Travel Program Description
Travel Program
LFSA Travel Soccer Program is available for players aged 8 – 11 years. (LFSA offers a developmental soccer program for players age 5-7 through the Young Scouts program.) FC United North offers travel soccer for 12-19 years olds.
Tryouts
Tryouts are required for all players joining the Travel Program. Players are evaluated during a two-day tryout period and team recommendations are based on soccer skills, athleticism and attitude. All players are evaluated by a minimum of three trainers.
Tryouts are held during the last week in May. Results are posted on the LFSA web site within a few days of tryouts. If a player is accepted to a team, registration is required in June.
Teams
Travel Teams are rostered in June for a Fall/Winter/Spring season of play. Teams are chosen based on a player’s skills within their age group. LFSA teams are categorized as Blue/Select and White/Premier. Teams are formed by matching players of equal playing ability. There is a natural division within the skill levels. This helps provide a challenging environment and furthers the development of all players. Our professional coaches coach both the A and B teams. Each year at tryouts every player has an equal chance of making the team of their choice.
Program Structure
The Travel soccer calendar runs for ten months, beginning with the August Preseason training and continuing through the Spring League which concludes in Mid-June.
- August Preseason Training – The year begins with a two week clinic that develops players’ skills as well as gives the team an opportunity to get to know one another and have fun before the upcoming season. The clinic runs Monday through Friday and practices last 1 ½ hours each day. It is during this time the coaches see the greatest development and growth in the players’ skills. The benefit of practicing on consecutive days provides accelerated skill development when daily reinforcement and repetition of new skills allows for greater mastery.
- Fall Season - September – Mid-November.
The Fall Season begins with a local tournament over the Labor Day weekend. This provides the team with an opportunity to play together and put into action the skills learned during the preseason training.
- After Labor Day, regular Fall Season begins with two practices per week and one game per week on the weekend. League games are scheduled through the second weekend in November.
- Winter (Indoor) January – March.
During the winter months, teams continue their training at the indoor practice facility located in Lake Bluff. Teams have two days of training. The Winter Season allows players to continue to maintain their soccer skills in preparation for spring.
- Spring Season April – Mid-June.
Spring Season allows the teams to move back to outdoor practice and play. Practices resume the 2 day per week schedule with games on the weekends. The Spring Season begins the first week in April, coinciding with the first week students return from Spring Break. A spring tournament is often held over Memorial Day weekend.
- Summer Camps June and July
LFSA offers full and half day summer training camps in June and July. Camps and clinis are not included in the Travel registration fee.
- Game Schedules
Fall game schedules are posted at the end of August. Spring game schedules are posted in Mid-March.
o Girls’ Game Schedule – Girls games are played on Sundays in the IWSL league.
o Boys’ Game Schedule – Boys games are played on Saturdays in the YSSL league.
- Tournaments -
All teams participate in two local tournament during the year (U8's play one in spring only). Our higher level teams participate in tournaments on a regional and national basis. These fall over breaks in the school calendar, typically Veteran’s Day or President’s Day Weekend. Tournaments are not scheduled over Christmas Break or Spring Break.
- Fields
All practices and home games take place in Lake Forest. Away games in the Fall and Spring are played in the surrounding local suburbs (Glenview, Evanston, Libertyville). The primary home fields used by LFSA are:
o Everett Park
o Northcroft Park
o Lake Forest High School Fields at West Campus
- Leagues
LFSA teams are registered with the following Illinois soccer organizations:
Illinois Youth Soccer Association
Young Sportsmen Soccer League
Post Office Box 724
Arlington Heights, IL 60006
Illinois Women’s Soccer League
Post Office Box 68849
Schaumburg, IL 60168-0849
