TRAVEL PROGRAM

 

Upper Dublin Soccer Club’s (UDSC) Travel Program is designed for young soccer players who are passionate about reaching their full potential. Serving aspiring athletes ages 6–19, this top-tier program offers an elite training environment that fosters both technical and tactical growth. UDSC is committed to challenging and nurturing each player, both on and off the field, while creating a fun, supportive atmosphere where everyone can thrive.

The information below highlights the structure, expectations, and steps for joining UDSC’s Travel program. Additional details about the Club are available on our website.

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TRAVEL SOCCER COMMITMENT

 

Time Commitment:

• All travel teams play 10 months per year (August-June) with practices and games across fall, winter, and spring seasons.

 

Fall Season (August - November):

• All Club travel teams generally play in an organized soccer league (APL/ACELA, EDP, ICSL, etc.).

• There are 2 practices per week starting in early-to-mid August. 

• Practices are 1-1.5 hours long and are scheduled between 5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m., with younger age groups scheduled at earlier times. The Club may offer some indoor practice time at no additional cost to teams to mitigate weather related cancellations.  

• Approximately 10-game season (Sept. – Nov.) on weekends in designated, competitive based divisions within each age group.  

• All UDSC travel teams must compete in the Jack Walsh Tournament, which the Club co-sponsors with Hunter Soccer Club. Most Club travel teams play in multiple tournaments per year. 

• There is a voluntary pre-season prep camp in early August; 4 days, 3 hours per day, which is optional and not included in our base fees.

 

Winter Season (December - March):

• There is 1 training session per week for 6-8 weeks (January - March). 

• Sessions are held at an indoor facility for our younger teams and outdoors on one of our turf fields for remaining teams.

• Optional indoor league or tournaments are determined by the team.  

• Winter sessions focus on building team chemistry and improving individual skills, giving players more touches on the ball.

 

Spring Season (April - June):

• Most of our travel teams generally play in an organized soccer league (APL/ACELA, EDP, ICSL, Rock League, etc.), however, some teams choose to play in tournaments in lieu of league play.  

• There are 2 practices per week starting in early April. 

• Practices are 1-1.5 hours long and are scheduled between 5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. with younger age groups scheduled at earlier times. The Club may offer some indoor practice time at no additional cost to teams to mitigate weather related cancellations.  

• Approximately 6-game season (April-June) on weekends in designated, competitive based divisions within each age group.    

• In addition to league play, most teams play in spring tournaments.  

• The Club’s more competitive teams may play in State Cup competitions, which take place throughout the spring.

 

Additional Information:

• Base winter training is included in our travel fees. 

• NEW: Jack Walsh Tournament cost is now included in our travel fees.

• There are additional team costs for additional tournaments, team administration, and spring leagues and referees. All participants are required to pay these costs, regardless of their participation in tournaments or activities agreed upon as a team.

• Multi-sport athletes are allowed to train with another travel team within 1-year of age, whether male or female teams, if scheduling conflicts arise.

 

* If the above-mentioned commitment is beyond what you want to invest for a multi-sport athlete, then the Club’s Recreational Soccer Program (Rec Soccer) offers a great opportunity for your player to pursue his/her love of the game in a more finite time period in the fall (Aug-Nov) and spring pick-up (Mar-Jun), with a reduced weekly time commitment (2-3 hours total, depending on the age group).

 

TEAM LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE 

 

Professional Coaching Model 

The Club employs a professional coaching model for all our travel teams and will continue to do so for the 2026-2027 season. We believe that this model enhances the soccer experience for youth soccer players, raising the level of our training and improving the continuity of player development between training and game play.

 

We still allow 1-2 parent assistant coaches per team who must be approved by our Board of Directors. The role of the parent assistant coach is to support the professional coaches during training and games. Sometimes, the parent assistant coach may need to run a training session or coach a game.

 

Team Manager: 

Each travel team has a team manager. The manager role is one of the most critical roles in keeping things running smoothly because they collect and share important information. Typically, it’s the team managers who organize various aspects of the team (paperwork for games, tournament registration, TeamSnap, etc.) and communicate schedule details with the players’ families. 

 

Proper communication is a key to success. Our Travel Director runs regular monthly meetings for both coaches and managers to provide them with information to share with their teams, such as significant events and changes to the program. If a team parent does not volunteer for this position, the Club can provide one at an hourly rate at $20/hour.

Fundraising Coordinator: 

Each team is encouraged to have an individual in charge of fundraising and social events. Fundraising events for the players, for example, running our snack stand, promotes team unity and helps reduce the costs involved with the Travel Program.

 

TOURNAMENTS

 

Why are tournaments important? 

A big part of playing travel soccer involves tournament play. Tournaments provide a wonderful opportunity for players to play the game of soccer beyond their normal league play.  Soccer tournaments build team camaraderie amongst players and their families and sportsmanship. It’s also an opportunity for social and player development. 

 

When do tournaments take place?  

Tournaments take place all year round, including over holiday weekends such Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Thanksgiving.

 

How many tournaments do you play each year?  

All UDSC travel soccer teams are required to play in the Jack Walsh Tournament in the fall over Columbus Day weekend. Additionally, most teams will participate in another 1-2 tournaments or more throughout the travel season. 

 

TRYOUTS & REGISTRATION 

 

Fees for Tryouts and Registration 

Registration for the following season's program typically opens in late January or early February and closes at the end of February. Be sure to check the Upper Dublin Soccer Club website for the exact dates and deadlines.

 

Tryout Fee:

• A $30 non-refundable tryout fee is required to register your child for tryouts.

• This fee is paid once per year during the registration process.

 

Registration Fee:

• If your child is offered and accepts a roster spot on a travel team, you'll need to pay a non-refundable registration fee of $375. See travel fees below for the full cost of the travel program.

• You'll have 48 hours to pay this fee after accepting the spot.

• This fee is subject to change each year.

 

Tryouts  

Tryout Period

March 2026: Tryout period is for players selected to teams for Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 season.   

March/April 2026: Player and team announcements.

May 2026: Tryouts for Rising U8 players are held, with rosters announced in mid May.

 

Eligibility:

• A travel player must try out and make the team each year to be a part of our program.  

• Tryouts are open to players born in a specific age group mandated by U.S. Soccer.

• Each age group will typically hold 2 tryouts; players are encouraged to attend both sessions to provide coaches with a better evaluation of your youth soccer play. A player must attend at least one tryout session to be eligible. 

• Additional tryouts may be requested by the coaching staff.

 

Teams & Rosters:

• Each age group typically fields two teams, with exceptions at the Board's discretion.

• Roster sizes are limited by US Soccer guidelines. 

 

Important Notes:

• Tryouts are for placements in the Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 season. Players must try out annually to maintain their spot in the program.

• Tryouts are run solely by our professional coaches and overseen by the Club’s Travel Director. 

• Current professional coaches for each respective age group will select the teams. Teams are selected based on BOTH tryout evaluations and player evaluations from the prior season. Player evaluations from the prior season will be of larger importance than the tryout evaluation for returning players. 

• All team rosters require final approval from the Club’s Travel Director.

 

Upper Dublin Soccer Club Playing Up Policy

 

General Rule

All players wishing to try out for an older age group must have written approval from the Travel Director before participating in tryouts.

 

U10 and Below:

• Playing up in this age group is generally discouraged by the Club.

• Very rare exceptions may be granted based on recommendation of the player's current team's professional coach and must have the approval of the Travel Director and Director of Coaching.

• The Travel Director has the final say in case of any disagreement.

 

U11 and Above:

• To be eligible to try out for an older age group, you must:

  • Be ranked as a Black team player of that age group at the end of the tryout period.

  • Be recommended to play up by the head coach of the older age group.

  • Have approval from the Travel Director and Director of Coaching.

• The Travel Director has the final say in case of any disagreement.

 

This policy is in place to ensure a positive and challenging experience for all players, regardless of age or skill level. If you have any questions about the Club’s Playing Up Policy, please contact the Travel Director.

 

Upper Dublin Soccer Club Travel Program Costs

 

Estimated Annual Cost

For the average Upper Dublin Soccer Club travel player (excluding Penn Alliance Select), expect an estimated range of $1,200-$1,800 per year (August-June). The majority of these costs are due directly to the Club and the balance covering team costs, both as noted below.

 

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TRAVEL FEES AND SCHEDULE FOR 2026-2027

 

Club’s Portion of 2026-2027 Travel Fees

The total cost due to Upper Dublin Soccer Club for the travel program is $1,125 (payable in 3 installments).

• $375 at roster acceptance on/around late March / early April 2026 

• $375 on/around August 15, 2026

• $375 on/around November 15, 2026

 

This fee covers: 

• NEW: Jack Walsh Tournament dues.

• Professional training for fall, winter and spring. Professional coaching for fall and spring.

• Insurance, field equipment, field rental, field maintenance, township fees.

• Certain league registration fees (Club pays the league fee for one season per team annually).

• Certain referee fees (Club pays the league referee fees for the fall season per team annually). 

• Website costs and all other administrative costs.

 

Important Notes:

• These fees are non-refundable.

• 10-month commitment required. Players are responsible for full payment regardless of participation (e.g., injuries, leaving the Club, etc.).

 

Team Costs 

Additionally, ALL team members are required to pay team cost, regardless of their participation in agreed upon tournaments or activities. There are additional costs for tournaments, team administration, winter/spring leagues, and referee fees. These will be paid to the individual teams, typically at the start of each season (Approximately Aug-Sept / Dec-Jan / Apr-Mar).

 

These fees typically cover:

• Team administration and communication (TeamSnap, etc.) 

• Tournament registrations

• Optional seasonal leagues (winter and spring leagues are not covered by Club fees)

• Winter/Spring referee fees (these are not covered by the Club fees) 

• More competitive teams tend to participate in more tournaments, including state cups, potentially increasing costs.

 

Uniform Costs 

All players will be required to purchase a new uniform for the 2026-27 season. Uniform costs are in addition to the costs listed above. Families purchase uniforms directly from the Club’s designated uniform provider.

 

Reducing Costs

Club-approved team fundraising is encouraged and can significantly lower costs and build team spirit.

 

Jack Walsh Tournament

 

The Jack Walsh Memorial Soccer Tournament is the Club’s largest fundraiser, which it co-manages with Hunter Soccer Club.

 

• All Club travel teams are required to play in the Jack Walsh Tournament.

• NEW: All UDSC player and team registration costs will be covered by the Club portion of the travel costs.

• In order for the Club to run this tournament effectively, it requires parent volunteers to staff various positions such as parking attendants, field supervisors and field marshals.

 

Summary of Important Points

 

Commitment and Time: The travel soccer program requires a significant time commitment (10 months/year) and participation in various practices, games, and tournaments throughout the year. If the above-mentioned commitment is beyond what you want to invest for a multi-sport athlete, then the Club’s Recreational Soccer Program (Rec Soccer) offers a great opportunity for your player to pursue his/her love of the game in a more finite time period (Aug-Nov) and with a reduced weekly time commitment (2-3 hours total, depending on the age group).

 

Cost: Expect to pay approximately $1,200-$1,800 annually for the program depending on the number of events that your travel team participates in.

 

Professional Coaching and Development: The program utilizes professional coaches and focuses on player development both on and off the field, offering a competitive and challenging environment.

 

Penn Alliance Select

 

Upper Dublin Soccer Club also offers an elite program called Penn Alliance Select Soccer (commonly known as PAS) for U13-U19 players.  

 

PAS is specifically designed to develop High School Varsity soccer players and provide aspiring college-bound soccer players the opportunity for exposure to college recruiters via College Showcase tournaments, elite leagues, and recruitment support services. 

 

Please view following website for more information regarding our PAS program: https://www.pennallianceselect.org/about

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Review Club Policies 

 

All participating families should familiarize themselves with the Club’s Code of Conduct and Ethics and Electronic Communications & Social Media Policy. These policies outline the expectations for players, parents, guardians, spectators, coaches, and volunteers who participate in the Club’s youth soccer programs and activities.

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN UPPER DUBLIN SOCCER CLUB! If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at udsc.info@gmail.com. For more information about our programs or the Club, visit our website.