Travel Team Registration & Fee Information
Each prospective SVU Travel Program player must be selected according to an open tryout process prior to placement on an SVU Travel or Academy team. The SVU open tryout process shall typically be held during May of each year to select players for the following playing year (Fall/Spring). A limited open tryout may be held each Spring at the discretion of the SVU Director of Coaching and affected coaches between the fall and spring seasons.
The SVU tryout process shall be open to all players and shall give equal consideration to each player without regard to race, religion, ethnic or social background, or economic status. Prospective players wishing to tryout after the team roster has been established may be considered if there are open position(s) on the roster and after being evaluated by, at a minimum, the team coach.
Players may be added to a team at any time during the seasonal year provided that there are open spots on the roster.
Tryout Pre-registration
Pre-registration is required for tryouts. Please click here for a direct link to our registration software. Pre-registration for tryouts does not have any fees. You will only be charged if you make a travel team and then accept your position following tryouts. Please remember your login information as you will need to access your account if accepted to a team.
Petitioning to Play Up
It is the goal of SVU Travel to field a full slate of teams in each age group with age pure players. SVU strives to field age appropriate teams when possible and with this goal in mind, requires that each player tryout in their age pure age group. A player will be allowed to “Petition to Play Up One Age Group” when their birth date is after the USYS August 1 deadline but meets the September 30 public school calendar deadline. In order to be selected to play one age group up with their school aged peers, the following criteria need to be met:
Playing in a Higher Age Division. Players may be allowed to play in a higher age division “play up” if it is clearly in the best interest of the player involved and if #1. and one of the other conditions are met.
1. Approval by the Director of Coaching and/or Technical Director
2. The player in question will likely a) be able to earn significant amount of playing time on the older age group team, b) be able to maintain this level of play throughout the entire season without an adverse effect on the player’s development and growth.
3. The only option for the player is to play on an older age group team since there is no team in his/her own age group that a player can play.
To request permission to try out “up an age group” does not guarantee selection to that team. Players must file new petitions each year. All petitioning players will be evaluated during the tryout process and the SVU Director of Coaching will make the final decision and contact each player with their particular team selection following tryouts. Please email ShenandoahValleyUnited@gmail.com with any questions. Click here for Petition to Play Up Form.
Age Groups
SVU encourages all players to play with their Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) sanctioned age group. VYSA sanctions age groups from August 1 to July 31. Players will play in designated division according to birth date. In some cases, the player’s birth date puts them on a team that is younger than the team for their grade level. These players may petition to play up (per the chart below), or may choose to try out for the team in their true age group. Players may not play down an age group for any reason.
2010/2011 Seasonal Year
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Age Groups
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Birthdates
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Between
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U9
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8/1/2001 to 7/31/2002
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U10
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8/1/2000 to 7/31/2001
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U11
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8/1/1999 to 7/31/2000
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U12
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8/1/1998 to 7/31/1999
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U13
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8/1/1997 to 7/31/1998
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U14
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8/1/1996 to 7/31/1997
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U15
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8/1/1995 to 7/31/1996
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U16
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8/1/1994 to 7/31/1995
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U17
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8/1/1993 to 7/31/1994
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U18
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8/1/1992 to 7/31/1993
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Verification of Birth Date
Players who have not played travel soccer for SVU will need to provide the club with proof of birth date. Accepted documents include:
· Original birth certificate with raised seal (no copies) or the VA “credit card” birth certificate
· Passport
· Current driver’s license, learner’s permit, or “walker” id
· Alien Resident Id Card – Green Card
· VYSA player pass, 2009-2010
TRAVEL PROGRAM FEES
Please note: In the past Fees were fairly complicated. SVU collected all fees associated with league play and coaching. Uniforms were purchased separately, and then managers collected additional fees for equipment, tournament entries, and other expenses. The result was many people paid three different amounts and were often confused about what they had or hadn’t paid for. Beginning this season, SVU is collecting all fees. Managers will not be collecting any additional money from families.
For the 2010-2011 season travel fees are all-inclusive. SVU will not be asking families for any more money for the calendar year beyond the fees listed below.
2010-2011 TRAVEL PROGRAM FEES
U18-U14 Fall only............................... $467
U13-U11 Fall fee……………………..........… $467
Spring fee…………………………. $283
Total fee for year……………... $750
Your fee includes the following: Club overhead, Coach pay and stipend, 2 tournament entry fees per season*, Skyline League entry fees, referee fees, VYSA fees and insurances, team training equipment, field costs, 2 Adidas match jerseys, 1 pair of Adidas match shorts, 2 pairs of Adidas socks, 2 SVU training T shirts, 3rd night training options, and Blue Sombrero costs.
*Teams labeled as Premier teams must pay for their own State Cup entry fee (about $25 per person) and their 3rd tournament should they elect to attend one.
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Payment of Fees
Upon accepting a spot on a travel team, parents must either pay in full for the season or make a commitment deposit and then pay in installments. Because SVU commits money to Club overhead, tournament entries, player registrations, uniforms, etc., well in advance, all fees are non-refundable.
Payment must be made through the family’s Blue Sombrero account via credit card. If necessary, you can contact the Club administrator at 540.383.6341 to arrange an offline payment via cash or check.
Payment must be in full or via the schedule provided below. If payment is remitted late, a $20 late fee per occurrence will be assessed.
FALL PAYMENT SCHEDULE (ALL TEAMS)
Commitment deposit………...…...$200 on May 27th
Fall Payment 2………………………… $134 on August 15th
Fall Payment 3………………………… $133 on September 15th
Total for fall………………………….… $467
SPRING PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Spring Commitment deposit…… $200 on November 15
Spring Payment 2…………………... $83 on February 15
Total for Spring total………………. $283
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Travel Fees explained
From the fall of 2009 throughout the late winter of 2010 the Travel Program Committee researched all aspects of fees in an effort to redefine and standardize costs for all individuals. There were many reasons for the reorganization of fees into the “All-Inclusive” model that is being used beginning this year. The reasons included:
- Removing the burden on team managers who previously had to collect money from families and sometimes cover costs on their own, or charge more money to cover for families who could not/did not pay.
- Ensuring that all families knew the true cost of the travel program up front so that there were no surprises or hidden fees later
- Ensuring that all players would pay the same rate regardless of what the team decided to collect for (equipment, coach’s hotel, team snacks, etc).
- Eliminate any confusion about payment status, especially concerning uniforms and tournament registration.
While the apparent cost appears to be much higher than in years past, please be aware this is not the case. Last year, players who played both fall and spring seasons paid registration fees of $225 per season, $100 for a uniform, and approximately $120 in fees collected by team managers. This total of $670 is very close to what we have now ($750 annual fee). These fees remain much lower than other clubs such as SOCA, Roanoke Star, and CVU who use an all-inclusive fee structure and compete against us in the Skyline League. Please the see the chart below to see how SVU compares to these clubs in price and what is included.
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SOCA
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CVU
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SVU
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AFC
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Roanoke Star
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NRUSA
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Annual Fee (fall and spring)
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$925
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$890
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$750
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Not ALL Inclusive
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Not published before tryouts
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Not published before tryout
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Licensed coaches
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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No
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Tournaments included
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4
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4
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4
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Varies per team
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Skyline League play
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Uniform included
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jerseys only
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no
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Full kit
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No
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Training sessions per week
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2
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2
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2
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2
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3rd night option
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Yes
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No
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Yes
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No
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As you look over the fees, please be aware the Travel Program Committee was very diligent in creating an overall budget for the 2010-2011 season. All fees were researched, bids were solicited for equipment and uniforms, and a budget was created that included Club expenses (salaries and other overhead) so that the travel soccer program (and Shenandoah Valley United as a whole) can remain a sustainable community organization. This budget can be found on the Club website with the other documents pertaining to travel soccer.
As a final effort to work with families, Shenandoah Valley United has arranged for payments to be made in installments according to the schedule posted on the Fees page.