Q. What is travel soccer?

A. Travel soccer means that we compete against teams from other soccer clubs rather than within the same community. The level of competition is higher, with several levels of play in each age group. Travel teams practice twice a week, and games are generally scheduled for Saturdays, sometimes on Sunday, and a few times on both days.

Q. How far do we have to travel to play an away game?

A. That would depend on which cities have teams in your respective age group. And some leagues, like the one we play in our main season (Winter) - SFUYSA, group teams within a geographic zone to reduce travel.  In the worst case, the farthest you would have to travel could range from Homestead to Port St. Lucie to Fort Myers. Most long-distance games will allow time to travel to and from at a reasonable hour.

Q. Does this mean that I must travel to those places during the week?

A. No. 99% of your travel games will take place on the weekends.

Q. Are all games as far away as Ft. Myers?

A. No. Most teams are in the Dade/Broward county area. Some examples are Coral Springs, Davie, Hollywood, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Margate, Miramar, Plantation, Sunrise, Weston, & West Pines. Some examples of teams in Miami-Dade County are Homestead, Kendall Hammocks, Miami Lakes, & South Kendall. In Palm Beach County, there are teams from Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Port St Lucie, & Wellington.

Q. Do we travel to all these places?

A. Keep in mind that approximately half of our travel games are at home. This could mean that those long-distance teams might travel here and we may have to travel to Davie or Hollywood instead of Naples or Homestead. You may not even have a long-distance team in your age group.

Q. Are you saying we do not have to travel all that way?

A. No. If you have a game that is a long distance, then you still need to travel to that game to play. If the team forfeits, it suffers a stiff fine. However, keep in mind that approximately half of our regular season SFUYSA games are HOME, and the other half are AWAY. The league schedulers will determine where you travel.  However, there are leagues where all games are played at a designated Park.  You will need to consult with your Head Coach on the team's league association plans.

Q. Isn't the schedule made by Cooper City Cobras?

A. No, the Club has no control over the schedule. The leagues we are affiliated with create the schedules.

Q. What leagues do we belong to?

A. Our boys’ and girls’ teams play in the South Florida United Youth Soccer Assoc (SFUYSA) league.  Some teams may also opt to play in other leagues. You will need to check with the Head Coach of each team to learn more about their Program or contact the Director of Coaches.   Each league has their own rules, but they generally follow the guidelines set forth by the Florida Youth Soccer Association (FYSA). The guidelines are carried down from the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), which has made its modifications from the world governing body Federation of International Futbol Association (FIFA).

Q. Will my child be playing against other kids his/her age and of the same caliber of play?

A. All children must play in their age group which per the US Soccer organization is now based on the child's CALENDAR year of Birth (Jan 1st to Dec 31st).  Travel does not follow the traditional school year like our CCO Recreational Soccer Program.  So, a 10-year-old boy cannot play in a 9-year-old age group.  Some of our teams may have a younger player playing in an older age division depending on his/her ability with the approval of the Director of Coaches. 

Q. When does the travel season begin and end?

A. It depends on the Program and Age Group.  You would need to check with the Head Coach of the Age Group to understand their Travel Program plans and the end date of their Travel Season, which vary depending on the age group and the team.  Many of the Teams or members choose to remain active during their Off-Season continuing to play to play in sanctioned and non-sanctioned small-sided format tournaments in the Spring up to the Memorial Day weekend.

Q. Will I be able to play other sports during that time?

A. Travel soccer is a commitment. We expect that players who tryout attends all practices, games, etc. However, seasons will overlap. If you think you will be playing another sport during the soccer seasons, please make this known to the head coach during travel soccer tryouts. If you are playing in a sport prior to the soccer season, we expect that you would attend all those practices, games, playoffs, etc. just as we would expect you to fulfill your commitment at the end of the soccer season before moving on. It is against the CCO rules to play two sports at the same time. However, we do recognize overlaps in the travel sports seasons. Please consult with the Travel Soccer Director of Coaches if you feel there could be a problem in your child's participation. It would be unfair for the players of a sport, to be put in difficult situations because of another player being over-extended. This works both ways.

Q. Does this mean I cannot play or sign up for another Optimist sport during the travel soccer season?

A. No. It means that you cannot play or sign up for another Optimist sport that runs concurrent with the travel soccer season. If you are currently signed up for cheerleading, then you need to complete you commitment for cheerleading, before you are obligated to complete you soccer commitments. If you want to play softball after travel soccer, we expect you to finish soccer before you start softball. We recognize the overlaps and will try not to interfere with the other sports. Please let your coach know that there may be a problem in scheduling. We may be able to work it out.

Q. How much does it cost for travel soccer?

A. If you are a Cooper City resident the player registration fee for the 2021-2022 season is $350.00.  If you do not live in Cooper City, there is an additional non-resident fee of $30.00.   This payment will be expected upon the player registration date in June.  There is also an additional estimated $270.00 for the standard travel uniform package.

NOTE: It is important to clarify that this player registration fee does NOT include tournament costs nor the cost to play in a second league for those teams planning to play in an extended season.  We recommend that interested families check with the Team Head Coach for more information on their Program.

Q. What do I get for this registration fee?
A. Each player will be registered with the Florida Youth Soccer Association (FYSA) and play in the prestigious South Florida United Youth Soccer (SFUYSA) League.   The cost to play one season in the SFUYSA is included in the Player Registration fee.  NOTE: If a team chooses to play an extra season, (Fall or Spring), the expenses to play in this league will need to be funded by the participating families.

Q. What about sponsorships and fundraising?

A. Sponsorships and fundraising events for teams are encouraged. If your team raises funds either through sponsorship or fundraising drives, it must be turned into the Club and will stay with your team. A financial record is kept for each team's funds. Your team can use these funds for tournaments, additional training, celebrations, etc. If you team collects no money, then obviously, you will have no extra money to spend. Sponsorship and fundraising funds are not refundable.  It stays with the team.   Sponsorship or donations earmarked for a specific player, the check should be made directly to the family and not CCO.  These types of sponsorships to individuals will not entitle the Sponsor to the standard CCO Sponsorship benefits.

Q. Does CCO provide any financial assistance for families in a financial hardship? 

A. To be considered for financial aid, those applying must provide a letter requesting the financial aid explaining and detailing the reasons for the request. Based on parents’ requests, the Board of Directors will study individual player’s request for financial aid. Players receiving financial aid will be responsible for all other expenses not covered by the Scholarship. Players receiving financial aid must return all funds provided by CCO if players leave the club prior to the conclusion of the seasonal year, and prior to a release being given to the player in addition to the release fee. All parents of players, who were granted financial aid, will be requested to actively participate at the Club fund raising and club activities, at a rate of 1 hour for every $ 10 awarded. Declining participation at fundraising events or to volunteer to support Club activities will exclude players from financial aid. We understand that parents may seek to fundraise to defray their children's expenses. These fundraising funds will be credited to the team’s account to be used for team expenses. These funds remain with CCO and the team should the player decide to leave the club.

Q. What else would we spend money on?

A. In addition to paying for the child's travel program player registration fee and the uniform package, the other major travel cost component is the cost to play in tournaments.  These costs vary by tournament and Age Group, but it generally ranges between $50 to $60 per tournament.    In addition, teams may choose to play in a second league during the travel season, which will be the team's financial responsibility. 

Q. When will I know if my child made the team?

A. Once tryouts are held, and players are selected, a system-generated "Participant Made the Team Email" will be sent to the families of the chosen players. This email informs the parents that their child has been selected and will include the final steps they need to take to finalize their acceptance and position on the team. Parents will need to log into their account, accept their position on the team, and make a secure payment online for the cost of the program. However, a coach may approach you at or shortly after the tryouts about making a team.  If you have not heard from the Coach, contact the Coach.  Chances are that the coach either has lost your information or has not decided yet. We encourage our Coaches to contact you even if your child is not selected for his/her team.

Q. How do I tell my child if they did not make the team?

A. If your child does not make the team, it does not mean that he/she is a bad player or person. Most of the time the coach has a certain direction he/she wants to take his/her team. Sometimes a group of coaches makes this decision. The team may already have a player in the position you feel your child should play at or they feel that their mix of players is just not right. No matter what the decision, you should always positively reinforce and encourage your child's development. Not being selected for a travel soccer team is not the end of the world. There are other coaches, other tryouts, and other programs.

Q. How can you become a Travel Soccer Coach?

A. We sure could use you help. If you have that love for the game and desire to coach, or help someone else coach, contact one of our Director of Coaching. You must either possess a current USSF Class E license or be willing to obtain one while a CCO Coach in training.

Q. For travel soccer questions and concerns, who is my primary point of contact? 

A.  Your first point of contact on travel soccer is the Travel Program Director of Coaches - Coach Scott Reid

Q. If I am unable to reach the Travel Program Director of Coaches, is there anyone else I may contact?

A.  You may contact the CCO Travel Soccer Commissioner - Coach Chico. Coach Chico. can be reached via email at  [email protected] or by calling the soccer line (954) 434-2541 and leaving a voice message.

Q. How good is Cooper City’s Travel Soccer Program?  

A. Historically, our travel program has been mainly a Division II or B level program. However, starting in the 2008-2009 season, the Board decided to upgrade the Program focusing more effort and resources in the development of Division I or A-level teams.  To do that, the Board had to change the Program’s methods for training and development.  The Board introduced a Director of Coaches role to help lead the standardization of the Program’s Player Development efforts with a particular focus at the entry-level age groups emphasizing player versatility (no position specialization) & team bench strength (commitment to developing all the team’s players - not just its core members) complemented by more attention on improving the quality of the Program’s coaching staff.  Given all of our coaching staff are volunteers, we began providing our coaches with USSF age-appropriate lesson training plans - YouthSoccer101 audio video age-appropriate soccer training sessions.  The Board also encouraged coaching education (licensing) by funding these coaching efforts.  These Program changes & investments during these past several years have translated into making the CCO travel soccer program the # 1 volunteer-based travel soccer program in South Florida.