AYSO SELECT TEAM FAQ
1. How many practices per week will we have? You will have two practices a week.
2. How long is each practice? Practices are up to 2 hours long.
3. Is there an additional AYSO registration fee for the Select Teams? No. To try-out for an AYSO Select Team, the player must be registered player with AYSO for the upcoming season.
4. Will the AYSO philosophy of “Everyone Plays” still be followed, even though we are playing in the Duke City Metro League?Yes! We are still an AYSO team and will adhere to all AYSO rules and philosophies.
5. How long is the soccer season for Select Teams? You can expect to play soccer from August thru November and January thru June.
6. Are the AYSO coaches specially trained? All Select Team Coaches go through a fifteen-hour course that stresses coaching techniques of observation and evaluation, tactical decision-making, and dealing with the more experienced player.
7. Is there a need for my child to practice at other times besides regular practices? Absolutely! It is vitally important that they work on ball skills almost every day for 15-20 minutes. Also aerobic conditioning (e.g. running) should be done 2 or 3 times during the week for 20-25 minutes. Stretching should be done every day.
8. Is this a competitive, intense program? Very much so – the conditioning, skills and mental demands are much higher than regular season AYSO. Your child must have a good attention span and be able to focus even when tired.
9. I heard that there is fundraising involved with Select, is this true? Yes, there will be fundraising activities.
10. Why do we have to raise extra money? There are fees to play in the Duke City Metro League and fees for tournaments.
11. What kinds of fundraising activities do the Select teams participate in? Car Washes, Candy selling, AYSO trophy sales, AYSO picture money counting, garage sales, etc.- it is up to the team.
12. How much fundraising do we have to do? This depends on how many tournaments you want to participate in and if the team wants extras, like team bags, warm-up suits etc.
13. Why can’t I, as a parent, just write a check to cover team expenses? Fundraising activities are good team building exercises. Also, it instills a sense of accomplishment and responsibility in the players. Lastly, not everyone can afford to write a sizeable check.
14. Where will the games be played? During regular season (8 games in the fall, 8 games in the spring) games will be played at the Farmers Insurance Complex (in Bernalillo… please note that parking is $3.00 per day), Arroyo Del Oso ( ADO – west of Wyoming, South of Spain), or at the Balloon Fiesta Park (West of I-25 between Alameda and San Mateo).
15. Where will tournament games be played? This varies by tournament. Some will be played in Bernalillo, others around Albuquerque, and others will out of town in other NM cities or other states. Generally, tournaments run a full weekend so you can expect to have games on Saturday and Sunday.
Please note: Parents of children on Select Teams are expected to be very involved with fundraising activities. Positive parent involvement is REQUIRED. The team will need to raise between $2,000 and $3,000 throughout the year, starting this summer. This is a commitment for the Player AND the Parent.