Princeton Soccer Association
Frequently Asked Tryout Questions
1. Does every child make a travel team?
Answer: Princeton Soccer Association is a community-based organization that tries to provide every child with the opportunity to play travel soccer. In certain cases, our professional trainers may recommend that a child play in our house league or train in our Recreation Plus program for a year before being offered a spot on one of our travel teams.
2. What is the difference between a Premier and Competitive team?
Answer: A Premier team requires the highest level of commitment and dedication to the sport of soccer. Our Premier teams generally play more skilled competition, train more frequently, and often travel longer distances to play tournaments and matches. Our Competitive teams play against appropriately matched competition and generally enter only local tournaments. In addition, the commitment level of the players on our Competitive teams is typically not as high as those on the Premier teams. The fees for our Premier teams are usually higher than for the Competitive teams as most of these teams have professional coaches/trainers. Our Competitive teams are trained during the week by our professional staff but are typically coached by parent volunteers at their weekend games.
3. How do I know if I should tryout for the Competitive or the Premier Team? Do I have to go to both tryouts?
Answer: If you are unsure about what team you should tryout for, please contact the Club’s Executive Director at executivedirector@princetonsoccer.org or the Club’s Managing Director of Training at cmayer@princetonsoccer.org. Alternatively, you could choose to attend just the Premier team tryout, and if you are not awarded a spot on that team you will automatically be considered for the Competitive team in that age group.
4. Am I allowed to tryout for more than one team/age group?
Answer: Yes. Princeton Soccer Association is dedicated to placing its players in the correct learning and developmental environment. Our professional staff will evaluate each player and make a recommendation as to what team that player should be placed. In some rare cases we will recommend that a player “play up” an age group because their maturity and skill level is significantly above other players in their own age bracket and is equal to that of the most skilled players in the older age group.
5. If I want to “play up” do I still have to attend tryouts in my own age group?
Answer: Yes, players interested in “playing up” must attend tryouts in their own age group as well.
6. Do I have to attend all of the tryouts for my age group?
Answer: We recommended that players attend all of the scheduled tryouts for their age group, however, only one (1) tryout is required to be considered for placement on a team.
7. Can parents watch the tryouts?
Answer: Yes, but only from behind the designated tryout area. Any parent entering the tryout area without the permission of the PSA staff will 1) be asked to move back to the proper area; 2) be asked to go to their car; 3) be asked to leave the tryout fields; and/or 4) have their child removed from the tryout.
8. How much do tryouts cost?
Answer: Nothing. There is no cost to tryout for a PSA Travel team. Pre-registration for tryouts should be done online at www.princetonsoccer.org For those players who don’t pre-register online, there will be a $15 administrative fee for paper registrations done on-site at tryouts.
9. What if I am sick or hurt during my tryout dates, can I still make a team?
Answer: Yes, provided that you have a note from a doctor that verifies the injury/illness. You will be instructed to attend another tryout or be asked to attend a training session to be evaluated.
10. How will I know if I made the team?
Answer: Within a few days of the last scheduled tryout date you will receive an email. This email will tell you the name of the team that you made and will give you further instructions to complete the registration process.
