FC Drive | Travel Soccer
Welcome to travel soccer. Have fun. Enjoy the game.
What You Need to Know
Clubs
Clubs exist for players who want a higher level of instruction and the requisite development in the sport. The club offers a philosophy and curriculum for player development and joins together players of comparable skill level on a team to provide a quality soccer experience to each. The club also provides coaches, trainers, field space, equipment, uniforms, and other essentials. Players provide their own soccer ball, cleats, shin guards, and water bottle. Clubs charge tuition to cover expenses and a fee for the uniform kit. Some clubs, like FC DRIVE, also offer financial assistance to eligible families.
Leagues
Each club registers its teams onto leagues sanctioned by United States Soccer Federation affiliates US Youth Soccer or US Club Soccer. FC DRIVE boys’ teams play in US Club Soccer member Northern Illinois Soccer League, www.northernillinoissoccerleague.com; FC DRIVE girls’ teams play in US Youth Soccer’s Illinois Youth Soccer member Illinois Women’s Soccer League, www.iwsl.com.
The clubs pay fees to participate in the league and agree to abide by the league’s rules and regulations. Each league has its own set of rules and regulations which can be found on their respective websites. In turn, the leagues provide referees, games by age and skill level, and governance.
Club Selection by Players
It is the right of every player to be free to choose the club for which he/she wants to play. Players may only register for one club in a league.
Tryouts
The dates of girls’ team tryouts are set by Illinois Women's Soccer League. 2010-11 tryout dates have not yet been announced but will likely be in mid-May, 2010. No club may hold tryouts or actively recruit currently registered players before that date. After that date, clubs may hold tryouts and may freely recruit a player until that player registers with a team.
The dates of NISL boy’s teams tryouts may begin June 1 except that tryouts may begin before June 1 upon written notification to NISL.
Registering on a team
Once a player joins a team by signing the US Club Registration (boy player) or IWSL Player Registration (girl player), the player loses certain rights and the team and league gain certain rights. Read your club agreement carefully noting non-refundable deposits and tuition commitments and keep the following in mind:
Girl Players: A youth player is committed to a team for the entire soccer-playing year (August 1 through July 31) from the time the IWSL receives the IYSA team roster bearing her name and signature until the end of the soccer-playing year for which the team is being rostered (current year). Not withstanding the previous sentence, it is every player’s right to be released from a team at any time she wishes except where the player owes debts and/or dues to the team and/or has equipment belonging to the team.
However, she will not be allowed to join another IWSL team until January 1 of the current soccer playing year. To be eligible to join another IWSL team during the current soccer playing year, a player must be released from her team before or during January of the current year or produce competent evidence that she tried to secure such release and was unable to do so.
Boy Players: Players completing a player registration are bound to that team for the entire seasonal year unless he requests a release. A request for release must be submitted to the club stating the reason for the release. The club then submits the release to the NISL.
Players may be denied a release by the league office if the player is suspended by the team/club for team/club infractions, owes club fees and equipment. All players must have secured the necessary clearance from the player's former club before a release is processed.