DC Soccer Club's Player Pathway is designed to simplify the process for parents to better understand the varying programs levels of expectations, commitment and competition and how it connects to player development. Our competitive levels of Academy, Travel and Select are all under the travel structure, led by travel coaches and curriculum to meet players at where they are to drive player development.
Placing Players at the Right Level for their Development Based on their Commitment
Families should first consider the expectations and commitment of each level. The competitive level is decided through a tryout process, where professional travel staff place players according to their current level of development to ensure the player is at the right level of challenge/success to develop.
REC: The foundation of our club and of our Player Pathway, Rec is open to all ages and abilities to enjoy from Pre-K - High School with a lower commitment level and led by volunteer coaches. Registration-based program.
PRE-TRAVEL: For U6-U8 players seeking more competitive development than rec and as a preparation for the travel, and led by professional coaches. Registration-based program under our Programs structure.
SELECT: At the base of our competitive pathway in our travel structure for U8-U14 players, it bridges the rec and travel levels with professional coaching, curriculum for development and player tracking. The focus is on player development at a level appropriate for the player, but recognizes a lesser commitment level than the travel and academy levels. Players may try out directly for Select.
TRAVEL: The competitive travel level in our travel structure offers multiple levels/teams in each age group based on player's current competitive level, with clear expectations of the player's commitment to develop from U8-U19. Tryout-based program.
ACADEMY: At the top of our Player Pathway, the Academy is for the top team in each age group U11-U19 that plays in our most competitive league (ECNL RL) and requires the highest commitment level from the top talent. Invitation and tryout-based program.
DC Soccer Club West and DC Soccer Club East
We recognize the unique opportunities of being an urban club, as well as the challenges it presents. As our programs continue to expand across DC, we want to make it is more convenient and easier to plan for families by offering competitive teams in Select and Travel according to two general areas. While we can not guarantee practicing at specific fields, we can provide parameters of where practices will be held by designating teams West and East so families can make more informed decisions when registering for competitive tryouts. Go to the tab above labeled DCSC West/East for more information.
U8 Players in the Pathway
U8 players have several choices in the club for development outside of rec. Players can stay in our Pre-Travel program or choose to try out for the Select or Travel level. If the family’s commitment allows, U8 players are encouraged to attend travel tryouts so they can be placed on a team at the right environment for their development. Determining which level/team they best fit is relative to the collective pool of players trying out.
Tryouts
Our competitive travel structure (Academy, Travel, Select) holds tryouts in Spring ahead of 10-month season that begins each fall. CLICK HERE for more information about Tryouts