New to Travel?

Arlington Soccer provides the highest quality, focused training environment for player development in Northern Virginia. Our technical staff, coaches, administrators, organizational structure and facilities are the best in Northern Virginia.  Arlington Soccer provides exclusive access to a number of leagues including the ECNL, ECNL Regional Leagu and NCSL. We are focused on providing the highest quality youth soccer experience.

Below are our FAQ's:

1. What is the tryout process?

2. Who should attend travel tryouts?

3. What is the timeline/ schedule for the tryouts?

4. How are teams formed in Arlington Soccer?

5. If a new coach takes over the team this year, how will they know about the players?

6. How does Arlington Soccer evaluate players?

7. What is travel soccer and what are its benefits?

8. How do I determine the right age group for my child? Can my child tryout for a different age group?

9. It's raining/ the forecast calls for storms. Will we have tryouts?

10. What should I wear or bring to the tryout session?

11. Do I need to attend all the tryouts or do I just pick one?

12. How many players are selected for each team?

13. Who will be my child's coach?

14. When and where do travel teams practice?

15. Who do travel teams play?

16. How many travel teams will Arlington Soccer have in my son’s or daughter’s age group?

17. What does it mean to Club Pass?

18. How are the coaches selected for each team?

19. How much time commitment is required?

20. When are tournaments held?

21. How much does travel soccer cost?

22. How and when do I apply for Financial Aid?

23. What does the U9 program look like (youngest travel program we offer)?

 

 

What is the tryout process?

Arlington Soccer travel tryouts are held for boys & girls born in 2006-2016 interested in joining a travel team for the 2024-25 season. Current Arlington Soccer Travel participants should not register to attend. The ID session is for players from outside the club or players in our ADP / Rec program who interested in joining for the coming season.

The purpose of tryouts is to identify potential external players for further evaluation. Identified players may be asked to join additional travel team training sessions. 

Who should attend travel tryouts?

Tryouts are held only for players who are not currently a member of Arlington Soccer.  Current players are evaluated throughout the year by the technical staff. Current players may be asked to attend Tryouts as extra training and/or for logistical reasons.

What is the timeline/ schedule for the tryouts?

For the 2024 season, travel tryouts are held in April (for U9 / 2016 only), and in May.  

How are teams formed in Arlington Soccer?

The following staff works together to ensure the proper team placement for the players:

• Current Team Coach
• Incoming Coach (if applicable)
• ECNL Directors / Age Group Managers
• Director of Coaching
• Technical Director

If a new coach takes over the team this year, how will they know about the players?

Over the course of the year, Directors, Age Group Managers and coaches have a weekly meeting to review and discuss the player’s performance and team’s needs on a regular basis. Leading up to player’s selection, each coach provides feedback and an overview of their current players. The coaches from the current year provide info to incoming coaches so that everyone is on the same page. Additionally, coaching staff may attend training sessions and games before the official team placement.  Our coaches have a strong grasp on the players within the age group which allows them to assign players to teams most appropriate for their development in the coming year.

How does Arlington Soccer evaluate players?

Players are evaluated based on the following qualities as they relate to the club’s playing style and philosophy.

• Technical: How well are they able to execute their actions?
• Tactical: Their ability to see (Perception) and their ability to decide best option based on game situation (Decision Making)
• Physical: Overall motor skills (Coordination), speed and strength
• Psychosocial:  Work Ethic, Concentration - Attention, Initiative and Competitive spirit

Our club utilizes a well developed curriculum and we work hard to ensure each coach is trained in teaching and coaching certain age appropriate concepts within our style. As players get older and progress through the Academy, they build on concepts each year as they become more comfortable and confident.This ultimately allows our players to have more success and opportunities to compete into adulthood!

What is Travel Soccer and what are its benefits?

Arlington Soccer Association sponsors a travel (select) soccer program.  This is a competitive program for players with above average skills and a strong drive to develop their soccer abilities and love of the game. Boys and girls that are ready to play competitive soccer, want to learn new skills, are ready to make the necessary commitment to play travel soccer and are ready to be coached by a professional, licensed coaching staff will benefit from playing travel soccer.

How do I determine the right age group for my child? Can my child tryout in a different age group?

Players will tryout based on their birth year. Players cannot tryout or play in an age group for which they are too old. Even if they miss the cutoff by one day, they cannot play ’down’ in an age group.

Arlington Soccer Policy: No player will be selected for an older age group unless the technical staff determines that the player’s soccer development needs will not be met within their own age group.  Players must receive approval from their Age Group Director to attend tryouts for an older age group team.If you are interested in playing up, please send written approval from your coach and Age Group Director to info@arlingtonsoccer.com

It's raining/ the forecast calls for storms. Will we have tryouts?

All tryouts are currently scheduled on turf, so they will be held - even in the rain.  However, the safety of the players is paramount so if conditions become unsafe due to thunderstorms or field conditions, a session may be canceled or shortened.  If the staff is able to determine that a session should be canceled with sufficient notice to notify all families, an email will be sent to all registered players no later than 1.5 hours prior to the start of the session.  Frequently, a determination cannot be made until closer to the start of the session (or during the session).  In this case, the staff will notify players and parents at the field.  As mentioned in other communications, parents should remain at the field complex throughout the tryout session in case of any such schedule changes.  Furthermore, there may be situations where a session is suspended due to lightning / thunder, and players are asked to wait in their cars until the weather passes.  The program appreciates your patience and understanding.

What should I wear or bring to the tryout session?

Please arrive at the field at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the tryout session.  At each session, players must check in with a tryout volunteer at the Tryout Coordinator Station. This will allow us to properly notify the coaching staff of the attending tryout participants. When you arrive, you will check-in and be issued a number and safety pins.  Please put the number on the front of your shorts. Please bring this number to all subsequent tryout sessions.

Coaches ask that players wear any white t-shirt (no Arlington Soccer logos, please), athletic shorts, shinguards and cleats. Players should bring a properly inflated ball marked with your name, water bottle.

Do I need to attend all the tryouts or do I just pick one?

We ask players to attend as many tryouts as possible for the teams they want to be considered for.  

How many players are selected for each team?

Different age groups in travel soccer play with different game formats—and have different roster sizes. Coaches usually carry fewer players than the maximum allowed—optimizing players’ playing time in games. The following are the roster sizes for the different age groups in the Arlington Soccer's Tavel soccer program.

(9U) & (10U) Teams	7 vs. 7 game format	10-12 players on each team
(11U) & (12U) Teams	9 vs.9 game format	12-16 players on each team
(13U) – (15U) Teams	11 vs. 11 game format	16-18 players on each team
(16U) – (19U) Teams	11 vs. 11 game format	16-22 players on each team

Who will be my child's coach?

Coaching assignments will be posted here prior to the start of tryouts.

When and where do travel teams practice?

The club is allocated fields throughout Arlington by the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). These fields are then assigned to travel teams based on team needs and coach preference. Each travel team will have a different practice schedule.

Travel teams generally practice a minimum of twice a week during the season, for 1.25 to 1.5 hours per practice. Other programs for player development are also available to players within the travel club.

Who do travel teams play?

The club will determine the placement of each team in the appropriate league. Each league determines participation and divisional standings based on a team’s results during each season.

How many travel teams will Arlington Soccer have in my son’s or daughter’s age group?

The number of travel teams formed in an age group will depend on the number of players who try out and their ability levels. Arlington Soccer will generally form six teams in the 9U and 10U age groups and five teams in 11U and 12U age groups for each gender. In the 13U and 16U age group Arlington Soccer strives to form two to three teams per gender and for the 17U and 19U ASA will usually have one or two teams per gender. These teams are tiered, according to ability, as an ’A’ team and a ’B’ team.

What does it mean to club pass?

Arlington Soccer players have the opportunity to use the 'club pass' to play with other teams in the club during league games and tournaments.  The Arlington Soccer technical staff uses this option to contribute to player development by providing opportunities with different teams within the club.  Designed to improve learning and development, the club pass will assist balanced competition with, and against, like skilled and like-motivated players. 

How are the coaches selected for each team?

Arlington Soccer employs a licensed, professional coaching staff which is under the supervision of the club’s Directors of Travel Coaching (DOTC). All coaches are hired and paid by Arlington Soccer. The coaches work for the club and are placed on teams to benefit the development of each player. The coaching staff is evaluated each year by the DOCs and the Age Group Directors (AGDs) and may be rotated among the teams for maximum player development benefits. A complete list of the program’s coaching staff, and credentials is available on the Arlington Soccer website under Travel.

How much time commitment is required?

For most teams, the fall season begins in mid-August and goes until mid-November, and the spring begins in March and goes through mid-June.  For players selected to a team that will play in the CCL (red or white), they can expect that events may fall outside of this time frame and the expectation is that these events and practices for these events would be the top priority. Typically, high school CCL teams will play their CCL season from August through late February, and may play a spring season. Teams begin practicing 2 to 4 weeks before the start of each season. That means that any other sport should be secondary to soccer training sessions, games and tournaments during these seasons.

Most games are played on Saturdays and/or Sundays throughout the season. Teams usually play one or more pre-season scrimmages and 2-4 tournaments per season, depending upon the age group and competitive level of the team.  Practices are from 1 to 2 hours per session (usually 1.5) and take place at least twice a week. Travel players are expected to attend all team practices and games.

When are tournaments held?

Teams often play pre-season, mid-season or post-season tournaments (3-4 games in a 2- or 3-day weekend). There are no league games on the following holiday weekends—Labor Day, Columbus Day and Memorial Day—so these are popular tournament weekends, along with pre- and post-season weekends. Players are expected to be available to play in tournaments.

How much does travel soccer cost?

Each player pays a ’player program fee’ to play travel soccer with Arlington Soccer. This player fee covers, coach salaries, league and referee fees, State and National registration fees, player insurance, player development programs, administrative expenses, staff salaries and many other expenses. We have a tiered program.  There is one tier for the 9U - 12U players and then three tiers for the 13U and older players. Fees can be found on our website. In addition to player program fees each player pays a “Team Fee” that covers team equipment, tournaments fees, coach tournament travel expenses, winter/indoor/futsal league fees, etc for their team. Team fees can range from $300 - $1000 a player depending on age and team level.

Arlington Soccer believes that financial status should not prevent talented players from participating in soccer. Arlington Soccer offers financial aid for families in need. Many travel teams also do fundraising activities to offset costs.

Arlington Soccer makes a yearlong commitment to our professional coaching staff and to our players. We expect Arlington Soccer travel players and families to make the same full-year commitment and pay all fee including team fees.

How and when do I apply for Financial Aid?

The financial aid application can be found here.  Players requesting aid should apply as soon as possible - PRIOR to the start of tryouts. 

What does the U9 program look like (youngest travel program we offer)?

U9 Team Format:

• 12 players (max) on a roster per team.
• 7v7 on the field (6 players + 1 GK)
• Game Duration:  Typically two 30 minute halves
• Size 4 soccer ball
• Field Size:  Approx 50x70 Yards
• Goal Size:  6.5 x 18.5 feet
• Arlington Soccer typically has 6 teams per age group:  Red, White, Blue Black, Silver and Gold
• Each Team will have a head coach and assistant coach or co-coach.

Club-Center / Club Pass:  Players may be moved to play with other teams in the club on a week-by-week basis

Team Calendar:

• Mid June - end August "off":  order uniforms, summer camp, kickarounds.
• Fall Season: 
  • League play
  • 2 practices plus 1 skills training each week 
  • Tournaments Columbus Day and Post Season
  • Player Evaluations.
• Winter "off":  limited training sessions.  1-2 per week starting in January.  Futsal League and winter clinics may be offered.
• Spring Season: 
  • ASIST (Arlington) Tournament in March.
  •  League season begins Late March. 
  • 2 practices plus 1 skills training session. 
  • Memorial Day tournament. 
  • Tryouts for next season start at end of the season

Commitment

• Year Round Program with periodic breaks
• Practice twice a week with your team/ age group
• Skills training typically on Monday
• Typically 1 game each weekend
• Typically 2 tournaments per season
• Travel for league games is typically in the DC / Maryland / Virginia area.
• Club fee schedule can be found here.