Travel soccer in the VARDAR EAST Soccer Club is the next step for boys and girls who have outgrown their recreational USL  team and are ready to experience a higher level of competition.  Try-outs are held every year beginning June 15 as mandated by the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association.  Teams are formed in the under 8 to under 18 age groups. Travel teams in the VARDAR EAST Soccer Club are trained and coached by professional coaches with an extensive background in the game of soccer.

Commitment
Travel soccer is a major sporting commitment. Travel teams are select teams that compete against the best players from other clubs. Thus, the VARDAR EAST Soccer Club requires a high level of commitment that is consistent with playing at a select level. There are two outdoor league seasons in a travel soccer year as defined by The Michigan Youth Soccer League (MYSL) and the Michigan State Premier Soccer Program (MSPSP), the fall, and the spring and during the winter our teams train and compete in facilities around the area. It is expected that travel players will compete in all seasons.  Lack of participation will affect team placement for the following year. The commitment levels required for the seasons vary and are outlined below. Most travel games for teams at the U12 age and under are played inMacomb county and eastern Oakland county.

Fall  Season

The Fall season runs from late August through early November, although training sessions can start as early as the end of July. Practices are held 2-3 times per week, games are typically played on weekends however games may be played during the week as well. For teams entered in the Michigan State Cup Competition, (only applicable for U-14 through U-18 age groups) additional games will be required. Many travel teams will compete in one or two tournaments during the fall season. The individual coaches, based on their desire to seek appropriate competition for the individual team, select the tournament. Tournaments are not limited to in-state competition and may require travel outside Michigan. Tournaments are typically held on holiday weekends such as Labor Day and Columbus Day. If your child is invited to join a VARDAR EAST soccer team and agrees to play, they are accepting a commitment to VARDAR EAST soccer. Less than a 100% commitment is not fair to your fellow teammates or coaches. Your child is welcome to play other sports in the fall, provided it does not significantly impact the practice or game schedules of the team. It is expected that any conflicts will be communicated with your coaches and managers well in advance so that the impact on the team (e.g., playing with fewer players, being forced to forfeit, etc.) can be minimized

Winter  Season
The winter season runs from November to late March. All of our travel teams participate in indoor soccer training and leagues at one of several venues in the area. These sessions are mandatory. All fees associated with the winter session are in addition to the standard travel fees.

Spring Season

The spring season runs from mid April to early June. Practices are held 2-3 times per week, games are typically played on weekends however games may be played during the week as well. For teams entered in the Michigan State Cup Competition (only applicable for U-14 through U-18 age groups), additional games will be required. In addition, all travel teams may compete in one or two tournaments during the spring season

Playing Time

Coaches are strongly encouraged to balance out playing times for all players during the season. Although most players will participate in most games, in certain circumstances, such as the single-elimination Michigan State Cup games, one or more players on a team may not play. However, such situations should be rare, and in any case, all players should get sufficient playing time over the course of the season.

Positions
Coaches are encouraged to give travel players opportunities to play different positions during their season and to accommodate requests from players to try different positions over the course of the season. However, players should not expect that such requests will be granted immediately or that they will always play in their “favorite” position, as the coach must consider the good of the entire team when setting line-ups and making substitutions. Obviously most players try out for travel teams as field players. However, if a U-14 through U-18 player tries out specifically as a goalie he or she should expect to play that position full time (i.e., 90% - 100% of the time). Sometimes “full-time” goalkeepers will play other field positions, but that is at the discretion of the team coaches.

Monday Night = Skill Training Night

During the course of the season, VARDAR EAST offers additional training to our players to help improve their skills. We offer foot skills training for all players and specialized goalkeeper training for those wishing to improve their keeper skills. All these sessions are in addition to regular team training sessions. These sessions may be deemed mandatory at the coach’s discretion. In addition to the additional in-season training, VARDAR EAST offers two soccer camps during the summer.

Uniforms & Apparel

All VARDAR EAST travel players are required to purchase a travel uniform consisting of home and away jerseys, shorts, 2-pair of socks. The fee for this is in addition to the registration fee and will run about $150.00. The uniform will be used for two-three years. Teams may elect to purchase additional equipment such as backpacks, warm-ups, hoodies, practice “T’s”, etc.

ONLY VARDAR EAST APPROVED UNIFORMS AND APPAREL WILL BE ALLOWED.

Fees
VARDAR EAST charges travel players club fees, these fees are used to pay for field rental, referees, coaching fees for the outdoor seasons, insurance, registration and administrative fees. As you evaluate whether this Program is right for your son and/or daughter, and your family, please keep the following objectives of the VARDAR EAST Travel Program in mind:

·         To provide an environment to maximize individual talent within a team concept and at the same time assist parents in developing the tools necessary for their child to succeed in life.

·         To enable our children to have fun playing competitive soccer

·         To teach the attributes of good sportsmanship toward teammates and opposing players;

·         To provide an ongoing program of high quality, expert professional soccer training for area residents who are dedicated and committed youth soccer players and so that they can become the best players they are willing to work toward;

·         To make it more likely that our players will continue to play competitive soccer at higher levels upon “graduating” from our Travel Program ea. play high school and collegiate soccer.