CARMEL UNITED SOCCER CLUB

TRAVEL SOCCER PROGRAM

Overview

Carmel United offers a Travel Soccer Program for players looking for a more advanced and competitive soccer experience. Travel soccer provides additional opportunities for player development and competition, but it also requires a greater commitment of time and financial resources than our Inhouse Recreational Program.

Tryouts & Team Formation
We hold Travel tryouts each year in April or May. Because Travel teams have finite roster sizes, not every player who attends tryouts will necessarily be offered a spot on a team.

Players are evaluated based on their current ability, potential, and the needs of the team. There are separate teams and divisions for boys and girls.

League & Competition
Carmel United competes in the Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League (HVYSL), which is affiliated with the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).

Our Premier-level teams participate in the North Atlantic divisions of EDP and may face a higher level of competition and travel.

The level of training and competition within our Travel program is designed to help prepare players for the demands of high school soccer and beyond. While development and competition are important, we also place a strong emphasis on sportsmanship, fitness, organization, teamwork, commitment, responsibility, and other skills that players can carry with them well beyond their soccer years.

Practices & Commitment
Travel teams typically practice twice per week during the Fall and Spring at facilities throughout the Carmel/Patterson area. Practices may begin any time after 5:00 PM.

During the Winter, teams typically practice once per week indoors at an indoor facility.

Because Travel soccer requires a higher level of commitment, attendance at practices is expected. Players and families should understand this commitment before accepting a position on a Travel team.

Games & Seasons
Except for Premier teams, games are generally scheduled on Sundays between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Premier teams may play on either Saturday or Sunday.

The typical season schedule is:

• Fall: First week of September through the Sunday before Thanksgiving
• Spring: First Sunday in April through mid-June
  
• Games: Typically 8–10 games in the Fall and 8–10 games in the Spring
  

Approximately half of the games are played at our home fields in the Carmel area, including Carmel High School, George Fischer Middle School, Matthew Paterson Elementary School, and Patterson Veterans Memorial Park.

Away games are generally against clubs from Putnam, Dutchess, Westchester, Orange, and Ulster counties. Premier teams may travel significantly farther for away games, including locations in New York City, Connecticut, Long Island, and surrounding areas.

There are generally no league games scheduled on Labor Day weekend, Columbus Day weekend, Easter, Passover, or Memorial Day weekend. Individual teams may, however, elect to participate in tournaments during those weekends.

Teams may also choose to participate in indoor tournaments and/or winter leagues sponsored by other clubs or facilities. Our Travel teams are expected to participate in at least three tournaments each year. 

Coaching & Training
We provide our Travel coaches with opportunities for licensing and professional development. All Travel coaches are required to complete at least a Grassroots coaching license course through US Soccer.

Our coaching staff includes coaches with advanced US Soccer licenses, NSCAA diplomas, and in some cases decades of playing and coaching experience.

Individual teams may also elect to hire professional youth trainers to supplement their regular team training. The cost of professional trainers and tournaments is the responsibility of the individual team.

Teams may choose to conduct fundraising to help offset these expenses and/or may require additional out-of-pocket contributions from players.

More Than Just Soccer
Our goal is to develop better soccer players and better people. Travel soccer requires commitment, but it also provides players with opportunities to develop confidence, discipline, teamwork, leadership, resilience, and the ability to work toward a common goal.

These are skills that will serve our players long after their soccer careers are over.

Team Formation

​​Travel teams are formed based on a number of factors and considerations, including tryout evaluations, player development, team needs, commitment, and team dynamics. Our goal is to create teams that balance individual player development with the overall development of the team while maintaining a positive team environment that represents Carmel United and our community.

Travel soccer is not a "sign up and play" program. Players must attend tryouts and demonstrate the skills, potential, commitment, and personal characteristics necessary to be successful on the team. Selection is based on many factors—not simply a player's current level of ability.

Multiple Teams in an Age Group
When we have enough players to do so, we will form two teams within the same age group to maximize the number of players who have the opportunity to play Travel soccer.

For developmental age groups (U12 and younger), we do not form traditional "A" and "B" teams. We do not believe that dividing young players into designated levels is in their best interest. Instead, we will form two teams that are as balanced as possible, with a focus on developing all players equally.

Playing Up
Carmel United believes that players are generally best served by playing in their age-appropriate group, particularly during the developmental years (U12 and younger).

With Club approval, a player may request to try out for an older age group, but only one year up. To be considered for placement on the older team, the player must demonstrate that they are among the strongest players in that older age group. Specifically, the player must finish in the top five at the older age group's tryouts.

Simply being one of the strongest players in the player's own age group does not qualify them to play up. They must demonstrate that they can compete successfully with the players in the older age group.

This is Carmel United's "play-up" policy.

For developmental-age players (U12 and younger), we generally do not allow players to play up. In the rare circumstance that an exception is made, the player would need to finish in the top three at the older age group's tryouts to be considered.

Playing Up to Form a Team
There may be situations where a team is starting with a low number of players and allowing one or more players to play up is necessary to form a viable team. In those circumstances, the Club may make an exception to the normal play-up policy.

Similarly, if there is no age-appropriate team available for a player, the player may be permitted to try out for the next older age group, subject to the one-year maximum.

If an age-appropriate team is formed in a future season, the player will be expected to return to their age-appropriate age group.

Tryout Results & Registration
Players will be notified as tryouts are completed for their age group and teams are formed.

Players who are offered a roster position must complete registration within 72 hours of notification or risk losing their roster spot.

New Travel players must provide a copy of their birth certificate and a player photo within one week of registration if those items were not provided during tryouts.

Players who do not attend a scheduled tryout may forfeit their opportunity to play on a team in that gender and age group if there are sufficient players available to form a team.

Players who are not selected for a Travel team may participate in our Inhouse Recreational Program, provided an appropriate age group is available.

Tryout Evaluators
To help ensure an objective evaluation process, evaluators will not be associated with the players on a team within the age group being evaluated.

Unless specifically instructed otherwise by a coach or the Tryout Committee, players should attend tryouts for their appropriate gender and age group.

High School-Aged Teams
Tryouts for high school-aged teams may follow a different process than tryouts for other Carmel United Travel teams. These teams may organize their own tryouts, and player evaluations may be conducted by the team's coaches.

Player Development Philosophy (U8-U12)

​Carmel United believes strongly in long-term player development. At the U8–U12 developmental ages, our focus is on helping every player improve, build confidence, enjoy the game, and develop the skills and understanding they will need as they progress.

Our philosophy is built around four fundamental principles:

1. Do NOT give up on players. 

Every player's development timeline is different.

Some players develop quickly at an early age and then level off. Others develop more slowly at first and make significant strides later. Players develop in their own time—not ours.

What matters most is that players are improving, engaged, working hard, and enjoying the game. A player who may not stand out at age 9 could develop into a very different player at age 12 or 14.

Our responsibility is to give every player the opportunity and environment they need to reach their potential.

2. Success should be measured by effort and improvement, NOT by wins and losses. 

There are no standings for U8–U12, and there are no championships to win or last-place finishes to avoid. At these ages, the primary objective is player development.

A team could lose every game and still have a successful season if the players are improving, learning, working hard, and enjoying soccer.

Winning should not be the priority at these ages. Winning will eventually come as a natural result of developing good players and doing the right things consistently. Our job is to focus on the development process rather than the scoreboard.

3. Every player MUST receive at least half the game playing time. 

Every player must receive at least 50% of the playing time in every game. No exceptions.

We develop all of our players—not just the strongest players. This is a league requirement, and it is fully supported by Carmel United.

There is no reason that every player should not play at least half of every game at these developmental ages. Giving players meaningful playing time is essential to their development.

4. Players should NOT be positioned until at least U12 or older. 

At these ages, players should be exposed to and learn every position on the field.

A player may look particularly good in one position today, but that does not necessarily mean that is where they will ultimately be best suited as they continue to develop. Young players are still learning the game, developing physically, and discovering their strengths.

As players get older, there will be a time when beginning to specialize in certain positions makes sense. That time generally comes at U12 or older—not during the early developmental years.

Giving young players the opportunity to experience different positions helps them become more complete soccer players and gives them a better understanding of the entire game.

What You Should Expect
This is what you should expect from Travel soccer at Carmel United during the developmental years.

Our goal is to create an environment where every player has the opportunity to develop, contribute, and enjoy playing soccer.

If your experience does not reflect these principles, we encourage you to speak with your coach sooner rather than later. Open communication is important, and addressing concerns early gives us the best opportunity to resolve them and ensure that our players are receiving the experience they deserve.

​​​Fall 2026/Spring 2027 Season

​Tryouts for the Fall 2026/Spring 2027 season were completed in May 2026. Some teams may still have roster spots available, although most teams are currently full.

Teams that are still looking for players will be listed on the Home page under News.

If you are interested in trying out for one of those teams, please contact us by email at info@carmelsoccer.com. Please include:

• Your name
• Your phone number
  
• Player's name
  
• Player's date of birth
  
• Playing experience, if applicable, including club, team, and number of years played
  

We will review the information and let you know if an opportunity is available.

The next regularly scheduled Travel tryouts will be for the Fall 2027/Spring 2028 season and will be held in April and May 2027.​

Travel Fees

The Carmel United Travel program has a full-year registration fee of $395. Additional expenses may apply at the team level, as outlined below.

Registration Fee

• Full-year Travel registration: $395
• A payment plan is available for players who register by July.
  
• Under the payment plan, payments for June, July, and August will automatically be charged to the credit card on file.
  
• If a payment cannot be processed, you will be notified and asked to update your payment method.
  
• Payments that remain unpaid more than 7 days after the due date will be subject to a late fee.
  

No Refunds
There are no refunds for Travel Soccer fees.

This is standard practice across most travel clubs and programs due to the nature of the travel soccer environment. The policy is not intended for financial gain, but rather to prevent players from committing to a club, having the club make decisions based on those commitments, and then withdrawing after those decisions have been made without any consequences.

Please review our registration policies before accepting a position on a Travel team. 

Raffle Tickets
At the beginning of the season, each player will receive $100 worth of raffle tickets to sell.

Players and families keep the money from the tickets they sell, effectively providing an opportunity to reduce the out-of-pocket cost of Travel registration by up to $100.

Uniforms
All new Travel players are required to purchase a complete uniform kit at the time of registration.

The complete kit includes:

• Primary game jersey
• Alternate game jersey
  
• Practice jersey
  
• Shorts
  
• Socks
  

The cost of the complete uniform kit is $115.

Once purchased, the same uniform may be used for multiple seasons as long as it still fits and the Club's uniform style has not changed.

Additional Team Expenses
Individual Travel teams may collect additional money to cover expenses such as:

• Professional training
• Tournaments
  
• Indoor leagues
  
• Other team-related activities or expenses
  

The amount of these additional expenses varies by team. Teams may also use fundraising activities to offset some or all of these costs.

For specific information regarding team-level expenses, please contact your coach or team manager.

What Does the Fee Cover?

Our registration fees are used to cover the costs of operating the Travel program. The exact percentage allocated to each expense can vary from year to year based on league fees, facility costs, field availability, and other operating expenses.

Approximate expenses include:

• League registration: 17–20%
• Outdoor field space: 12–15%
  
• Winter indoor practice space: 40–50%
  
• Referee fees: 15–20%
  
• Club overhead: 10–15%
  
• This includes marketing, advertising, operations, administration, field maintenance, equipment, supplies, and other Club expenses.
  
• Credit card processing: approximately 3%
  

The majority of the registration fee goes directly toward providing players with field space, league competition, referees, and training opportunities. We work to keep registration fees as affordable as possible while maintaining the quality of the program.

Coaching in our Travel Program

We are always looking for dedicated individuals who are interested in coaching our Travel players.

While previous playing and coaching experience can certainly be helpful, our experience has shown that a commitment to player development, strong organizational skills, good communication, and a willingness to learn are the qualities that make an excellent youth soccer coach.

The most successful coaches are not necessarily the ones who win the most games. They are the coaches who develop players who improve, gain confidence, develop a love for the game, and continue playing long after their time with that coach has ended.

Carmel United supports the continued education of our coaches and provides reimbursement for accredited coaching education.

Interested in Coaching?

If you are interested in coaching in our Travel program, please contact us at info@carmelsoccer.com.

Once approved by the Club to coach a Travel team, coaches must complete several requirements before they can be officially approved and assigned to a team. These requirements include:

• An in-person US Soccer Grassroots coaching course
• A background check
  
• Required online coaching and safety training
  

We are committed to providing our coaches with the education, resources, and support they need to create a positive and productive environment for our players.

US Soccer Age Group Requirements

Carmel United starts Travel at the U8 age group. ​Beginning with the Fall 2026/Spring 2027 year, Carmel United will be forming teams using the new US Soccer team formation requirements, below.

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