The Cranford Soccer Club offers two options for players after second grade: Travel or InterCounty.  Both programs offer players the chance to play competitive soccer. The variations in the programs include a player’s learned skill level, the time and financial commitment required of the player and their parents, as well as the potential skill of the opponent.  Careful consideration should be made before selecting which program a player chooses to pursue.

Travel Soccer

Travel soccer is typically considered more competitive and geared for players who demonstrate a higher level of skill and commitment to the sport.  The Travel program is designed to provide those players demonstrating more advanced skills in their age group an opportunity to compete at a higher level, and in an environment where they can improve their individual skills at a faster pace.

To achieve these goals, the program is selective, focusing on creating teams with players demonstrating a similar level of skill.  With the exception of the U9 program, balanced teams (in the case where there are sufficient players selected within one age group to form multiple teams) are not guaranteed.

Expectations
Players must attend tryouts, and placement on a team is not guaranteed (i.e. players may be cut).  The tryouts are designed to evaluate a player’s strengths and skills.  Teams typically play year round, and players selected to teams are expected to participate in both the spring and fall seasons. Players selected for Travel Teams purchase their uniforms at additional cost, and the uniforms typically last two years.

Players are expected to fulfill their commitment to the team by attending practices and games.  In the fall, if there is a conflict with competing sports, soccer should take priority.  In the spring, the Club understands that soccer competes with other sports, and coaches are instructed to do their best to allow players to fulfill their commitments to both sports (i.e. baseball, softball, lacrosse, etc.)

Players also need to be ‘carded’, requiring a copy of their birth certificate be submitted and additional forms filled out by the parents. The cards are checked at the beginning of each game to verify that the player is listed on the roster, and for disciplinary purposes (in cases of red or yellow cards issued).

Age Groups/Flighting
The Divisions begin with at U9 age group (Under 9 years old) and extend to U14 for fall/spring season teams.  U15 and up are available in the spring only. Standings are kept for U11 and up.  Standings are not kept for U9 and U10 divisions.

Travel teams are assigned to a ‘flight’, with One (1) being the highest level. Flighting is done to ensure that the teams are grouped according to strength. This is done to ensure that players are not playing against competition much stronger or weaker than their team is. There always is a possibility of a team being ‘flighted’ incorrectly, either being assigned to a weaker or stronger flight than they should have been.  When that happens, it is corrected the following season by moving the team either to a higher or lower flight.

Travel Season
The Travel season consists of 10 games. Travel games are typically played on Sundays between 11:30 am and late afternoon. Occasionally, Saturday games are scheduled. Saturdays also need to be left open for make-up games.  In addition, many teams choose to play in tournaments, usually in the beginning or at the end of the season.  Tournaments usually consist of four games played over a weekend.  Many tournaments are now offering one day events. Tournaments are the decision of the coach and parents, and the cost of a tournament is the responsibility of the team.

Travel teams typically hold two practices each week during the season. One practice is with a trainer (an additional expense paid for by the players), working primarily on improving the players skills, and one is with the coach and is considered more of a team practice.  More competitive teams may hold additional practices.

The teams in the Travel program participate in the MidNJ travel league, and the teams should expect to ‘travel’ to game destinations up to one hour each way.  Consider that at least half the games are away games, and a team can play an away game in a town close by (e.g. Westfield) or one hour away (e.g. East Windsor, Hunterdon).  On average, travel time is usually around one half hour.

Travel Summary
Overall, players intending to tryout for Travel should demonstrate above average soccer skills, a higher level of commitment to the sport, and the desire to achieve an even higher level of skill.  Parents should be prepared for the additional time and cost of traveling to out of town games, and thoroughly understand the level of commitment to games and practices that a successful Travel program requires.

InterCounty

The Intercounty program provides an environment for players of varying skill levels to play competitive soccer against teams from other towns without the financial or time commitment required by the Travel program.

There are no tryouts, and all players who register on time are assigned to teams. Carded Travel players and Varsity players are not permitted to participate on any InterCounty team (Freshman and Junior Varsity players are permitted).  Players can participate in fall only, spring only, or both fall and spring seasons. Uniforms are provided by the club as part of the registration fee.

Expectations
The program is focused on providing competitive soccer for players of varying skill levels.  To achieve this goal, an attempt is made to create balanced teams from the available talent to ensure that all teams within an age group have the opportunity to be competitive.

Parents are reminded that this is competitive soccer, and that the players are expected to fully participate in the program with the intent to better understand the game and improve their skills.  As everyone who registers is assigned to a team (no one is ‘cut’), it is unfair to the player and to their team if the player is not interested in playing.  The coaches will take the time to help a player improve, but the player must want to be involved.

Age Groups/Divisions
The divisions include U10, U12, U14 and U17. Teams are grouped within a division by relative strength (as evaluated by representatives) as developing, average, or advanced. When there are a sufficient number of teams, most divisions are split into two divisions (developing and average/advanced). This allows teams to compete with teams of similar skill levels, reducing the chance that weaker teams will get ‘blown out’ by stronger teams, and gives teams that are competitive a chance to be challenged. There are rules in place to limit the goal differential within a game to a maximum of six goals (i.e., a team should not beat their opponent by more than 6 goals).

InterCounty Season
The InterCounty Youth Soccer League (ICYSL) consists of teams from clubs/towns within Middlesex, Union, and Essex counties.  The U10 teams play 10 games per season.  U12-U17 teams play 10 – 11 games per season: 8 regular season games, and 2-3 playoff/consolation games.  Half of the games at home, half away.  The maximum travel time to away games is typically 30 minutes (Edison, Colonia, South Orange).

Standings are maintained for U12 and up (no standings are kept for the U10 division), and a teams standing at the end of the regular season determines it participation in the playoff/consolation games.  Trophies are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the playoff games.

Coaches conduct one or more practices per week, depending on the team. Teams can hire a trainer at an additional cost to the players. The decision to use a trainer is up to the coach and the team. As with any team sport, players are expected to attend all practices.

InterCounty Summary
InterCounty offers competitive soccer, but with fewer restrictions.  While players are expected to attend all scheduled games, it is understood that soccer might not be each player’s priority.  With this understanding, games are typically scheduled around conflicting sports (i.e., baseball and softball in the spring) where soccer is typically not the primary sport in that season.

AT A GLANCE