MYSA Travel Soccer Programs

As players get older playing in the MYSA, many want to play in a more competitive environment with a consistent level of coaching and development. The next level of soccer above Recreation is commonly referred to as ‘Travel Soccer’. However, that name can be a bit misleading as the amount of travel involved is usually quite low. You generally travel 15-90 minutes to 4-5 ‘away’ games per season. The rest of the matches and all practices are held here in Mebane. Travel Soccer is also not ‘one’ program, but rather a series of levels that vary by age.

Despite there being many levels of ‘travel soccer’, many aspects are the same for all teams:

  • Travel teams are mainly coached by MYSA Staff Coaches with many years of experience coaching soccer who hold high level coaching licenses from the USYSA, USSF, and NSCAA.
  • Half of each team’s matches will be ‘home’ matches played at local fields while the other ‘away’ matches are usually within a 15-90 minute drive. The MYSA and NCYSA try to minimize travel as much as possible while still providing a competitive schedule of matches.
  • All travel teams practice twice a week for 60-90 minutes with practices run by the team coaches as well as professional trainers from Premier UK. Players also get to face new players and coaching styles as they play teams from other leagues.
  • Players try-out for travel teams each Spring and play for that team in both the Fall and Spring. Note that Select age players (Rising U8-U10) go through ‘evaluations’ as opposed to try-outs, with most players offered spots to participate. The evaluations are designed to see if a player is ready to train at a higher level. Tryouts/Evaluations are normally held in late Spring the week before or after Memorial Day.

MYSA Travel Soccer Programs

  • Select (U8-U10 Age Players) – The MYSA Select program is designed to give U8-U10 age players an exciting development environment as well as an introduction into the travel soccer experience. The focus of this program is player development, NOT wins and standings (scores are not kept in this program). Players do not need to be super stars – they simply need to have a reasonable amount of raw athleticism and a desire to become a better soccer player. Select teams play against teams from other nearby leagues (Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill), with occasional matches against teams from Southern Pines or Fayetteville. Click here for more details.
  • Challenge (The MYSA does not currently field Challenge teams) – Challenge soccer is sort of a ‘bridge’ level between Recreation and Classic level soccer. Teams still travel to half their matches and receive the same development and training as Select and Classic teams, but the level of competition is ‘in-between’ Recreation and Classic. However, recent changes in league alignments have caused the travel requirements of Challenge reach unacceptable levels, so the MYSA currently does not field Challenge teams. All of our U11+ travel teams play at the Classic level.
  • Classic (U11-U18 Age Players) – Classic teams play in geographical ‘divisions’ in the NCYSA Classic League. Teams are divided into 2-3 ‘levels’ (2nd Div, 1st Div, Premier) and our Classic teams may play teams from anywhere in North Carolina, depending on the age and makeup of their division, though teams are generally grouped by geography, with ours playing in ‘Piedmont’ divisions, facing many of the same leagues they would in Challenge (Burlington, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Jamestown, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh).

The MYSA does not participate in the NCYSA Youth Academy program, but our Select program is very similar.

Parents often have many questions about travel soccer, so the MYSA has put together the following documents which layout our vision for travel soccer and player development, as well as a list of frequently asked questions we often answer each year.

If you have any questions about the MYSA Challenge or Classic programs, please contact Shannon St. Pierre (336-516-1234).
If you have any questions about the MYSA Select program, please contact Mike Baptiste (336-525-5001).