FAQs
1. What are the new age group rules that I've been hearing about, and how will they impact my child?
US Youth Soccer (USYS), US Club Soccer, and American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), announced that they have agreed to adopt the seasonal year age group formation cycle for its players. Starting with the 2026 - 2027 season, Leagues and their respective Clubs will transition to a seasonal-year system, aligning age groups with a player's grade level in school. This means that the age group formation cycle will be based on a September 1 to August 31 timeframe.
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This change is being made to better align youth soccer with the school year and to address concerns about team chemistry and player development. The current birth-year system has been criticized for creating team splits and making it difficult for players to connect with their peers in the same grade level. This change will likely result in more consistent team structures based on grade level, potentially improving team chemistry and player development.
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For the upcoming 2025-2026 season, we will remain in a birth year formation. The school-year calendar formation will go into place beginning September 2026 and will remain in place from that point forward.
MSC is already preparing for and analyzing the impact resulting from this change. The MSC will share more details with our membership as we transition away from the birth year formation. We will provide additional information in terms of team formations as we get closer to the 2026 - 2027 season.
2. What if my child cannot attend the tryouts due to illness/injury or schedule conflicts?
MSC has scheduled two tryout dates for the 2025-2026 tryouts:
BOYS:
2016 - 2018 (Birth Years) - Saturday, May 31st at MRC2 from 5:30pm - 6:30pm, check-in at 5:00pm.
2014 - 2015 (Birth Years) - Saturday, May 31st at MRC2 from 7:00pm - 8:00pm, check-in at 6:30pm.
2011 - 2013 (Birth Years) - Saturday, May 31st at MRC2 from 8:15pm - 9:15pm, check-in at 7:45pm.
GIRLS:
2016 - 2018 (Birth Years) - Saturday, May 17th at MRC2 from 5:30pm - 6:30pm, check-in at 5:00pm.
2014 - 2015 (Birth Years) - Saturday, May 17th at MRC2 from 7:00pm - 8:00pm, check-in at 6:30pm.
2011 - 2013 (Birth Years) - Saturday, May 17th at MRC2 from 8:15pm - 9:15pm, check-in at 7:45pm.
Players with conflicts for other sports are strongly encouraged to prioritize soccer for the tryout date, especially the 2017 age group (first time assigned to A & B squads) and the 2015 and 2013 age groups that move up from 7 v 7 to 9 v 9 and from 9 v 9 to 11 v 11, respectively.
Players who miss tryouts:
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New players must attend one or two practices for assessment.
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Current players will be placed in appropriate practices after consulting with coaches.
If your child cannot attend the scheduled tryout date but is interested in playing travel soccer in the fall, please contact our Director of Coaching, Lee Glover, director-coaching@madisonhardingsoccer.com and we will make other arrangements. As always, our goal is to act in the best interest of all players and ensure that each child is placed on the team most appropriate for their ability level.
3. How many teams will there be at each age group/gender?
MSC typically fields more than 20 teams competing in the Morris County Youth Soccer Association (MCYSA) and Elite Development Program (EDP) leagues, making it one of the largest Clubs in the area.
4. How does the tryout process work?
Each player participating in our tryouts will be objectively evaluated by multiple, independent trainers engaged by the Madison Soccer Club as well as our Director of Coaching. These evaluations will utilize a rating system whereby each player is given a score across each of the following areas:
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Technique
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In possession decisions
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Out of possession decisions
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Speed
The scores for each player are entered into our rating spreadsheet and an overall ranking of players is generated.
We make every effort to secure the services of trainers not already affiliated with the teams being evaluated in that particular age group in order to prevent any unconscious bias. To that end, players are identified on evaluation forms only by their tryout number.
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Your child MUST be wearing shin guards and soccer cleats. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled start time in order to check in and receive your tryout t-shirt. Please bring a water bottle and soccer ball if possible.
5. Are parents able to watch tryouts?
Tryouts are held mostly at the Madison Recreation Complex, and parents are welcome to watch but are not allowed on the field and must remain outside the fence. However, in order to be fair to all kids and to allow the evaluators space and time to do their assessments, we ask that parents refrain from any cheering and forbid the yelling of instructions to their children during the tryouts.
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It is preferred that you drop your child and leave the field as parking is limited and there will be another age group coming during the time your child is on the field.
6. How does the team formation process work?
The mission of the MSC is to act in the best interest of all kids in the community while still ensuring that the process is fair and objective.. The Director of Coaching will use feedback gathered from the tryouts and from current coaches and trainers (independent of one another) in order to try to get the most accurate representation of each player's ability. This information is utilized to find the best possible fit for every player.
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In certain situations, we may invite a player who has attended a tryout to participate at an additional evaluation or attend a practice session with a current MSC travel team. This may be especially necessary if the player is new to the MSC and we have no other data points besides the tryout evaluation to use as a basis for our decision.
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The objective of the MSC is to have at least one travel team in each age/gender category where there are a sufficient number of players that are considered travel-ready. The number of available roster spots are dependent on the number of teams as well as the individual age categories:
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U7 - U8 (Festivals), 4 v 4 or 5 v 5: team roster capped at 12 players
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U9 - U10, 7 v 7: team roster capped at 12 players
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U11 - U12, 9 v 9: team roster capped at 15 players
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U13 and older, 11 v 11: team roster capped at 18 players
The highest-rated players based on tryout results will be assigned to the "A" team (see note below). If there are enough travel-ready players remaining to form another team, they will be assigned to the "B" team. The Madison Soccer Club does not envision the creation of any "C" teams.
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Note: The MSC reserves the right to move players between the "A" and "B" teams during the team formation process to create a reasonable balance for certain positions (e.g., goalkeepers, defenders, etc.). The MSC also reserves the right to move players between the "A" and "B" teams between the Fall and Spring seasons.
7. When will the Travel team rosters be announced?
The objective of the MSC is to announce the travel teams for the upcoming Fall season prior to the end of the Madison Public School year.
8. How much does the Travel program cost?
Registration fees for participation in the MSC travel soccer program vary from team to team based on a number of factors, including the size of the roster, the age group at which they play, the number of professionally-run practices that they choose to have, the number of tournaments they register for, etc.
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The base cost per season in the travel program is approximately $450-$500 for each player. These fees cover trainer costs, league registrations, enrollment in one tournament, referee fees, field use/maintenance costs, equipment, insurance and other administrative costs.
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Teams electing to conduct additional trainer-led practices and/or enroll in multiple tournaments typically incur an additional $200-300 per player in fees.
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Additionally, players are required to purchase the Madison Soccer Club uniform, which costs approximately $100 for the full uniform, including home and away jerseys.
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These costs are significantly less than what is charged by most for-profit private clubs, which typically range from $2,000-3,500 for the season.
9. Why are you able to charge less than private clubs? Is the quality of the soccer training not as good?
We believe that the quality of the soccer instruction that players receive within the MSC is absolutely equal to that of a private club. The MSC utilizes the exact same level of professional trainers with identical qualifications as those of private, for-profit soccer clubs.
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The difference is that we operate as a resource of our Community, without the need to generate a profit. Our mission is to provide an environment for soccer development for ALL children in Madison, whatever their desired level of commitment. MSC Board members and volunteers donate 1,000s of hours of time for administrative and organizational activities which are carried out by paid staff at private clubs.
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As a Community resource, we have access to the fields and facilities that are already being paid for with tax dollars. We invest Club funds back into our Community for field and facility improvements in order to provide our members with the highest quality soccer experience possible.
10. If my child is offered a spot on a travel team, what registration documentation will I need to provide?
League carding can be an arduous and lengthy process. This is where our outstanding group of volunteer parent coaches and team managers comes in. A team manager will contact you with instructions on how to fill out the required forms and provide copies of the necessary documents. Typical documentation required includes your child’s birth certificate and a recent passport-like photo.
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Forms and registration instructions are available https://clubs.bluesombrero.com/madisonsoccer
11. What is the level of commitment expected of players in the MSC travel program?
The MSC travel program teams often compete in the same leagues and tournaments as many of the private clubs. This level of competition requires a high level of commitment in order to achieve the MSC goals of individual and team development. Travel teams typically practice 2-3 times per week, and play games which mostly fall on Sunday afternoons. Away games can be as far as an hour away in some cases. Players are expected to make every effort to attend every practice and game, and should expect to put forth a high level of effort.
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The MSC enters teams in the MCYSA and EDP leagues for both the Fall and Spring seasons. In order to ensure continuity of teams and guarantee that all players who wish to play both seasons will have a team to play for, we ask that players commit to both Fall and Spring seasons. The Spring season is generally less demanding in terms of time commitment as we understand that kids are often involved in other sports and activities. However, players who wish to play on their respective “A” teams must commit to making MSC soccer their primary sport/activity for both the Fall and Spring seasons.
12. If my child is not offered a roster spot on a travel team, can he/she participate in the recreation program instead?
Absolutely. This is a great option for kids who are not willing or able to make the commitment necessary for the travel program, or for kids who are hoping to improve their skills and try out for the travel program in the future. The recreation program is available to all kids in Madison, Harding, and nearby communities. Tryouts are not necessary.
Current travel players for the MSC or other Clubs are also permitted to participate in our recreation program under certain conditions.​
13. How do I become a parent coach?
Coaches need the following to coach travel for MSC:
1. NJ State Certificate
2. SafeSport Training
3. CDC Heads Up Concussion Training
4. Borough of Madison Background Check
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Please contact us for further information and details on where to sign up.