Frequently Asked Questions
What are the costs?
Are there specific due dates for tuition payments?
How many players will be on the roster?
Will the players be exposed to any fitness training or nutritional programs?
What leagues will the teams plays?
Isn't U8-U10 too young for players to participate in an elite soccer academy?
How many tournaments will teams play and at what level?
Will there be a summer team?
Do the players have any down time?
Will players be required to play multiple positions?
Are players permitted to play other sports?
Are the teams allowing guest players?
Are SJ Elite players allowed to "guest" for other teams?
How far will we travel to play in tournaments?
What are the practice nights and times?
Will the teams practice indoors or outdoors?
Will this schedule be too intense for my child?
What about player "burn-out"?
What are the costs?
Each coach will be required to disclose the yearly schedule and budget for their team at the tryouts.League Play – Each team will play in the most competitive league possible based on the strength of their team. The younger teams will start out in the South Jersey Soccer League. As teams get older they will make the transition to Maps, Jags and Region 1 Leagues. Some coaches may decide to play multiple leagues in one season.
Training – Each team will have a full-time paid coach who attends training sessions, games and tournaments. Each team will have a minimum of two training sessions per week during both fall and spring seasons. Many coaches will do additional training during the months of December, January, June and July.
Tournaments - Many of our teams will be participating in highly competitive tournaments including US Club, Maps and College Showcases. The younger teams will stay local for a majority of their tournaments. The older teams will be traveling to out-of-town tournaments and participate in various premier tournaments like Jags, Wags, Jefferson Cup, FC Delco, PDA, Howell, Disney etc. The amount of travel and tournaments entered depends on the age of the team.
Younger teams normally spend approximately $250-$500 per player per year in travel/tournament fees, while the older teams spend about $1,000-$1,500+ per player per year in travel and tournament fees.
Uniforms - Uniforms will cost approximately $200 per player. This will include two game jerseys, two training shirts, two game shorts, two training shorts, two socks, bag and training jacket. Uniforms are ordered every two years.
Facility and Administration – All teams will incur field usage fees, registration fees and administration fees.
Are there specific due dates for tuition payments?
The Tuition Fees are due in 4 installments payable as follows:
- 1st tuition payment will consist of 30% of yearly dues and is due at fall registration.
- 2nd tuition payment will consist of 30% of yearly dues and is due on October 1st.
- 3rd tuition payment will consist of 15% of yearly dues and is due on February 1st.
- Final tuition payment will consist of 15% of yearly dues and is due on March 1st.
How many players will be on the roster?
SJ Elite is committed to developing the players and being as competitive as possible. The coach of each team will make the decision on how many players are carded on their team. In most cases, the coaches will prefer to have a minimal amount of players so that they get more playing time in games. However, if a specific coach has a large pool of talented players, he/she may choose to have a larger roster.
Will the players be provided with any fitness training or nutritional programs?
Yes. All teams will be provided with an injury prevention packet and a recommended nutritional program to follow throughout the year.
In what leagues will the teams play?
All of the younger teams (U8-U10) will play in the South Jersey Leagues. As they get older and more competitive, they will play in the Maps/Jags/Region 1 leagues. The leagues consist of top regional teams. The coach from each team will decide when to transition from South Jersey Leagues to Maps/Jags/Regional 1 Leagues, based on how competitive their team is.
Is U8-U10 too young for players to participate in an elite soccer academy?
Not at all. Our 8v8 teams will be strictly developmental teams. These players will be exposed to full-time professional training in a fun environment The goal for these age groups will be for the players to learn all the skills required to become very comfortable with the ball. It is crucial for players to acquire a solid foundation of skill and technique so that they can reach the next level.
How many tournaments will teams play and at what level?
U8-U10 will be required to play 4-6 tournaments per year.
U11-U13 will be required to play 6-8 tournaments per year.
U14-U19 will be required to play 8-12 tournaments per year.
The coaches of each team will decide exactly how many and which tournaments their team will participate in. This will be presented to the parents at the start of each year, schedule beginning August 1st. SJ Elite Board of Directors must approve all tournaments for each team to be assured that all teams are participating in the highest competitive tournament possible. Tournament selection is crucial for the older teams to get exposure to college coaches for recruitment purposes.
Will there be a summer team?
Even though SJ Elite is considered to be a year-round academy program, most of the summer is considered to be off-season. During this time, the coach from each team will decide on what activities their team will participate in. There are several options such as leagues, tournaments, training, speed & agility programs or time off.
Do the players have any down time?
During the months of December, January, June and July each team is considered to be in their "off-season". Many coaches will provide some down-time during these months. However, most coaches will also be scheduling additional activities during these months such as leagues, tournaments, training and speed & agility programs. The coach will present a yearly schedule to the parents at the start of each year which begins August 1st.
Will players be required to play multiple positions?
Many of the younger players will be taught to play multiple positions. As they get older, the coaches will begin to keep them in the positions that they can be most successful to help the team.
Are players permitted to play other sports?
During the "In-Season" periods, all the players are required to attend all games and training sessions. Players will be permitted to play other sports as long as they don't conflict with their SJ Elite commitments. If a player has a conflict, they will be required to get permission from their coach.
Are the teams allowing guest players?
Yes, but only in specific situations. Under the guidelines of US Club Soccer, teams are permitted to expand their player rosters. A coach may choose to add a guest player to a roster just in case there are injuries or conflicts causing a shortage of players.
A coach may also bring in a guest player for a maximum of three training sessions for evaluation purposes.
Are SJ Elite players allowed to "guest" for other teams?
Not unless the coach gives specific permission.
How far will we travel to play in tournaments?
The younger teams (U8-U12) will travel within the region. Once the teams start getting older and more competitive, they will begin to travel to the highest rated tournaments. These tournaments are located all across the country and each coach must decide which tournaments the team will participate in. Most coaches will participate in a majority of regional tournaments and a few more distant requiring more travel.
What are the practice nights and times?
Since our club is open and players will be traveling from the surrounding area, our coaches will be sensitive when scheduling training sessions for commuting purposes. The coach will be responsible for scheduling the practice sessions and will distribute a seasonal training schedule prior to the start of the season.
Will the teams practice indoors or outdoors?
The younger teams will train indoors more often because they require less space for the coaches to run a session and also because it will be more comfortable. The older teams will have some indoor sessions scheduled, but, because they need more space to work on tactical game situations, most sessions will be outdoors.
Will this schedule be too intense for my child?
Not if your child truly loves to play the game and has the desire to learn. SJ Elite is committed to providing a learning environment to the players through quality instruction. Competition at this level may not be appropriate for every child. There will be instructional programs available for those players who want to improve their game but not compete at this level.
What about player "burn-out"?
The "burn-out" that is discussed in youth sports is most often caused by parents and coaches putting too much pressure on the players to get results. If players are constantly feeling like they are being pushed too hard they start to lose interest in the game. SJ Elite will be conscience of not putting players in situations where they are likely to fail. It is important that the players learn to be confident on the ball and are permitted to use their own creativity.
