SYSL - Southfield Youth Soccer League

Select Program Overview

What is Select Soccer?

SELECT soccer is a much more competitive level of soccer than the recreational program. Players must try out for the team, and are evaluated in many areas of skill and ability. The philosophy of play is different than our recreational league. Not all youth soccer players are ready for SELECT soccer, but all are welcome to try out.

What is the SYSL’s Select Soccer Philosophy?

SYSL believes that a Select Soccer program should be player-centric. It believes that the best soccer experience for kids occurs when they are playing with and against players of similar ability and commitment to the game. SYSL supports select soccer play because it provides an option for players who have advanced beyond the competition available to them at the recreation level.

What is the Select Soccer Time Commitment?

During a league season, select soccer is much like recreational soccer. Teams generally practice two times a week, with two games, one during the week and one on the weekend. The difference is that select teams often train between seasons or during the time after tryouts and before the start of a season. That means players might be training for 9 or 10 months of the year, depending on the team.

In addition, most teams participate in tournaments, which occur starting in the spring and running through the summer. The number of tournaments a team participates in varies from team to team. If a team enters tournaments, there might be weekends with three or more games spread over three days.

The select program includes a fall outdoor season, a winter indoor season, and a spring outdoor season. Players are expected to commit to the program from the fall to the spring. The indoor games are played at facilities in Royal Oak, Pontiac and Wixom Michigan.

Finally, select teams often play away games that require traveling father distances.

What is the Cost of Select Soccer?

Because of the increased training and development, the cost to play select soccer is more expensive than recreational soccer. SYSL will work to ensure that the cost of its select program is competitive with similar programs. SYSL will strongly encourage fundraising activities by each team to reduce the overall cost to each player.

The registration cost for the Fall 2009 season is $130.00, however there will be additional charges throughout the season for things such warm ups, tournaments and indoor winter soccer.

How Do Tryouts Work?

In the SYSL, tryouts generally have all players on the field to start. Players are then separated into smaller groups, where they may play small sided games or do some other activities. Coach evaluators observe the players and evaluate their effectiveness in the game. Those player evaluations are discussed among all the evaluators, and the players are usually ranked.

The tryout system is not perfect. Sometimes players don’t show their abilities well, or may be timid or less aggressive in their play, or are just having a bad day. Some evaluators recognize the abilities that the players may possess. A tryout process that involves many coach evaluators and a relaxed atmosphere for the players is typically the best way to have the players show their impact on the game so they can be placed in the appropriate level of competition.

At the end of tryouts, a coach from one of the teams will give the player a call. Depending on the number of available slots a player will be invited to join a select team. If a selected player declines an invitation to play with the team, then an alternate player may be invited to join the team. Sometimes, coaches will recommend that the players continue to play recreational soccer or work on their game for another year. Not all players have the ability to play in a more competitive league.

Program Philosophy:

Regardless of the program select or recreation the SYSL overall philosophy is the same. We strive to provide children with a safe and healthy, yet fun and enjoyable soccer environment. While winning is always a plus, it is simply secondary to the development of individual skills, team tactics, team camaraderie, and sportsmanship. We hope to provide your child with the skills and attitude so he or she can have a successful soccer career.