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Want to Play for USA (how teams are formed)?

Each competition year our teams are formed through completion of the tryout process.  Tryouts are open to all players - age and gender-specific.  Tryouts are held over the course of several hours during mid-June.  Individual evaluations are completed by trained and licensed coaches and club evaluators. Players are selected for club teams based on individual soccer skill, age-appropriate game knowledge, athleticism, attitude, apparent coachability, and availability to the team (1 season vs. 2 season player).

The club knows the importance of proper team placement and we do our absolute best to place every child on the appropriate team. It is also important to the club to provide access and opportunities for all players. We historically field at least one team at each age group for each gender.  We strive to ensure that our first teams are comprised of players of the strongest skill and like age/development.  We will form multiple teams at each age group and, as such, are able to support the development needs of all players.

Our teams compete at several different levels and leagues.  Each league and level provides unique competitive challenges.  The different levels and/or leagues are Select, Elite, Premier, GLPL, and N1.

A majority of our teams play at the Select level.  Our Select Teams compete in the Grand Valley Soccer Association (GVSA) within the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA).  Within this level of competition, they play teams that are generally within an hour of our area.  They also participate in tournaments that best suited to their level of development.

The Elite Teams are also within the GVSA league with those teams being those that compete at the top division in the U10, U11 and U12 age groups.  These teams compete at a higher level of competition.  They play locally as well as as well as teams in other leagues from central and west Michigan.  These teams participate in tournaments that will provide higher levels of competition and may be further away from the area.

The Premier Teams compete in the Michigan State Premier Soccer Program (MSPSP) with MSYSA.  These teams play may play at even higher levels of competition with their results earning rankings across the state to support promotion (or relegation) to futher levels of competition.  Depending on the division, teams may play (and travel to) teams in central and west Michigan to state-wide or even mid-west teams. These teams participate in high-level, college showcase tournaments.

The GLPL (Great Lakes Premier League) teams are also within the MSPSP umbrella with those teams being those that compete at the top premier division of U13 and older  These teams compete against the top premier teams across all of Michigan and periodically other upper midwest States (Indiana, Ohio).  When these teams perform at the top of the division, they become eligable to enter national-level leagues. These teams participate in high-level, college showcase tournaments.

The N1 League teams

Our Elite, Premier, and N1 teams also participate in the MSYSA State Cup Tournament.  This is an in-season tournament with games that are played throughout the season (vs a single weekend) agains other high-level teams that must be accepted for participation.  These games take our teams across the state to gain further high-level competition.

Some key points to know:

• Tryouts are open ... teams do not stay the same from year to year and everyone (even legacy players) must tryout to make a team.  Generally, on any team, the core may remain together, the outcome of the tryout process does create changes to our team rosters to ensure appropriate development of individual players, appropriate competitive level of teams, and continued strength of the club at each age group.
• We strive to ensure participation ... we recognize that every athlete develops at different rates.  As such, although tryouts (as is the world around us) are competitive, we strive to ensure that any player that has the desire to play (as witnessed by attending tryouts) has a team to play on (*although not a guarantee, we have historically been very successful in managing this).
• We openly support the multi-activity lives of our athletes ... whether other sports, church, community ... if you play USA you can do other things, too.  Although we do expect strong personal and family commitment and dedication for the sake of our teams, level of competitiveness, and strength of our club, we do embrace the desire to develop the WHOLE player.
• The VALUE of USA is superior.  Our club offers multiple training and individual enrichment programs that are not offered by any other local club.  There are clubs that are less expensive, but they do not offer the opportunities for overall growth and wellness that are offered by USA.  There are clubs that are more expensive, but their cost does not equate to the opportunities available.
• We work to help everyone can afford to play ... we recognize the cost of playing travel soccer can be a serious consideration and as such offer strong, private financial aid program to ensure that all athletes that wish to play USA have the opportunity.