Objective:
The Mt. Pleasant Soccer Club is a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides young athletes an opportunity to hone their soccer skills through competitive travel league matches.
How is a travel league different from recreational soccer?
A travel team or “select” team offers boys and girls, ages 8 thru 18, a competitive environment to play matches against teams in the Mid-Michigan area. Opponents typically fall within an hour and a half radius and are fielded from cities such as Midland, Saginaw, Flint, Frankenmuth, Flushing, Goodrich, Owosso and Grand Blanc.
How are players selected?
Select team members are chosen through a try-out process, which are typically held in mid June. Sometimes there are supplemental try-outs in the winter to fill open spots for the spring season.
How long is the commitment?
Select soccer is a two season commitment and requires members to commit to playing in the fall and spring. Players must re-qualify for a roster spot each year at try-outs.
Where does the club practice and play their matches?
Training and match play occurs at Horizon Park. The park is located at 1535 Sweeney Street and is few blocks to the southeast of Mt Pleasant High School. The soccer fields at the 22.5 acre park are maintained by the Club and paid for through club fees in coordination with Mt Pleasant High School.
Does the club play in tournaments?
Tournaments are played above and beyond the select league scheduled matches. The decision for a specific team to enter into a tournament is based upon the availability and interest of the players and their families. Typical entry fee per player is $30-35 and is an added expense above club fees. Each team will enter into a variety of tournaments over the course of a fall and spring cycle. Entire club participation is encouraged for the Petoskey tournament that annually occurs over Father’s Day weekend in June. Hotel, travel and meal expenses are the responsibility of each player as tournaments can span over two days.
What qualifications do the coaches have?
Xtreme Soccer coaches are licensed for their specific age bracket. Licensing is administered through the Michigan Youth Soccer Association. All coaches, assistants and club mangers must pass a State of Michigan background check.
How often and how long do players practice?
Official practice typically begins at the beginning of August for fall season and end of March for spring season. Practices will occur two nights a week through the end of the season and usually last 90 minutes. An indoor winter practice is conditional on coach and facility availability. There will be a crossover directly from winter practice into the spring practices and matches.
When does the season begin and when are matches played?
The fall season typically begins the first week of September and runs through the first week of November. The spring season will run from the first week of April through the middle of June. Matches can be scheduled for any day of the week however; the overwhelming majority of games are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays. The expectation of club members is that they would be available and willing to play weekend matches for the spring and fall seasons. Coaches typically will attend a league scheduling meeting 1 month prior to the start of each season. In order to reduce out of town trips it is common for our teams to play multiple matches on one day. For example, when traveling the to the Flint area a coach might look to schedule 2 matches on the same day in that area (e.g. Goodrich at 1PM and Davison at 4PM).
What are the costs of playing club soccer?
Club dues are $375 for the year. This covers fall and spring play league play as well as indoor training.
Are there any additional costs?
Uniforms are above and beyond the club dues. Uniform costs range from $50 to $75. Most players can wear their uniform for multiple seasons and need not buy a new one every year. Players are assigned a number and thus can carry it with them as they move from team to team. As mentioned earlier additional tournaments and travel costs to and from games are the responsibility of families.
What are the age requirements for club soccer?
Our club currently fields teams at the U10 thru U17 age brackets. The age bracket is determined by the player’s age on August 1. For example, a player who has turned 7 before August 1 would play in a U8 bracket during both the following Fall and Spring seasons. Depending on the availability of players age brackets may be combined or canceled depending on player enrollment in a given season.
When are tryouts?
Tryouts for the Fall 2015/Spring 2016 season are currently scheduled for June 2015. Additional details regarding times will be posted to our website.