Matt Noah
4910 Meadow Creek Drive South, Fargo, ND  58104
home: 701.282.9344,

Purpose  This FAQ is meant to convey information about U9 (Under 9 years old) competitive/traveling soccer.  It should give prospective soccer parents enough information to make an informed decision about involving their child on a competitive soccer team. 

History  In the past, competitive soccer in Fargo start at the U10 level.  For the age group definitions, please click here.  Players at the U8 or U9 level would have to compete with players at the U10 level for a spot on the U10 team.  Traveling soccer can be started at any age.  For example, Minnesota Youth Soccer typically sanctions leagues starting at the U9 level.  See the www.ccunitedsoccer.com website for an example of a Minnesota youth soccer club which offers two levels of competitive boys soccer at the U9 level.  For the Fargo Soccer Club U9 teams, we will have U7, U8 and U9 players participating. This is common practice in the Twin Cities. 

Rec Soccer  Recreational soccer in the Fargo Soccer Club typically involves 2 soccer events per week; a practice and a game.  The Fall season is 6 weeks long while the Spring season is 10 weeks long.  Everyone plays equally at every position and for the same amount of time.  Coaching is typically done by parent volunteers who may or may not have any soccer experience or soccer coaching training.  The cost is minimal.

Competitive Soccer  Competitive, aka traveling soccer may involve a try-out and team placement.  At the U9 level, we will not have try-outs.  A high proficiency and motivation are required to participate successfully at the competitive soccer level.  Players who are obviously suited better for recreational soccer will be directed towards recreational soccer.  Only the top 10-30% of recreational soccer players will be comfortable at the competitive soccer level. 

Competitive U9 soccer will involve an additional practice each week and up to 1-2 games per week.  For the Fall, we schedule one tournament in Blaine, MN - the NSC Fall Cup.  For the Summer, we schedule 2 tournaments, the Kohl's Cup in Valley City and a tournament in the Twin Cities; usually the early June TonkaSplash.  We also schedule scrimmages with clubs in a 100 mile radius of Fargo.  Pre-season Summer training and practices typically only involve 2 practices per week at an indoor facility or, weather permitting, outdoor field.  Players are expected to commit to soccer as their primary sport and forgo other sports when conflicts arise, e.g. baseball.  Since soccer practices are flexible, soccer teams can schedule practices around fixed baseball or softball schedules.  Soccer games can start in early May but are typically start in mid-May with weeknight games against teams like Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Alexandria and Jamestown.  Kids playing on our U9 traveling teams should also play on a rec team.

Pre-season and Season  Pre-season indoor turf training can start anytime but we anticipate twice a week training from mid-March to mid-April.  Outdoor U9 practices will be once per week since the kids are already playing rec soccer twice per week.

Scrimmages  At the U9 level, we can schedule scrimmages with other local teams (Moorhead, West Fargo, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls) or other local teams (Boys U10, Girls U10/U11) at no added cost.  Kids like to play games rather than practice.  We will play as many games as makes sense while keeping a good balance between practice and games.

Pre-Season Meeting  Usually in January or February for the Sprin/Summer season, the team holds a pre-season meeting to discuss expectations, schedules and go over the ground rules for the upcoming season.  Our team meeting for Fall 2010 will occur in August.

Expectations  At the U9 level, each player is expected to play every position in the 6v6 playing format.  Every player will play an equal amount of time each game.  Small variations may occur due to player absences, position assignments or other variables.  Winning is secondary to other goals such as player development, team morale, sportsmanship and enjoyment.  Players will be evaluated at least twice during the season based upon (1) attendance at all team events (practices, games, meetings), (2) coach evaluations.

Costs  U9 soccer is not as intensive as U10 or older soccer. We generally charge $80-$100 for the Fall season and $120 for the Spring/Summer season.  The uniform is an additional $40 and can be reused for future seasons.

Coaching  Trained coaches will conduct pre-season training, practices and season coaching.  US Soccer certifies coaches at the A, B, C, D, E and Youth level.  Youth-trained coaches receive the least amount of training; usually 3-6 hours.  E-certified coaches receive 18 hours of on field and classroom training.  D-certified coaches receive 36 hours of on field and classroom training.  A small number of D-certified coaches are allowed to obtain C or higher coaching licenses run at national coaching camps.  A coach with a C license typically has a full week of training at a national coaching camp.  Most competitive traveling coaches have personal soccer experience but some do not. 

U9/U10 Playing Roles (Formation):  www.mattnoah.com/soccer/u9u10/roles.jpg
Formations (all age groups):  www.mattnoah.com/soccer/u9u10/formations.pdf

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