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Travel Program Description
Travel Program
LFSA's Travel Soccer Program is available for players born 2017-2006 for the 2024-2025 season. LFSA offers a developmental soccer program called Young Scouts for players born 2018-2019.
Tryouts
Tryouts are required for all players joining the Travel Program. Players are evaluated and team recommendations are based on soccer skills, athleticism and attitude. All players are evaluated by a minimum of two coaches.
Tryouts are held in the month of May for most teams and October for High School Boys. Results are annnounced directly to registrants within a few days. If a player is accepted to a team, registration is required to be completed within a week of the announcement of the teams. Players joining outside of this window can still try out if there are open spots on their age appropriate team.
Teams
Travel Teams are rostered in June for a Fall/Winter/Spring season of play. Teams are chosen based on a player’s skills within their age group. LFSA teams are categorized as Blue/Select and White/Premier. Teams are formed by matching players of equal playing ability. There is a natural division within the skill levels. This helps provide a challenging environment and furthers the development of all players. Each year at tryouts every player has an equal chance of making the team of their age group.
Program Structure
The Travel soccer calendar runs for ten months, from mid-August to mid-June.
U08-U14 Boys & Girls
Preseason Training – The year begins with a two week clinic in August that develops players’ skills as well as gives the team an opportunity to get to know one another and have fun before the upcoming season. The clinic consists of daily training sessions Monday through Thursday. It is during this time the coaches see the greatest development and growth in the players’ skills. The benefit of practicing on consecutive days provides accelerated skill development when daily reinforcement and repetition of new skills allows for greater mastery.
Fall Season - August - October.
The Fall Season begins with a local tournament over the Labor Day weekend. This provides the team with an opportunity to play together and put into action the skills learned during the preseason training. After Labor Day, regular Fall Season begins with two practices per week and one game per week on the weekend. League games are scheduled until the end of October.
Winter (Indoor) January - March.
During the winter months, teams continue their training at the indoor practice facility located in Lake Bluff. Teams have two days of training. The Winter Season allows players to continue to maintain their soccer skills in preparation for spring.
Spring Season April - June.
Spring Season allows the teams to move back to outdoor practice and play. Practices resume the 2 day per week schedule with games on the weekends. The Spring Season begins the first week in April, coinciding with the first week students return from Spring Break. A spring tournament is often held over Memorial Day weekend.
Summer Camps June and July
LFSA offers summer camps in June and July. Camps and clinics are not included in the travel registration fee.
Game Schedules
Fall game schedules are posted mid-August. Spring game schedules are posted in Mid-March.
Girls’ Game Schedule – Girls games are played on most Sundays in the IWSL league.
Boys’ Game Schedule – Boys games are played on most Saturdays in the YSSL league.
Tournaments
All teams participate in two local tournament during the year (U8's play one in spring only). Our higher level teams participate in tournaments on a regional and national basis. These fall over breaks in the school calendar, typically Veteran’s Day or President’s Day Weekend. Tournaments are not scheduled over Christmas Break or Spring Break.
Fields
All practices and home games take place in Lake Forest. Away games in the Fall and Spring are played in the surrounding local suburbs (Glenview, Deerfield, Libertyville). The primary home fields used by LFSA are:
Deerpath Community Park
Northcroft Park
Everett Park
Everett Park
Lake Forest High School Fields at West Campus
Leagues
LFSA teams are registered with the following Illinois soccer organizations:
Illinois Youth Soccer Association
Young Sportsmen Soccer League
Illinois Women’s Soccer League
