What is Travel Soccer?
Travel soccer is a level of soccer that goes beyond recreational, intramural, or school-based play. It is a structured program designed for young soccer players seeking a stronger commitment to the sport and a higher level of play. Teams usually practice two nights per week and play matches at different locations on weekends. Overall, travel soccer is an excellent pathway for young players to advance their skills, gain valuable experiences, and open doors to higher levels of competition.
Is Travel Soccer Worth It?
Travel soccer is an engaging, competitive experience for young athletes. It allows players to not only showcase their skills against other teams from various New Jersey towns but also fosters lifelong friendships. The commitment to travel soccer enables players to improve their technique and decision making as well as develop positive habits such as work ethic and discipline. Traveling for matches and tournaments exposes our players to different communities and soccer cultures. Whether it's donning the team jersey or competing at a regional cup, travel soccer is a journey that instills passion, resilience, and comradery as well as creates long-lasting memories.
Overview of Travel Soccer at COSC
COSC travel teams are formed based on birth year and gender. Collingswood Oaklyn SC (COSC) forms both boys and girls teams at most of the younger age groups. Travel soccer is divided into two main seasons: fall and spring.
COMMITMENT
We expect players to try to make two practices per week on most weeks and be available for most weekend matches. Many of our players participate in other activities or play other sports on top of their commitment to their COSC travel soccer team.
PRACTICES
Most teams practice two nights per week. Practice locations are either at Knight Park or Oaklyn Public School.
MATCHES
League matches are played on weekends. Each season normally consists of 10 matches: 5 home and 5 away. Away game locations depend on which opposing teams are grouped in the leagues’ divisions. Away matches can be as close as Haddon Township and Pennsauken or as far as Cape May County and Burlington Township. In general, families should expect to drive 20-40 minutes to most away matches depending on the opponent.
Girls league (SJGSL) home games are played on Saturday afternoons in Knight Park.
Boys league (SJSL) home games are played on Sunday afternoons behind Oaklyn Public School.
TOURNAMENTS
Most of our teams will participate in a couple of weekend tournaments throughout the year. These are usually on holiday weekends. Labor Day weekend, Columbus Day weekend, Thanksgiving weekend, Easter weekend, and Memorial Day weekend are the most popular tournament weekends.
Travel Soccer Seasons
FALL SEASON
Teams will usually start practicing twice per week in early-August. League matches begin the second weekend of September. Fall league play wraps up in mid-November, but some teams choose to play in a Thanksgiving weekend tournament to finish the fall season.
WINTER
Some of our travel teams choose to play in an indoor soccer or futsal league nearby in Cherry Hill, Mt Laurel, or Rancocas Valley. Winter play is usually optional as many kids participate in other activities such as basketball, wrestling, etc. In our experience, players that compete in winter leagues see noticeable improvements in their game due to the quick speed of play of indoor matches.
SPRING SEASON
Teams will usually start practicing in mid-February. Spring season matches begin the first weekend of March. The last league match concludes around mid-May. Some teams choose to play in a Memorial Day weekend tournament to finish the spring season.
SUMMER
Most of our teams do not hold practices or participate in competitions over the summer months. However, players and teams can still find plenty of playing opportunities. A few of our teams may decide to play in a weeknight 4v4 summer league nearby. Some coaches work together to hold optional practices or our club may run summer training programs. Some players will choose to join summer select teams, find private training, or participate in summer soccer camps.