FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SELECT SOCCER

We have compiled a list of questions we get the most about our select or "travel" soccer teams.  If you have a question that you do not see listed, please let us know so we can add it to our list to help other families!

Question: What is the process to join a travel soccer team?
Answer: We hold tryouts every summer in late May or Early June depending on the age group.  Participants are encouraged to attend both nights but at least one night of tryouts.   Once tryouts are completed, the coaching staff of each team takes the evaluation information from tryouts and selects the members of the team.  They are then sent roster invites that they either accept or decline.  An acceptance is not binding with any club until mid to late June when the TSSA sets the date that acceptances are binding.  Returning players will need to tryout again every summer if they plan on returning to their previous team.

Question:  What if my player cannot attend tryouts?
Answer:  It is important to at least attend one of the 2 tryout nights as scheduled.  We understand at this time of the year school is letting out and families begin their summer traveling.  However, our staff and coaches at the same time are using this time for their own down time and scheduling an alternative tryout date is difficult.  If missing both nights of tryouts is unavoidable, please make sure the player is registered for tryouts and please put a note in the registration that they cannot attend regular tryouts.  Once tryouts have been completed, teams have been formed and coaching assignments are set, an alternate tryout with the specific team coach will be scheduled at a later date at the coaches discretion.  They will be made aware that they have player(s) that were unable to attend tryouts when they are in the process of forming the teams.

Question:  How are teams formed after tryouts?
Answer:  It is always our goal to make teams from 1 age group (ie. 2014 boys or 2015 girls, etc.).  Our own Academy program was started just for this purpose to help grow interest in the program before they are old enough to tryout for travel soccer.  We also do our best to form teams with a sufficient amount of players.  However, there are circumstances where teams may have to be formed that combine 2 age groups.  All information is presented to any groups that this may affect in advance of them making their decision to accept a roster spot on a team that will be formed in this manner.

Question:  How long is the commitment to the team?
Answer:  The commitment is for 1 year or 2 seasons.  Beginning with the fall season after tryouts and the spring season of the next calendar year.  In this case a participant that accepts a roster spot for the 23-24 season will be committed for the Fall 23 and Spring 24 seasons.  It is very important that a player commits for both seasons for many reasons.  The only exception are the high school age players who would commit only for one season opposite their high school season.

Question:  How long are the seasons?
Answer:  The Fall season begins with camp week practices usually in late July and the season runs through late October or early November.  The spring season normally begins in late February and runs through the end of May, when tryouts are held for the next seasonal year.  There are opportunities for winter play for each team (indoor tournaments, etc.) but this is not mandatory.

Question:  What is the time commitment for a travel team?
Answer:  Practices are twice a week for 1.5 hours.  Days are chosen by the coaching staff.  Friendly games (games with other club teams) are normally scheduled during weekends on Saturdays or Sundays (afternoons).  They can vary between 1 or more games for these friendlies.  Tournaments require participation on both days - Saturdays and Sundays - for the tournament.  Some tournament games could be scheduled for Sunday mornings.  Friday night games are a possibility as well, but not very often.  Teams normally want to play as many weekends of the season as possible with a combination of friendly weekends and tournament weekends.  Teams try to attempt to have a weekend or so off to help with schedules that may change due to rain outs etc. Teams normally participate in 3-4 tournaments per season, with one of them being our home tournament in White House.  We also ask our team families to assist us in working at our tournaments in the spring and fall seasons.  We have our own tournaments that our teams do not have to pay for.  These are the main source of fundraising for our club and we ask that our team parents help out with parking, concessions and other duties that the club needs assistance with during the tournament weekend.  There are enough spots available that no one should have to worry about missing a players game because they had to work a shift in the parking lot.  Volunteering time to help is crucial to a successful tournament weekend, and each team is expected to fill an allotted amount of volunteer spots.  We also ask for volunteer assistance during our 3v3 Live summer tournament.  These volunteer spots are always in addition to regular required volunteer time, but are compensated with fee reductions for their player for the number of hours worked.

Question:  Can a player play another sport/activity while playing travel soccer?
Answer:  This has been done in the past, but ideally we would like for our travel players to be committed to their team for several reasons.  While we realize there are many options for sports and activities out there for these players today, travel soccer is one that requires time to help with team chemistry and player development.  Often other activities require players to miss practices or games and we feel it puts these teams and fully committed players and families at a disadvantage to get the full travel soccer experience and the positive development and results from this.

Question:  How far is the travel?
Answer:  This is a great question we get a lot.  For the younger age group teams, there is enough competition in the middle Tennessee area that travel to places like Hendersonville, Clarskville, Murfreesboro, Gallatin, Bowling Green, and other local destinations are the norm.  As teams get older and they want to challenge themselves with more outside competition, travel can become a little farther out from White House.  Even out of town and overnight travel is kept to at least a few hours away to places like Chattanooga, Huntsville, Jackson, Knoxville, and Cincinnati.  Teams make these decisions as a group to do these more out of town games and is normally limited to one out of town trip per season, while the other tournament destinations stay local.

Question:  How much does travel soccer cost?
Answer:  The question we get the most.  At White House Soccer Club, we want to provide the next level of soccer and keep it as affordable as possible. Each team has their own fee structure based on several factors.  The constant fees are state and club fees and training fees, and then the playing fees are added after the team decides how many tournaments and friendly games the are anticipating to play that season.  Tournament entry fees vary based on age and have risen significantly in the past few years as well as referee fees for other games.  Teams may add other additions to their fees based on needs for equipment, benches, etc. but the total season cost is divided equally among the number of participants on the team.  This is why it is hard to answer this question with a hard number.  We like our teams to keep their fees each season somewhere between $400 and $500 per season.  Uniform kit costs are not included and a whole kit runs around $240.  After the initial whole kit purchase, individual items (jersey, shorts, socks, etc) can be purchased individually when needed.  Many teams also do fund raising activities during the season to help with costs.  This is all acceptable as long as the team as a group decides the activity and how the funds from these will be distributed. 

Question:  How are coaches chosen and are they paid.
Answer:  Our head coaches are paid by their teams.  The club leadership helps set the amount of the coaching fees for each team considering factors such as experience, licenses held and other commitment level factors.  The WHYS board considers all new coaching candidates that the club DOC brings forth after an interview process has been completed.  At the end of each seasonal year all coaches are evaluated by the club leadership and then asked to stay on in their current position or some may change team assignments for the new year.  While parent coaches are not always ideal, we do utilize parent coaches on some teams, but they still have to meet the state requirements for licensing, background, concussion training and Safe Sport training as required by the USSF.

Question:  What level of play is does WHSC participate in.
Answer:  Most all of our teams play at the D3 level.  We have had in the past teams participate in leagues at the D2 level.  We feel the competition at the D3 level suits the makeup of our club and the competition at this level is just as exciting and a great value for the cost to each family.  We hope that our younger age teams could play up to 20-25 games per season with friendlies and tournaments.  That number goes down a little as the players get into the older age groups but 16-20 games per season is attainable.   To consistently play at a higher level would require more commitment from our families in the areas of time and at an increased cost.  We want to keep travel soccer affordable for those who want to play at a higher level than recreational soccer, while putting competitive teams on the field and making sure the most important criteria is met - that the players are having fun and developing their soccer skills for whatever level they wish to attain.

Question:  Who makes the schedule for the team.
Answer:  The coach and team manger are responsible for communicating with other club teams in their age group to schedule games (home and away).  Admins from all teams get together and share information about which tournaments each other is attending.  Some tournaments offer discount entry fees to clubs that bring multiple teams.  While local tournaments are easier to plan for, we ask that the group as a whole be involved in any discussions about a tournament that would involve an overnight stay.  The team manager is then responsible for communicating the schedule out to their team family members through a team app that has the capability of showing schedules, announcements, and team chat functions.  The team manger is also responsible for making sure the team gets registered and paid for their tournaments  and that payments are made to referees for friendly games.  Teams may also elect a team treasurer that is responsible for receiving and allocating funds for the team for their activities and paying their club invoices at the end of each season.