Travel League FAQ

Team Practices:

Travel League teams have two practices per week, each practice is 1.5 hours. The team practices are led by the assigned professional trainer with or without the help of the parent coach. The practice schedule is created by our head Challenger Coach with Challenger resources being the main consideration while considering the preferences of the parent coach. Generally, boys practice M/W and girls practice T/Th. Several other factors are involved in creating the practice schedule and therefore not determined by parents or parent coaches. EGSA and Challenger may alter this schedule based on Challenger resources for the season. See the Travel Practice Schedule Policies below for more details.

Games:

Travel League games are scheduled by SuperLiga RI on weekends. After the initial game schedule is release, the parent coach is given a game change period when they can ask the opposing team to adjust the game day and time according to preference and player availability. Rescheduled games can be played on weekdays. Parent Coaches communicate schedules to teams after the game change period. Games that are missed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances will be made-up, unless forfeited.

Players are responsible for the purchase of EGSA-specific training, home, and away uniforms. The Travel Director disseminates information about uniforms.

EGSA's top priority is the safety of our players, coaches, and families. We also strive to protect the fields, which are, generously, provided to us by the town of East Greenwich. Sometimes, the weather changes quickly over the course of a game or practice and it calls for the best judgement of our coaches. In general, EGSA games and practices will proceed rain or shine. The exceptions to this rule are torrential rain, thunderstorms, or other unsafe weather occurrences (very high wind, extreme cold or heat, hail, hurricanes, etc). Regarding thunderstorms, at the first sight of lightening or the first sound of thunder, our coaches will instruct players to take shelter. Coaches and players must then wait 30 minutes from the last occurrence of lightning or thunder until the game or practice may resume. If conditions are determined to be unsafe for an indeterminate period of time, the coach may decide to dismiss the players for the remainder of the session. In the event of cancellations of games or practices/clinics, EGSA will make its best effort to inform parents of the affected players as soon as possible via email. You can also expect to hear from coaches regarding cancellations. We, rarely, makeup games for the House League due to holidays, school schedules, and lack of field availability. Travel League coaches will be prompted to schedule makeup games by SuperLiga.

EGSA strives to conduct player evaluations for Travel Teams in a manner that is fair and transparent. We evaluate players U8 and older for the following school/soccer year. Evaluations are conducted by paid, professional trainers.

Evaluations for EGSA's travel teams are held late in the spring season for the upcoming seasonal year. Spring evaluations have been deemed more beneficial for EGSA as it allows us to evaluate players at the height of their game and prior to summer break. Tryout dates and times will be posted on the EGSA website, our Facebook page and via email.

To participate in EGSA’s travel team evaluations, a player must be pre-registered. An informational email with exact times and other instructions will be sent a couple of days prior to evaluations via email.

Travel League Fees and Policies:

• Travel League players accept team placements for the entire soccer year.

• Registration Fee is $550 ($275 per season) paid before the fall season begins.

• Registration links are available via email from coaches and the EGSA Travel Director.

Uniform purchase is the responsibility of the player and must be completed before August 1st.ils for registration link when it becomes available.

EGSA’s goal is to provide players every opportunity to showcase their skills, while ensuring thorough and consistent evaluations.  During ‘Evaluation Week’, age groups may have 1 or 2 evaluation sessions, depending upon the number of players registered. If more than one evaluation is scheduled for an age group, players are encouraged to attend both sessions. In the event of a conflict, a player must attend at least one evaluation session to be considered for placement on an EGSA travel team. Over the course of the 1 to 2 evaluation sessions, each player will be evaluated by 3 to 5 coaches and numerical data will be recorded by each coach using this form. EGSA’s travel team evaluations are conducted by 3rd party professional coaches (non-EGSA members). We believe this provides an accurate and objective evaluation of each player.

At the end of every season, coaches are required to submit evaluations of their players. The Coach’s evaluation form provides a scoring system in a range of skills. The Coach’s evaluations form also provides space for comments on individual players, as additional information available for the selection process. Coaches are encouraged to incorporate comments into their evaluations of their players. These evaluations are a critical component to assist in making team selections.

The Travel Team Selection process is conducted by the EGSA Board of Directors. The goal of the EGSA Board of Directors is to place individual players at the appropriate level of play based upon their skill sets and game play. In doing so, it considers scores and observations from the evaluation process, and coach evaluations from the prior season.  Placement on an EGSA Travel Team is a selective process. Participation in the evaluation process does not guarantee placement on a team. All team placement decisions are FINAL.

US Youth Soccer mandates that all US-based affiliate clubs, which includes EGSA, must form teams by player birth year, not school grade. Players will be evaluated according to birth year and teams will be formed accordingly.  This may result in teams with players from different school grades.

As a general rule, the EGSA Board of Directors will form an "Anchor" team per single age group (U9, U10, U11, etc.).

If an insufficient number of players are available in a single age group, the Board of Directors may elect to combine two age groups to form the best possible team to play in the higher age group division.  For example, the best players among all U13 and U14 players may be combined to form a single U14 Anchor team, if either age group alone has an insufficient number of players to field a team.

The Board of Directors may also choose to form additional "Rhody" or "United" teams in a combined age group if a sufficient number of skilled players participate in the evaluation process.  For example, skilled U11 players who did not make the U11 Anchor team and skilled U12 players who did not make the U12 Anchor team may be combined to form a U12 United team.

Evaluation Results.  Once the spring evaluation process is complete, notification of the evaluation results will be emailed within three weeks from the date of the last evaluation. Players will be invited to join an EGSA Travel Team or will be added to a wait-list.  Players who do not participate in the evaluation process can petition the Board of Directors to be placed on the wait-list.  Under no circumstances will late registrants displace a player who has already been placed on a team or who attended the evaluation process.

All persons interested in serving as a coach of a travel team must file an application with the Director of Travel Programs and otherwise comply with the requirements for appointment as a coach. The application form is available on the EGSA website.  All travel coaches will be chosen by the Board of Directors after the respective travel teams have been formed.

All head coaches shall complete the appropriate level of coaching certification as required by Soccer Rhode Island. Coaches will be reimbursed for all licensing education.  All coaches shall also complete and submit to any other coaching requirements of Soccer Rhode Island, including but not limited to background checks and concussion training.

Effective January 2017, USYS (United States Youth Soccer) mandated that all US youth soccer programs will group players by calendar birth year to align with international standards and Youth National Team programs. The change to calendar year age groups will reflect the calendar year, or Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Players will have the opportunity to “play up” or play in the next older age group, however players cannot "play down" - no exceptions.

Soccer Rhode Island is requiring all member clubs, including EGSA, to institute calendar year age grouping for player registrations beginning with the 2016-2017 soccer year. Use the Birth Year/Season Matrix below to determine your player's age grouping.