2008 Frequently Asked Questions

1. Our family life already seems like it has been taken over by soccer and we hear that classic is even worse. Will we have to cancel our summer vacation and every other non-soccer related event in our lives? answer

2. What is the commitment expected from players and their families in the fall? answer

3. Are players expected to give up other sports and play just soccer? answer

4. I hear that some clubs practice in Hillsboro, Gresham, or North Portland. That seems like a long way to drive. Where do your teams practice? answer

5. How many teams will you have at each age group/gender? answer

6. How/when are players notified if they make the team? answer

7. How well do your players and teams progress from year-to-year? answer

8. How do you find your coaches? What do you look for in a coach? answer

9. Is attendance at both tryouts required? answer

10. How many Sunday morning games/practices are there? answer

11. How much out-of-town travel is involved? answer

12. How much does it cost? Are scholarships available? answer

1. Our family life already seems like it has been taken over by soccer and we hear that classic is even worse. Will we have to cancel our summer vacation and every other non-soccer related event in our lives? [TOP]

The biggest change for most players going from recreational to competitive soccer occurs during the summer. Teams normally begin practicing in June, a couple times per week, for 1.5 to 2 hours a practice. While practices are usually scheduled for the evening, a team may practice during the day due to coach and field availability. Most of our teams are scheduled for a one-week team camp (a few hours a day for a week in June or July) as well. Teams will usually play a total of 2-4 weekend tournaments in June-August in addition to the Qualifying tournament, which is scheduled for Aug. 8-10 and Aug. 15-17 in 2008. Making it to the second weekend is dependent on how well a team does in the first weekend. This tournament determines at what level the team plays in the fall season.  U-11 teams are not currently scheduled to compete in the Qualifying tournament in 2008.

Families are not expected to cancel or reschedule planned vacations or other family events to accommodate the summer soccer schedule. On the other hand, if you expect the player to miss a significant part of the summer or the Qualifying tournament, you should let the coach know before accepting a position on the team. The coach and/or team manager (depending on the team) should be notified at the beginning of summer about vacations, camps and other planned activities. This will allow the team to schedule practices and tournaments to ensure sufficient attendance.

2. What is the commitment expected from players and their families in the fall? [TOP]

Once school starts, teams will usually practice for 1.5 hours, twice a week. The fall season is 14 games over an 8 week period (Sept-Oct), so most weekends will have two games (Saturday & Sunday). You should probably count on one overnight (Saturday night) trip to Southern, Central or Eastern Oregon. Some teams may play in the Presidents Cup Tournament after the fall season in November. New for the 2008/2009 season, all rounds of the State Cup tournament are scheduled to take place in the Spring of 2009. Players are expected to give soccer priority among their extra-curricular activities during the summer and fall.

3. Are players expected to give up other sports and play just soccer? [TOP]

No. Although most teams register for one or more sessions of futsal or indoor soccer during the winter, few practices are scheduled during this time. The club does offer an outdoor Winter Academy one or two days per week in January & February. Many players play basketball, ski or do other sports in addition to (or instead of) winter soccer which is considered optional. Most teams enter an optional spring outdoor soccer league and start practicing regularly in March. Some of our players play baseball or softball in addition to (or instead of) spring soccer. Tryouts for the next season will take place shortly after the State Cup finals in early May. Players must tryout each year -- they are not assured of making the team again just because they were on a team in the prior season.

4. I hear that some clubs practice in Hillsboro, Gresham, or North Portland. That seems like a long way to drive. Where do your teams practice? [TOP]

Practices in the summer and fall will primarily be at our home fields at the Oregon Episcopal School in SW Portland which will also be where our home games for the fall season normally will be scheduled. Some teams may practice at other fields near Bridlemile School such as Hamilton, Kelly or Pendleton Parks.  Due to the high demand for fields from lacrosse and baseball/softball, practices in the spring may be scheduled for fields around the Portland, although we try to 

5. How many teams will you have at each age group/gender? [TOP]

We normally plan to have one team for each age group and gender. If there are enough players trying out for a level and we can identify a qualified coach, we will form a second team for that age. In 2008 we anticipate having second teams for
U-11 and U-12 girls as well as U-13 and U-14 boys.

6. How/when are players notified if they make the team? [TOP]

Very shortly (a couple of days at most) after tryouts for an age group/gender, the coach will call players that have made the team. If the coach is unable to reach a player or the player needs a little time to make a decision, players further down on the list ("on the bubble") may not be called immediately. This is especially true if we end up having a second team for an age group, since the "A" team has to be completed before all of the "B" team is notified. In fairness to all players, we ask that players take no more than one to two days to decide whether to join the team. Players not making a team will receive a call as soon as the team is filled.

7. How well do your players and teams progress from year-to-year? [TOP]

Our teams generally have improved, relative to others, while at BSC. For instance, our first boys team started out in Classic 1 at U12 and progressed to Premier at U13 & U14. Our first girls team started out at the bottom of Classic 2 at U12 and improved to the top of Classic 2 at U13 and Classic 1 at U14.  Several BSC players have made the Oregon ODP teams as well as having gone on to play for college programs. Bridlemile began offering high school age teams (U15-U18) in 2008 and expect a number of teams to make it to the quarterfinals and beyond of the State Cup.

8. How do you find your coaches? What do you look for in a coach? [TOP]

Nearly all of our coaches are referred to us by current coaches or parents. We look for coaches who agree with and follow the club's philosophy and goals. Each coach should have significant (high school and college) playing or youth coaching experience (preferably both). We encourage "positive coaching" to help develop the players' confidence and skills. We are ALWAYS looking for suitable new coaches -- it is one of our most challenging tasks. In recent years, we have been fortunate to have several coaches who have professional playing experience and are good teachers as well. Qualified parents may occasionally serve as assistant coaches or, infrequently, as team head coach. All coaches, assistant coaches and team managers must submit to a criminal background check performed by Oregon Youth Soccer Association (OYSA).

9. Is attendance at both tryouts required? [TOP]

No, but it is encouraged. While some players can make the team based on just one tryout, for others, a second tryout is very beneficial. If there are large numbers of players trying out (as is typical in the U-11 & U-12 age groups), the evaluators may miss some of the good things a player does if they attend only one tryout. Sometimes players get nervous at their first tryout, but settle down at the second. We strongly encourage players to come to both tryout times, if possible, to give themselves the maximum opportunity to "shine".

10. How many Sunday morning games/practices are there? [TOP]

Many (but not all) tournaments have Sunday morning games. During the fall season, you can probably count on 3-4 Sunday morning games. Our teams would practice on Sunday mornings only in extraordinary circumstances.

11. How much out-of-town travel is involved? [TOP]

Our teams enter summer tournaments mostly in the metropolitan Portland area. However, many teams choose to enter one or two out-of-town (such as Bend or Seattle) summer tournaments where the team stays the weekend at the tournament location, usually in a motel or hotel. Teams that are older and want to gain experience playing stiffer competition may travel to Nevada, California, Arizona or other Western States for tournaments.

During the fall season each team plays every team in their division twice – once at home and once away. If there are one or more teams in your division that are out-of-town, you’ll end up traveling (usually only for the day) for the away game. Season-ending statewide tournaments such as the State Cup or Presidents Cup may involve one or two games of out-of-town travel — usually day trips, but occasionally overnight.

Teams that qualify for the Regional Tournament based on their State Cup results are obligated to travel to the Regional Tournament site. For 2008, this is in Hawaii in June.

12. How much does it cost? Are scholarships available? [TOP]

The registration fee for 2008 summer/fall, which includes the coaching fees, is $750. Uniforms (jerseys, shorts and socks) are about $85 (returning U-12 and U-14 players do not normally have to buy new uniforms unless they need replacements). Warm-ups and soccer bags (for new players or replacements) are $115. Tournament fees for the summer and fall vary by team, but usually total $150-$175. Team camps are about $100 per player. Scholarships that help cover registration, uniform/warm-ups and tournament fees are available and based on financial need. Winter indoor/futsal costs vary by team, but are usually $100-$150 per session. Spring soccer fees are $175-$200 per player.  Travel costs vary by team and include the coach's travel expenses.