Saturdays, May 30 and June 6, 2009, 3:30 – 5:30 pm at Scarsdale Middle School. Rain date is June 13.
• U-11 Boys: Saturdays, May 30 and June 6, 2009, 5:30 – 7:30 pm at Scarsdale Middle School. Rain date is June 13.
• U-12 Girls: Saturdays, May 30 and June 6, 2009, 3:30 – 5:30 pm at Scarsdale Middle School. Rain date is June 13.
• U-12 Boys: Saturdays, May 30 and June 6, 2009, 5:30 – 7:30 pm at Scarsdale Middle School. Rain date is June 13.
• U-13 Girls: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 3:30 – 5 pm at SCOUT FIELD (change of location). Rain date is June 4.
• U-13 Boys: Friday, May 29, 2009, 3:30 – 5 pm at Scout Field.  Rain date is June 5.
• U-14 Girls: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 5 – 6:30 pm at Scout Field.  Rain date is June 4.
• U-14 Boys: Friday, May 29, 2009, 5 – 6:30 pm at SCOUT FIELD (change of location).  Rain date is June 5.

In case of inclement weather, please call the SYSC WeatherPhone at
914 232-5085.

The time and location remain the same if any rain date is needed.

Players should wear shinguards and soccer cleats and bring a water bottle.

Players are not permitted to wear a Scarsdale soccer jersey at any tryout.

For further information, see the SYSC website, www.scarsdalesoccer.org, or contact Stephen Tatz by e-mail at tryouts@scarsdalesoccer.org or president@scarsdalesoccer.org

Players must register and follow instructions online atwww.scarsdalesoccer.org no later than five (5) days prior to each respective tryout.

Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club Tryouts 2009-10

Travel Soccer Commitment Letter

The Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club is holding tryouts for our 4th through 8th grade travel soccer teams. More information on our teams and policies is available at our website: www.scarsdalesoccer.org . This document is a summary of the commitments that will be required of your child and family as part of a travel team. As you think about whether travel soccer is right for your family, you should consider two key factors:

(1) your child should like to play soccer as a competitive sport and

(2) your family should be prepared to make the required commitments.

OUR PROGRAM

The Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club’s (SYSC) travel soccer program begins in 3rd grade and runs through High School. Third grade teams are organized by neighborhood and do not require a tryout. Tryouts are required for 4th through 8th grade teams. Every 4^th and 5^th grade child that attends the tryouts and agrees to make the commitment will be invited to play on a team.

Starting in the 6th grade, the ability of travel teams to accommodate all children who want to play is dependent on 1) the numbers of children who register for the tryouts and have previously demonstrated their commitments to the program and their teams, 2) the optimal number of players on a team and 3) the maximum number of players allowed on a team, as defined by our league, the Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL).

Scarsdale travel teams are organized on the basis of grade, although many other Westchester towns organize their travel teams by age.

TRYOUTS

Attendance at tryouts is mandatory for inclusion on one of our travel soccer teams. The schedule for tryouts is available above. You should look at the schedule based on your child's grade IN SEPTEMBER. It is expected that your child will attend all tryouts. Conflicts for existing players that would require a player to miss a tryout should be discussed in advance with your coach. Conflicts with the tryout schedule for new players should be addressed to the the tryout coordinator at tryouts@scarsdalesoccer.org as well as to your coach (for current players) . As well, any tryout date conflicts should be noted in the comments when you register your child for the tryouts.

Even if you are sure that your child will be on a balanced team ("C" level team), please have your child attend the tryouts so that the "C" level teams can remain balanced.

The final number of teams that will be fielded for 2009-10 will be determined by the number of children who attend the tryouts.

For U10 travel teams (4^th graders) and older, the travel soccer program represents a one-year commitment that runs concurrent with the academic calendar. Players are placed on a team through a process that includes independently evaluated tryouts, an evaluation of skills and abilities AND an assessment of the child/family's previous commitment to our program. The top level team is given the designation of "A" team. The next level team is given the designation of "B" team and the remainder of the teams in an age group are given the designation of "C" (balanced) teams.

A player commits to a team from July 1^st through June 30^th. The team and the club also commit to the player for that same time period. Your child will not be cut from his/her team for the full year if the child maintains the level of commitment, and if the age group continues to field sufficient players (if players from the age group drop out, it might cause a team to have too few players to continue).

TIME COMMITMENT 

Every family that is interested in participating on an SYSC travel team must have a basic understanding of the commitment involved before having your child tryout for a team.

Typical game expectations are as follows:

• The fall season has 9 or 10 games plus the possibility of a Labor Day and/or Columbus Day tournament.  This is followed by …
• A winter season of indoor practices, scrimmages, leagues and/or tournaments, depending upon the team, and then …
• A spring season of 9 or 10 games plus the possibility of a Memorial Day tournament.

All players should expect to participate in tournaments. Participation in tournaments is determined by individual teams.  "A" teams typically participate in more tournaments because tournaments present an excellent opportunity for the players to get additional playing time. Participation in tournaments requires time and planning on the part of the coaches AND the families of the players.

During the fall and spring seasons your child is expected to participate in 9 or 10 games on Sundays each season. Half of the games are located outside of Scarsdale, in other towns in Westchester, the Bronx or Manhattan. (Makeup games may be held on days other than Sunday).

Additionally, during the fall and spring seasons, there are two required 1½-hour weekly practices scheduled at specific times Monday through Saturday. Practices are conducted either by your parent coach or by a skills coach provided by our professional training staff. These practices are conveniently located on a Scarsdale field.

Travel soccer players in elementary school are required by the Parks and Recreation Committee to also participate in the Village Recreational Soccer program that is conducted in the fall.

All travel teams require the above commitments to attendance and participation at practices and games for the year from July through June.

Please think carefully about these time commitments before you have your child try out for a team.  Anything less than an attitude of full commitment is not fair to the rest of your team.  The SYSC schedules travel soccer events (practices and games) to avoid conflict with Village Recreation Department programs whenever possible.  These programs include soccer and football games in the fall; basketball games in the winter; and softball, lacrosse, tennis and Little League baseball games/matches in the spring. However, there are other travel programs which MAY conflict with travel soccer.  Generally speaking, participation in other sports does not necessarily present conflicts, but for many families there are only so many hours in a day.

If travel soccer is not for you, the fall soccer league run by the Village Recreation Department is another quality program available to you.  As a matter of both village and club policy, all elementary school travel soccer players are required to participate in this SEPARATE program.  This program allows your children to learn the basic skills of soccer and have fun playing with their neighborhood friends without the time commitments required by the travel soccer program.

If your family chooses to participate in the travel soccer program, and we hope that you do, please understand the time commitment involved and the responsibility that you have to the other players on your team and to all the volunteers (board members, coaches, helpers) who are trying to manage a program for over 700 Scarsdale children.  Moving players around during the year when children drop out of the program requires an enormous effort on behalf of your team, other teams in your grade, the administrative staff of the SYSC, and the administrators at the WYSL.

Your child’s prior demonstrated commitment to our program will be taken into account during team selection.  Because soccer is a team sport, it is not enough to be a good player; your child must be a good teammate. 

PLAYING TIME CONSIDERATIONS

SYSC has documented playing time standards to assist our coaches in managing the expectations of both players and families on each team. These guidelines can be accessed at www.scarsdalesoccer.org , click on “For Parents”, click on “Club Policies”. 

FINANCIAL COMMITMENT 

Details will follow in May.