CHATHAM UNITED TRAVEL AND CHATHAM SELECT SOCCER (CU)
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
You are registering your child to participate in the tryout process for CU, and to hold a spot on a team in the event that your child is accepted. Registration is for the
Fall 2008 / Spring 2009 playing year. Registration fees are $245.00 for U8-U10 and $265.00 for U11–U14.
A $35.00 non-refundable tryout charge is included in the above fees. The non-refundable tryout fee is used to cover the cost of running the tryouts.
You MUST register your child in order to attend the tryouts. No walk-ins will be accepted. Pre-enrollment and payment should be done on the Club’s website (www.chathamunited.org) and must be completed by April 28, 2008. In addition, all required paperwork must be completed as per the Tryouts section of our website.
Role of Tryouts
For players new to CU, the tryout provides an opportunity for skill assessment versus other players in their age group, and will form the sole basis for assessing their skill and potential. The tryout results are compared against the evaluations of the other players, including those already playing with CU, to determine if he/she qualifies for a CU team.
Tryout evaluators are independent professionals, who are licensed to train soccer. Typically, the trainers hold licenses from US Soccer, or recognized English and Dutch training organizations. CU will make best efforts to ensure that these evaluators are not already affiliated with the club, so as to prevent potential bias in the process. Children will be identified only by number during the tryout process.
For the consideration of all players attending the tryouts, please do not attempt to communicate with or encourage your child during tryouts. This could result in confusion for all children who are trying out and potential disruption for the tryout evaluators. We ask you to remain away from the fields while the sessions are being conducted and thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Team Formation/Selection Process
A database for each age group is created to quantify the evaluations and tryout scores of every member of CU. Tryout scores for potential new players are also entered into the database. The Membership Committee review this input and develop a ranking for each age group. The tryout scores and the annual evaluations comprise 90% of the ranking score, and the evaluations/input from the parent team manager comprises 10% of the overall ranking.
Players will be grouped together by similar competitive ability, subject to roster maximums.
There is no guarantee that every child who tries out will be placed on a team, even if he/she played the prior season. In addition, there is no guarantee that a player will remain on the same team. Team status will be determined by his/her performance as outlined by the evaluation and tryout process, which may dictate that the player move between teams.
Expectations and Commitment
Chatham United (CU) is committed to player and team development. In order for each child to realize his/her full potential as a player and member of a team, commitment is required from both players and parents.
Player development and improved team play cannot occur if players and parents are not committed to participate in the activities of the team. If players miss practices, then team concepts cannot be reviewed and practiced to the benefit of the team.
- Players and parents have the right to expect a learning and development experience that will allow every child to improve his or her soccer skills.
- Chatham United expects that travel soccer will be a priority throughout the year. The expectation is that players will attend all practices and games. Exceptions may be made for health, school or special family circumstances. CU understands that this will not always be the case, but with a consistently communicated policy, everyone will be treated fairly and families can make appropriate decisions prior to committing to CU. If players are late or miss practices / games due to reasons other than those mentioned above, the player may face reduced playing time and may not start in games. Poor attendance can also impact the team selection process for the following year.
- Games are generally held on Sunday afternoons for ten weeks in the fall and ten weeks in the spring. In the fall, teams will practice twice each week; in the spring, practices are held weekly for Travel teams and twice a week for Select Teams. Teams are also expected to participate in tournaments held on weekends and/or over the winter. All players at U10 and below have the reasonable expectation playing at least 50% of every game. This does not mean that every player will receive equal time; it is possible that some players will rarely come out of a game. Playing time is at the discretion of the professional trainer, provided that CU guidelines are met. In addition, at the younger ages, children should play some reasonable mix of offensive and defensive positions. In order for players to develop, CU does not want players below the U11 level constantly playing the same position. Exceptions may be made for players who decide to focus on goalkeeping.
- All players have the right to a fair, independent evaluation completed by the team’s professional trainer, each season. Reasonable feedback as to performance and areas for improvement, at the end of the fall season and towards the end of the spring season, can be expected.
We’ve outlined our expectations, however this is a volunteer organization run largely by parents. You will be expected to volunteer your time to the team and the Club and it is imperative that you do so when asked. In addition, it’s important that we communicate and build Chatham United together. If you feel that your child and/or team is not being handled in keeping with CU policy, please voice your concerns to the parent team manager first. You are always welcome to contact the board and we welcome your input. For questions regarding membership or teams, you can contact one of the Membership Committee members listed below.
Membership Committee –
