
South Central Soccer Club (SCSC) is a regional soccer club created in partnership with the Windham Soccer Association, and includes youth players from surrounding towns, to include Salem, Pelham and more. Tryouts are open to players from any surrounding towns looking for a more enriched soccer experience focused on individual technical development and strategic team play. SCSC comprises 11v11 teams in age groups from U13 and up as our player pool and competitive opportunities exist.
SCSC provides a community based Soccer Club with an Academy style philosophy. SCSC offers experienced, professional coaching by some of the area's most respected and experienced coaches, academy style training with flexible schedules, and a family friendly cost structure. Program tuition includes both the Fall and Spring seasons with games in the NHSL, as well as two tournaments, and 2 weekly professional led training sessions. As with any travel program, players and their parents are expected to be able to make the commitment required for both the fall and spring seasons.
Commitment
Players who wish to become part of the SCSC program should be aware of, and willing to commit to the following:
- Travel Soccer is a 2-Season Sport (Fall runs form the end of August to early November) (Spring runs from early April through mid-June) - players are expected to commit to both seasons.
- Teams practice 2 afternoons a week during the season.
- Games are played in Windham and away. (travel can be up to 60 to 90 minutes from Windham)
- Travel Teams participate in 2 Tournaments a year and may also participate in a Jamboree. (typically, the tournaments are held Columbus Day Weekend and Memorial Day Weekend)
We understand that many players are interested in and participate in many different sports and activities. Players and their families should understand that being part of a travel team entails a commitment to team practices and games. While we do try to work with everyone as much as possible, players unable to make this commitment should consider playing at the recreational level in town. Questions may be directed to Ron Bustamante, VP Travel (
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Fees:
SCSC Fees plus the cost of the uniform (not included in fees). If you are selected in the Fall to fill an open roster spot on a Spring Team, the cost is pro-rated from the full year fees (not including uniform)
See the Registration Link for more details about fees and estimated uniforms costs
Coaching/Training
SCSC uses professional coaches for all teams. Indoor sessions are increasingly popular and are put together by coaches and parents outside of WSA in the off seasons at an additional cost.
Philosophy
The three areas of a player’s development we are concerned about are:
a. Physical development, by learning soccer skills and improving fitness and conditioning.
b. Psychological development, by learning to control their emotions and developing positive feelings of self-worth; and
c. Social development, by learning how to be a part of a team and display appropriate sportsmanship.
As SCSC is U13 and above, they will continue to focus more on detailed positional play, strategic skill development, team set movements and team play, as well as and game-winning plans.
Game play will be assessed based on a player’s commitment, skills and the team’s positional requirements, and distributed in a fair manner, but is left to the coaching team to determine.
Registration
Registration for the FALL/SPRING league will normally begin in early May. Tryouts are typically held shortly after Memorial Day, with team announcements coming at the end of the NHSL season.
Registration for SPRING only (used to fill open roster spots or for teams in divisions that only offer spring-only) will normally begin in early October. Tryouts for Spring only are typically near or after the completion of our Rec season
Making the team
Please see the registration page for more information on Team Formation, including a link to our Travel Team formation document
Travel Criteria
The following are some of the criteria used in evaluating players during the travel tryouts. We are providing this information to give parents a better understanding of what the evaluators will be looking for during tryouts, and also what coaches will be asked to provide feedback on at the end of the season
- Passing & Control
- Dribbling Technique
- Finishing/Shooting Technique
- Defending
- Positional Play
- Aggressiveness
- Effort/Enthusiasm
- Speed
- Goaltending (if applicable)
- "Coachability" - the ability to take direction and critiques, to be a good team mate, to be a positive member of the team
Jewelry
Please note that no jewelry of any kind is allowed during play (games or practice). This includes: necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, anklets, and headgear. Please note this also includes newly pierced ears. Covering the ears with band-aids and tape is not allowed.
Zero tolerance rule
Unfortunately, youth sports have recently seen a surge in spectator and even coach tenancies to become abusive or aggressive. The WSA with New Hampshire State Soccer League and NHSA have a zero tolerance for this, and as such have issued statements detailing the warning process and ultimately the rejection of suspension of coach and spectator attendance. All players, parents, and coaches must abide by the WSA Code of Conduct.