What is the difference between the Premier and Travel level teams?
- Premier teams play in the Elite Development Program (EDP) League and provides an increased experience for teams within New Canaan FC and for players ready for more challenging competition. EDP participation includes a broader geographical territory and a wider array of teams from neighboring towns to larger (and well-known) clubs. There is an increased commitment expectation for the EDP teams, with an extra practice during the week and two games per weekend.
- Travel teams play in the Southwest District (SWD) part of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA). This is our standard league entry for most teams within the club. Travel is limited to Fairfield County and teams are all residency based town programs.
- Both leagues are organized separately for girls and boys.
- Both leagues have two seasons, Fall, which begins in August and Spring, which begins in March.
What is the commitment for Premier Teams?
- Two 90 minute practices and one 60 minute practice per week in the fall and spring; one 60 minute practice per week during the winter.
- Teams compete in two leagues per season; the primary league is the EDP CT Championship and the secondary league is CJSA SWD. CT Cup may be entered in place of the SWD or in addition to for up to three games per weekend.
- EDP League games and CT Cup games are generally played on Saturdays while SWD games are played on Sundays.
- Each season is generally 8-10 weeks
- Two tournaments per season; one will be an overnight two day tournament including team bonding events. This tournament is typically out of state.
- Being a member of a team invokes a commitment on the part of all players to regularly attend practices and games
- Commitment from players for practices, tournaments, and CT Cup competitions, all of which will be mandatory
What is the commitment for Travel Teams?
- Two 90 minute practices per week in the fall and spring
- One optional 60 minute technical session per week on Fridays
- Optional House League games on Saturday afternoons/evenings
- League games are typically on Sunday afternoons, with away games against other clubs from towns throughout Fairfield County
- Season is generally 8-10 weeks
- Seasonal Tournament play
- Fall CT Cup games for U11's and above
- Being a member of a team invokes a commitment on the part of all players to regularly attend practices and games
- Commitment from players for practices, tournaments, and CT Cup competitions, all of which will be mandatory
How are players selected for teams?
Players are evaluated and placed on teams according to the following process:
- Coaching staff evaluates players throughout season
- Players are evaluated during spring tryout sessions (see tryout process below)
- All decisions are made by coaching staff and coaching director
Tryouts
Tryouts are held for each age group during the Spring. Tryouts for the upcoming fall season are usually held in April (EDP) or May (SWD) prior to school letting out. Dates for tryouts will be posted on the NCFC website. Tryouts are mandatory for participation in both the premier and travel programs. Players who do not make a premier or
travel team will be offered a House Team position.
How is playing time for each child determined?
The coach’s objective is to play players in the positions that will give the team the highest probability of winning, in the context that every player will play in every game. Players are not guaranteed equal playing time in either individual games or over the course of the season. The amount of time a player will play will be dependent on the coach’s judgment and the game situation.
Coaches should give all players the opportunity to experience different playing positions (offense, defense, and goalie) to allow players the chance to develop the knowledge and confidence in various positions and to allow the coach to assess a player’s natural instincts and competence in these positions. There should be a conscious effort to provide ample playing time in all positions for all players, particularly in the U9-U11 age groups. As players move into the U12-U14 age groups, the New Canaan FC would expect coaches to begin to have players’ positions become more specialized in practice. A player’s skill level, effort, and attitude in practice will directly affect the level of playing time in games.
Coaches will be given wide latitude on game days to manage the games as they see fit in the context of the New Canaan FC guidelines.
Premier and travel teams will be placed within the highest league divisions that the coaching staff believes will result in attaining a minimum .500 season record for the team. As per SWD policy, teams that win their division will automatically move up to the next highest division. Any team that either wins the highest SWD division or is highly competitive therein will be considered to move into the Premier league.
I am new to New Canaan, how do I get my child involved?
Registration for the upcoming season is typically the prior June, with tryouts occurring in May. If you move to town in the off-season, please contact our Coaching Director for options. Your child may be able to be involved in an off-season activity or if you move to town during the season there may be an opportunity to play that season.
How do I get involved as a parent?
While the teams are professionally coached, we need parent/guardian volunteers to manage the team, pay referees, assist on the sidelines, and coordinate team-bonding/social events. A list of these roles and what they entail can be found here. Email our Coaching Director if you are interested in helping.