Spring Select

This is an AYSO travel team that plays in matches and tournaments all across Southern California. It is a great way for the players to improve their skills as soccer players in a fun and competitive environment. The purpose of this team is to allow those players who have demonstrated soccer ability and who have displayed an attitude for fair play, enthusiasm and cooperative team spirit to participate on a team of players who have similar qualifications.  Practices will begin in December and the season will end in July.           

Participation on this team requires an increased commitment from both parents and players, including attendance at all practices and matches as well as a sense of responsibility toward coaches and other team members.  This team will compete in tournament play; these tournaments include travel and both Saturday and Sunday matches. The team is financially self-supporting, so fund-raising will be required for each player and parents are expected to participate.

All coaches will be given the opportunity to submit an application to coach in the Select Travel Program. Coach candidates must meet or exceed the training requirements and have coached in the most current fall season, ideally in the division requesting.

Criteria for the Select Season: 

PLAYERS: To be eligible to participate in the Select program a player must be registered, and must have participated, in the prior Fall Season no less than 50% of regular season matches. Players must participate in the same division in Select as they participated in during the prior Fall Season. The number of teams that are formed in each division is no more than 1 per division. This will primarily depend on the number of qualified applicant coaches. 

COACHES: All interested coaches who have coached in the Fall must fill out an online application PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE detailing their experience and acknowledgement of the commitments if selected. 10U coaches must have completed the 10U coaching class in order to be considered to coach 10U in the Select Season. All other coaches, including assistants, must have completed the appropriate coaching class level to their age group as well, AYSO Safe Haven training, and the CDC concussion training (the latter two available online.)  There will be no exceptions to this rule. Coaches should have completed the required coach training at the time of applications.  

COMMITMENT: A high level of commitment is expected from the coaches, players, and the parents. Select is for motivated and enthusiastic players. Other obligations MUST be included in the application if known or anticipated. While some players are involved in other sports, for the good of the team, most Select coaches require that training sessions and games take AT LEAST equal precedence with other activities. In addition to the player’s commitment, parents are required to participate in running the Pony Express tournament.

Application:

Registration is conducted through application process.  The application is available by request.  

Expected travel and tournaments:

Select teams will likely play half their games at away locations, so from January through April, expect about five weekends during which you will play away games. 

All select teams participate in these tournaments: 

Select Season Tournament on a weekend in March/April, played in Riverside or Jurupa. 

Pony Express Tournament on Martin Luther King weekend, January 13-15th.  

Select Season FAQs

Q: What is AYSO Select?
A: The AYSO Select program is an opportunity for interested players to improve their skills in a more competitive environment following the Fall season. It is open only to players who registered and participated in at least 50 percent of the Fall Season in the U10-U19 divisions.

Q: How are players selected?
A: Coaches that have been selected for the division will scout the players. The coaches then meet and “draft” players for their division to develop teams. Remember that each coach is looking for different things, and it is a very subjective process. Factors that often play a part in selection includes skill, sportsmanship, team participation, speed, effort, an understanding of the game, attendance and participation in fall training, positional needs of the team and team chemistry. Availability for training sessions and a family volunteer commitment also play a role. While it is true that not all players are able to be placed on teams, Menifee AYSO supports developing as many teams as possible based on the number of available coaches and the total number of registrations. 

Q: How many teams are formed?
A:  The Select Committee weighs many different things in determining team numbers, including maximizing the numbers of players involved while keeping the experience focused on skill development in a more competitive environment. The number of teams also depends on the number of qualified volunteer coaches available.

Q: How are coaches selected?
A: All interested coaches who have coached in the Fall must fill out an  application PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE detailing their experience and acknowledgement of the commitments if selected. All Fall 10U coaches must have completed the 10U coaching class in order to be considered to coach in the Select Season. All other coaches, including assistants, must have the completed the appropriate coaching class level to their age group, AYSO's Safe Haven training, and the CDC concussion training (the latter two available online). No exceptions will be made to this rule.  Coaches should have completed the appropriate coach training at the time of application.  The Select Committee reviews the applications and available reviews from prior seasons to determine the coaches that are most appropriate.

Q: If my child is chosen to play in Select, what should I expect?
A: First and foremost, you should expect the Six Philosophies of AYSO (Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship and Player Development) to be followed at all times. All players will play a minimum of 50% of all games. You should also expect more distant away games, as typically Menifee teams will play other Select teams from nearby Regions.

Q: Will Select soccer consume my family’s life?
A: The Select season lasts six months – so it is a long commitment. However, the weekly time commitment is similar to the fall season. There will be two trainings a week and a game on Saturday for the regular season (January – April). Trainings begin in December and games start in January. From January through June, the teams will play in tournaments. These are generally a weekend commitment. Most teams play 2-4 tournaments spread out from January through Memorial Day. The other weekends are free. Some tournaments may include hotel stays – these are really FUN! It should be noted that parents are required to actively participate and help with various volunteer activities to make the Select season a success. 

Q: If my child plays for Select, what is his/her and our family’s commitment?
A: A high level of commitment is expected from coaches, players, and the parents during the Select season. If a player or coach applies for Select, it is expected that they will commit to the program for the duration of the season (through June) if chosen. Other obligations (e.g., other sports, jobs, after-school activities) MUST be told to the coach. While some players are involved in other sports, for the good of the team, most Select coaches require that training sessions and games take AT LEAST equal precedence with other sports. In addition to the players commitment, parents are required to actively participate in the season, including helping with needed volunteer activities (e.g., refereeing, set up/take down of fields, team logistics).

Q: If selected, what should I expect for a time commitment?
A: Typically, Select teams have training sessions twice a week (similar to Fall season) beginning in December. Select Season games start in early January and run through April. Select teams then stay together to play in several tournaments through at least the end of June, ending most often on Memorial Day weekend.

Q:  How much travel is involved to participate in Select?
A: There are usually about 10 regular season Saturday games. Half of the games are home games in Menifee. The furthest away games are about an hour’s drive. Tournament travel is similar but can be farther – eg, San Diego and Arizona.

Q: What will the Select season cost? 
A: Registration costs will be lower than Fall season; however Tournament fees are not included. Team fees (which include other tournament registration fees, field rental fees, and other miscellaneous costs) can vary depending on the number of tournaments a team decides to play, etc, and can reach the low hundreds of dollars.  Participation in tournaments may also incur lodging, transportation, and food costs, which are the responsibility of each family.  However, teams will always work to find ways to make this as affordable as possible for everyone. These costs are also spread out over a six month period.

Q: Is Select soccer very different from Fall soccer?
A: As in Fall soccer, the AYSO philosophies (Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship and Player Development) still apply and Select is played for fun. Most Select players simply want to play a longer season with other players who love to play. The main traits of Select players is that they like to play soccer, like to hang out with friends playing soccer, and have energy and enthusiasm for the game. Players will develop faster and more because they play for an extra six months.

Q:What if my child has not played Select before or was not selected previously?
A: This in no way excludes your child from playing this year. Children change dramatically, players leave, and different numbers will register every year.

Q: Whom should I contact if I have any other questions?
A: For other questions or concerns, please email the Select Coordinator, at [email protected].