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We'll be moving to the area next summer from upstate NY. We have a son who has been involved in year-round travel soccer for years and we're looking for a team he could join. Anyone have insight on where/what we should look into? It looks like our "travel" level is called "classic" down there, and there seems to be a ton of different options. What do you recommend? We are very committed to his current program, which runs from August to June, and are looking for a similar competitive level of play.
If it matters, we will probably be moving toward the Clayton/Garner area.
There's been a lot of mergers the past few years with many of the smaller and mid sized clubs combining. As Twingles stated there is CASL. The other big ones are Triangle Futbol Club Triangle Futbol Club and Triangle United Soccer Association http://www.triangleunited.org/. All three have the type of teams you are looking for.
Most of these hold tryouts in spring (May/June), if you are planning on moving here in the summer you may want to look up their tryout dates since the Classic teams may complete their rosters before you actually move here.
Last edited by boardmember10000; 11-09-2014 at 06:57 PM..
Reason: spelling
There's been a lot of mergers the past few years with many of the smaller and mid sized clubs combining. As Twingles stated there is CASL. The other big ones are Triangle Futbol Club Triangle Futbol Club and Triangle United Soccer Association Triangle United Soccer. All three have the type of teams you are looking for.
There is a lot of competition and politics/drama/"the grass is always greener" between the organizations. I had three play at the highest level and watched with interest as parents always moved their kids around. If you are interested in playing college, CASL does have the most interest/name recognition from colleges, although the other teams have their fair share of players who have gone one to excel in college.
CASL is the place to start, don't waste time trying to sort out the others (and I don't much care for CASL, despite having coached in their Rec division for nine seasons).
Don't assume your son will make Classic, he'd truly have to be in the top tier talent-wise to be selected. The better comparison to Travel would be Challenge, which practices twice each week and usually participates in two tournaments per season.
Here's an important piece of advice: Find out when the tryouts are for Challenge (not sure about Classic or how that works regarding tryouts) and make sure your son is able to participate. CASL is very corporate in terms of how they operate and they generally don't accommodate special requests; if you miss the tryouts you'll have to wait until the following season.
Don't assume your son will make Classic, he'd truly have to be in the top tier talent-wise to be selected. The better comparison to Travel would be Challenge, which practices twice each week and usually participates in two tournaments per season.
This may have been true at some point but now there are plenty of "Classic" teams that have been set up if you're willing to pay the money. Just because a team is labeled classic doesn't mean they are going to be good. At mixed level tournaments I've seen experienced challenge level teams defeat classic teams.
It looks like CASL had their Fall tryouts (for the current season) at the end of last April and early May (this also included ECNL - the elite level) so if a player doesn't make a classic team they would have time to try out for the CASL challenge league which was held at the end of May beginning of June this year.
SINC sports (Sports In College) is a good place to start to find out a teams state and national ranking by age group.
Last edited by boardmember10000; 11-10-2014 at 07:28 AM..
Reason: spelling
CASL is the place to start, don't waste time trying to sort out the others (and I don't much care for CASL, despite having coached in their Rec division for nine seasons).
Don't assume your son will make Classic, he'd truly have to be in the top tier talent-wise to be selected. The better comparison to Travel would be Challenge, which practices twice each week and usually participates in two tournaments per season.
Here's an important piece of advice: Find out when the tryouts are for Challenge (not sure about Classic or how that works regarding tryouts) and make sure your son is able to participate. CASL is very corporate in terms of how they operate and they generally don't accommodate special requests; if you miss the tryouts you'll have to wait until the following season.
That's not true, plenty of different levels of Classic at all clubs even CASL. You don't have to be "top-tier" to make a 2nd Division Classic Team. Challenge is being phased out most clubs anyway.
As for missing tryouts, all clubs including CASL have supplemental tryouts after the "official" dates pass and most teams even top ones leave a roster spot open just in case that next super star moves to the area after try outs are over.
FWIW...CASL isn't all that special. And your right there are a bunch of options.
In the Clayton area, there is JUSA (Johnston United). I know of a number of JUSA teams that play at the premier level.
There is also TFC, which is more Cary area...and TUSA which is more Chapel Hill/Durham. Fuquay area has their own and apparently works with TFC to create NC Alliance club teams. Over on the east side of Raleigh is EWSA.
All of these clubs have premier level teams at the upper age brackets.
FWIW...CASL isn't all that special. And your right there are a bunch of options.
In the Clayton area, there is JUSA (Johnston United). I know of a number of JUSA teams that play at the premier level.
There is also TFC, which is more Cary area...and TUSA which is more Chapel Hill/Durham. Fuquay area has their own and apparently works with TFC to create NC Alliance club teams. Over on the east side of Raleigh is EWSA.
All of these clubs have premier level teams at the upper age brackets.
CASL has it's detractors and it isn't the right club for everyone, that being said it is really the only Triangle area club that typically has Premier Level teams at every age group boys and girls. It is also the only local club affiliated with Developmental Academy on the boys side and ECNL on the girls side.
JUSA had 1 Premier boys team last Spring at U14, no upper age groups in Premier. I think there was a single girls side playing Premier this Fall as well.
TFCA and TUSA had a mix of Premier teams at certain age groups but certainly not all upper age groups. Fuquay no longer has FVAA as they merged with TFCA as did Carolina Soccer Club.
Premier has to be earned and it is the top 10- 12 teams state wide at each age group. Usually there is a strong Triangle presence with 3-4 teams but not every year and not every age group.
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